Help with Rag Rolling Faux Paint Technique

I just put a primer coat down on the walls in my new room and I'm going to attempt, for the first time, to do a faux technique.....I'm going to try to rag the walls...

I'm using a dark sky blue as the background and will apply a lighter blue over it...

It seems fairly simple, but I have a question that perhaps someone can help me out with....Gazrok and WW I know are very skilled and may have some simple solutions to suggest...

It seems every online tutorial I find suggests I use faux finish glazing liquid for the ragging....

Okay - I'm not a genius when it comes to paint....so what's the difference between using the glaze and just another color of latex paint? I assume these glazing liquids come in the same color palettes? Will there be a dramatic difference in the finished result, or is it safe to experiment and use the lighter colored blue latex paint as my ragging color?

Totally clueless here


[edit on 3/9/2005 by EnronOutrunHomerun]

Wow. Sounds like work.

I've had great success just tying clean new white t-shirts in knots and playing. No funky purchases. No special paint. Well both the base and top accent were nice complimentary Ralph Lauren's but that's it.

I was doing dark though, so like brownsih gold rag rolls on faded yellow base... so precision wasn't required. Discouraged in fact. And kind of fun.

We paid a "pro" to do a room in our office one time, and it was insane. He took over a week (one room), did it all by meticulous sponge dot and it looked like pretentious crap.

Yeah, a six each of beer and t-shirts is all the special effort I'd use. But that's just me.

Originally posted by RANT
I've had great success just tying clean new white t-shirts in knots and playing. No funky purchases. No special paint. Well both the base and top accent were nice complimentary Ralph Lauren's but that's it.

That was my plan - To use some shirts - Tying them in knots sounds like it would add a cool effect...

So you used just regular paint then? No special glazes or this and that? Very cool....

I was looking at the Ralph Lauren paints too....They have some awesome "denim" faux techinques that make your walls literally look like blue jeans.....Some nice colors too....

He took over a week (one room), did it all by meticulous sponge dot and it looked like pretentious crap.

Yeah - A friend of mine's father is a "professional painter".....The end result is usually something that the average joe could do in half the time, at half the cost, with none of the fuss!

Yeah, a six each of beer and t-shirts is all the special effort I'd use. But that's just me.

Oh yeah...That beer's mandatory man! That, and you have to close all the doors and windows and turn the fan on high That twelve pack will take on a new dimension

Thanks for the tips though


[edit on 3/9/2005 by EnronOutrunHomerun]

behr.com has cool tips and techniques, even if you go to home depot and hit the paint aisle they have free booklets on "how to" faux paint.

I like the tanned colours mixed in with orange base. Always looks great.
You can use that in the bathroom, the dining room, kitchen, ect, oh the possibilities!

good luck

You also need a big fat brush suited for the faux finish technique, the glaze is the top coat which makes it easier to spread out with the brush, it gives it a more sleeker look then blobby.

Latex paint is used for the base coat.

when you use the glaze stroke some on the wall and then brush it out and around but keep using the basic up and down stroke you can go diagnolly to get a better result.

Play with it until youcome up with the technique you like and feel most comfortable with. Thebig fat brush helps to spread the glaze out more.

Play with the technique on a spare piece of cardboard, drywall, wood, ect...
whatever you can find until you get it right.

Excellent tips TL! I may yet decide to pick up some glaze....

Just to give you all an idea for what I'm looking for...Here's my photoshop rendition of what I hope to acheive....

Here's the light blue (ragging color)


Here's the dark blue (background color)


Here's the desired result...




[edit on 3/9/2005 by EnronOutrunHomerun]

Everything went well on my little project here....

I ended up doing Spectrum Blue as the background color:


And Java Sea as the faux finish, wich I rolled on then ragged off in a spiral-like fashion...


Gives the room the illusion of blue steel....


NoOoOo....Not that "blue steel"....

I'll post pictures when I get a chance....busy moving right now....

Wow....I'm looking back over this thread after having painted, and I can't believe how close I actually came to the photoshopped image in my second-to-last post....

Well - As I promised, here's an image of how it turned out....

Thanks for all the advice! I ended up having to go with a lighter blue for the faux finish....I rolled the finishing glaze on, then basically wiped off as much as I could with some terry cloth towels and then went back over it with a circular twisting motion....Turned out beautiful!!

I can't believe I even clicked on this...

Originally posted by NotTooHappy
I can't believe I even clicked on this...

( sorry pics got to go...due to the swear word)


Edit: Sorry bout that Asala....

Imagine an image of Gary Coleman with the modified phrase "Who friggin' cares!"....

[edit on 4/11/2005 by EnronOutrunHomerun]

Your walls look gorgeous
I have no idea how I missed your thread in the first place
but from your results, you didn't even need my help

I'll be faux painting my bathroom soon, i'll post pics when I'm done. I base coated everywhere, just have been lazy to pick up the sponges and rags but now i'm inspired again.

Hehe....Thanks

Well - I needed all the help I could get...But once I knew what I was doing, I had a blast! I've lived in rooms with white walls all my life, and it was time for a change....

It's addictive enron, once you do one room, you start seeing possibilities everywhere, you'll want to try sponging and marbling and leatherizing and and.....