Mixing Two Colors of Paint for Dramatic Wall Effects

If you would like to create a unique look on your walls and are considering using two different paint colors to do so, these easy to follow instructions will help you to achieve a fantastic look that is somewhere between marbled and stippled. It is easy and fun to do and really does not take that much time to get done.

The first thing you need to do is gather your supplies. You will need the following:
Drop Cloth

Paint roller with long pile cover

Painters Tape

Paint tray

Paint brush (about an inch in width)

Latex Paint in the two colors you will blend onto the wall surface

When choosing your paint colors you want to find colors that contrast or complement each other in a favorable manner. You can use a color wheel from a paint store to help you choose colors that are deemed to go or contrast well with one another.

You are now ready to begin painting. The first thing you want to do is prepare your area. Make sure walls are smooth, imperfections such as nail holes or dents filled and dry, and that the area you are working on is clean and dry. Now you want to put your drop cloth down and carefully apply painters tape where needed.

To begin the painting, take one color of your paint and put it in one half of your paint tray. Now take the other color you have chosen and pour it in the other half of your paint tray. Run your roller over the surface of both paints and apply to the wall. Use short strokes at different angles to achieve a well blended look. You do not want to add any paint to the roller until what you have on there already is almost gone. This will help the blend to go more smoothly and look less contrived. You are going to do this in sections adding paint as you go to the next section. Be sure before moving to the next area that you run the paint roller over the entire section you have painted to soften the dramatic differences in colors or to fade out lines from paint concentration. Take a few steps back from the job to ensure you have the look you want before proceeding to the next section.

Take your paintbrush and dip the tip of it into the by now well mixed colors in your paint tray. Dab the brush quickly and thoroughly in corners and along edges to blend the color completely. Again, step back from the work to make sure you have stippled with the small paint brush to the desired effect. Built up paint will leave dark paint stripes or streaks that are unfavorable to the soft look you are trying to achieve with this type of roller application. That is why it is very important to work in small sections when applying paint with the roller or with the brush. You want to be able to get the look smooth before the paint has dried. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly and remove your painters tape. You have now created a soft two-tone look for your walls that is sure to soothe and invite. Congratulations on a job well done.