Before you can start any kind of painting on your walls, make sure that you are prepared. This means that you have all your supplies ready and that you have prepared the walls by filling in any cracks or holes and taping off trim and windows with blue painter’s tape. You will as well need some special tools to fulfill a certain painting technique, so be sure that you pick these up as well.

Rag Painting Technique

With the rag painting technique, you do not need to use a paint brushes or rollers. Instead, a simple rags like old shirts or any type of cotton rag are used to apply the paint to the wall. This will create a marbled effect on the wall. To rag paint:

• Soak the rag into the container of paint and shake off the excess.
• Tap the rag onto the wall, applying the paint in whatever pattern that you like, but make sure not to spread out the pattern too much.
• For a more creative touch, apply a darker base and then rag on a lighter paint color.

Sponge Painting Technique

Sponge painting or sponging is a technique that is used to give a wall a depth and interest. To do this, you need to apply a base color to the wall before you can sponge paint it. To sponge paint:

• Dip a regular or sea sponge into the paint or glaze of your choice.
• Start from the outside of the walls and dab the sponge in a random pattern.
• You can finish all the walls in the room this way, or choose only one wall in the room to do the sponge painting technique.

Color Washing Technique

Color washing is a technique that adds a subtle finish to the walls that gives the appearance of floating color. It is a good technique if you have a wall that has some flaws that you want to hide. It can take a little more time than other techniques as you must develop layers to get the full effect. To apply the technique:

• Choose a base color that you want to paint in your wall, and then wait for it to dry completely.
• If the base color is already dry, paint another layer using a somewhat different color or a complimentary color.
• When painting the layer, use only a paint brush and apply it in all different directions, repeating your strokes so that the base color shows through in random areas.
• If you want another color to show on the walls as well, you can do more than one layer of painting this way.

These painting techniques can be used in any room from a bedroom to a kitchen. They are a great way to immediately add some style to the walls to perk up the room.

Things you need

• Tissue paper
• Paint tray
• 3/8 roller and handle
• Old paintbrush or bristle brush
• Painter’s tape
• Latex paints
• Antiquing glaze

Steps to Follow

1. Dust baseboards using an old paintbrush or china bristle brush. Trim and crown the molding before you use a painter’s tape to seal them off. You can avoid paint from seeping in between pieces by overlapping the seams by an inch.
2. In a corner, start painting an area that is slightly bigger than tissue paper that you are going to use. Crinkle the tissue, open it up and adhere to the wet paint surface. This will create the texture and if you want a slightly smoother finish, smoothen the surface with your fingers. Paint over the tissue paper and tear off the excess paper around the edges of the wall, in the corners and baseboards.
3. Continue in a horizontal line across the wall. Overlap the tissue paper each time and be sure to arrange the tissue in neat rows. This will ensure that are no flat areas in the surface and you will have a more uniform look. Repeat process on the other surface of the walls inside the room.

Additional Tips

• To protect the baseboards, it is best to use a painter’s tape that has paper attached to it
• In painting corners, moldings and areas near baseboards, it is best to use a small paintbrush to apply the paint. This will help you achieve an even look and ensure that you are not missing any areas that are otherwise hard to paint using a big brush.
• You can achieve an Old World feel by color washing the walls with antiquing glaze.

Before you start painting, you have to remove all the curtains, lighting, fixtures and furniture in the room. For large furnishings that can not be removed, you can cover them with wash cloth and old newspapers or wash cloths to cover the floors and keep specks of paint from damaging your furniture, floor or carpet.

Wash the ceiling with mild soap and water. You want to make sure that the ceiling is free from dust and debris. If you see any cracks and holes, fill the holes properly with suitable fine filler. Remove any excess and sand it off using fine sandpaper until the area is smooth.

The first step in painting is to cut in or trim the ceiling. The goal is to create a clean and neat transition from one color or type of paint to another. Take a smaller paint brush and start in the corner and start by painting an inch or so away from the edge.

When using a brush

After you cut in around the entire ceiling and light fittings, coat the ceiling with smooth parallel strokes using a larger brush. Paint in 1meter sections so the wet edges stay fresher as this will improve the finish. Let the paint dry completely after the first coat is applied. Repeat the process for the second coat.

When using a roller

Fill the roller tray to a depth that does not rise above the pile of the roller. This should be done to avoid overloading. Place the roller in the paint and distribute the paint evenly bringing the roller back and forth over the top section of the tray. Start in one corner and use the roller in smooth parallel actions. Paint in 1 meter sections so the wet edges stay fresher. Let the paint dry completely after the first coat on the entire ceiling then apply the second coat.

• If you are painting an old home and want to restore the original color, you can refer to historic color charts and match the shades to the original paint color.
• If you do not want to restore the original colors of your house and want to use more modern colors, take into consideration the neighborhood that you live in. Bold colors can accentuate the historical details of your home but you do not want your house to look weird and out of place. Choose a color that would set your house apart from the rest of the neighborhood but do not overdo it.
• You can get ideas from the landscape of your house. Gardens and woods can suggest earthy colors. Check the color of your roof, although you do not need to match its color it has to harmonize with the rest of the colors of the house and take into consideration other structures that can not be painted such as brick walls, natural wooden doors and the steps and railings.
• The colors of the furnishings should be your basis in choosing the colors for the interior. The interior should guide you in choosing the colors of the paint you will use for the exterior of your house. The main goal is to achieve a harmonious blend of the colors.
• Choose at least three colors to accentuate features in your house aside from the sidings. However, be careful not to use too many colors as this will make your house overwhelming. Light or pale cream colors make your house appear bigger and dark sidings will give attention to details. Instead of using a totally different color, you can use a lighter or darker shade of the same color for the accents.
• Remember to strike a balance for all the rooms in your house. Having colors on just one room will give it a lopsided appearance.

Here are some useful tips you can use if you are redecorating your home;

• In choosing the right color, first you have to determine the color scheme of your existing furniture, window treatments and other accessories in your room. Visit your paint dealer and get coordinating color chips of your favorite colors that can be found in your room. To know how your color choice is affected by the lighting, inspect the color chips during the day and at night time. This should help you decide what suits your room best. Alternatively, you can buy a quart of your chosen color to test on your wall and see how it fairs.
• If you are using two colors for a chair rail, you can paint the portion of the wall below the chair with a darker color. This makes the lighter color dominate and will give your room an open and airy look.
• To disguise ordinary or unattractive trim work, you can use the same color you are using to paint your walls. You can also do this if you want to achieve a uniform or monochromatic look to your room. However, if you want to accentuate a trim work or add color and subtle hints to your room, you can use colors that are a shade darker or lighter than the color of your walls.
• Colors generally look darker especially on large surfaces. If you do not want your room to look dark, choose a color that is a shade or two lighter than what you originally want. Remember that surrounding colors and the lighting in the room affects how the colors on your wall will look like.
• Techniques such as rag rolling, sponging, and color washing can be used to apply a muted or lighter color over the original color. These techniques are helpful if you want to tone down the boldness of the color of your room.
• If you are painting a small room and you want it to appear bigger, you can use a neutral color such as white. Receding colors also help you achieve this appearance. Strong and warm colors tend to close a space so it will only make your room look and feel even smaller.
• If you want your ceilings to appear higher, paint your ceilings white or off white. If you want to achieve a cozy look, choose medium to dark colors.
• If you are working on wood surfaces, it is best to use oil based paints because it penetrates better especially during winter. Water based paints or latex paints dries faster and is suitable for bulk jobs as they can be washed with soap and water.
• Every 400 square feet of flat surface requires one gallon of paint. However, you have to consider the number of coats that you need to apply. Some colors like blue and yellow are colors that are hard to cover with just one coat.

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Proper preparation can lessen your time and effort in cleaning up afterwards. Here are 5 easy steps you can follow to achieve best results

1. The first thing you need to do is remove all furniture and fixtures. This is to prevent paint flecks from landing on other objects in the room as spray painting involves covering surfaces with a jet of paint from a sprayer. This jet consists of extremely minute paint particles that settle on objects and are tedious to take off. Remove small furniture and cover switch plates with masking tape. Big furniture that can not be taken out of the room can be covered with drop cloths.
2. Window frames, fireplaces, countertops and cabinets can not be removed or taken out. The drop cloths that you will use to cover these fixtures need to be securely taped in place. The walls must be covered with masking tapes if you are also painting the ceiling.
3. Fixtures leave behind dents and holes. If you are planning on installing the fixtures back in the same spot after painting then there is no need to seal the hole. If not, you need to fill the holes properly using a spackle and putty knife. As soon as you finish filling the holes, scrape off any excess and let the spackle dry off for at least 24 hours. Use a sand paper to sand the area and a deglosser or sand paper to remove the gloss if you are painting over a glossy finish. Make sure that all the flaws and imperfections on the walls are covered before you start painting.
4. Before you start painting, make a solution of mild soap and water for use to scrub the walls with. It is very important that the walls are cleaned thoroughly because any grime or grease on the wall will lessen the adherence of the paint and reduce the quality of the finish. All residues must be removed using a sponge and let the walls dry properly before you start painting.
5. Check your spraying can or gun to see if it is completely clean and free of any paint residue. After you fill the container with primer, spray it on clean and dry walls. Spray in light, even coats and do not stop moving your hand as you spray to avoid over spraying and unevenness.

Things you need:

• masking tape
• drop cloths
• spackle
• putty knife
• sandpaper
• deglosser
• primer
• spraying gun
• mild soap and water
• sponge