Basic Color Washing Techniques

Color washing is a type of faux finish that is very simple to do, yet adds a tremendous amount of depth to a room. By simply cutting your paint with latex conditioners and or water, you can add pop to flat walls or really bring out the textures of uneven wall surfaces like stucco or plaster. There are two main methods for color washing, using either a sponge or brush. However, there are a number of variations on color washing that we will look at here.

Basic Color Washing Using a Sponge

Color washing with a sponge could not be easier. Your wall should already be painted with a latex paint. Avoid glosses, as it tends to be a bit busy when combined with the color wash. All you need to do is make a mixture of one part paint (either latex or acrylic is fine, I generally work with latex) to eight parts water. Dip your sponge in the mixture and wring it out. Now simply wipe the sponge on the wall. It's best to start at a corner and work in sweeping strokes. Make sure to overlap as you go and don't always wipe in the same direction. When dry, you can add a second coat if you want more color.

Also, as in the rag method, you can do it backwards and put the glaze mix up on the wall first, then sponge it off.

Basic Color Washing Using a Brush

As with the sponge method, start with a non-glossy latex base on the wall. When using a brush, the mixture is a bit different. Here you will mix 1 part flat latex paint, 1 part latex paint conditioner and 2 parts water. Dip the brush and remove any excess mixture from the brush. Paint using a cross-hatch stroke.

Basic Color Washing Using a Rag

There are two ways to use a rag when color washing. You can "rag on" which adds paint to the base coat for effect. You can also "rag off" to pull pre-applied glaze from the wall.

-Rag on:

Using a mix of one part paint and four parts glaze, dip a rolled up rag in the mixture (make sure to use a rag that won't leave lint behind!). Then, roll the rag along the wall. Unless you want stripes, try to roll diagonally.

-Rag off:

First you need to apply your glaze mixture (same as when using the rag on method) to the wall using a roller. Make sure to get into the corners! Then, take a rolled up rag and roll it along the wall. This pulls the glaze mixture off the wall to give the finish. Make sure to change out rags frequently, as once a rag is soaked, it should not be used any more.

For a "Watercolor" Look

Use a darker paint as your wall's base coat. Then simply use a lighter glaze!

For a "Mottled" Look

Simply switch the watercolor method around. Use a lighter base coat and darker glaze.

When attempting to do color washing, the best advice I can give is practice the methods first. Get a piece of drywall and practice on it to make sure you have the method down. Nothing is more frustrating than doing a color wash wrong, as it can require you repainting the whole room.

Sources:

Black & Decker. The Complete Guide to Painting and Decorating. Chanhassen, Minnesota: Creative Publishing International, 1999.

Meredith Book Development Team. Home Improvement 1-2-3. Des Moines, Iowa: Meredith Books, 2003.