Faux Finish Walls With Ragging

Adding a faux finish can add drama and interest to any wall in any room, and ragging is a technique you can easily use to transform the look of a room. Ragging lends a textured effect to a wall while still allowing your chosen background color to show through. Here are some simple steps for you to add faux glamour to your walls.

Colors

First you'll want to choose your colors. There are no hard-and-fast rules here. You can choose colors that are relatively close on the color wheel or you can choose any combination of colors that you think will be pleasing to you and will create the effect you're hoping to achieve. The more radical the color difference, the more bold your ragging statement will be.
Once you've finishing painting your wall with your base coat, let it dry completely. This will generally take about twenty-four hours, but once it's dry, you're ready to begin ragging the top coat.

Ragging

Wearing a pair of rubber gloves to keep your hands from getting coated, start by dipping your lint-free rag into your top coat, which will be composed of a four-to-one mixture of glaze and the color of your choice. As you work, don't forget to stir the glaze/paint mixture occasionally, because it will have a tendency to separate as time goes by.

Squeeze out the excess paint and then open your rag completely to evenly distribute the mixture before loosely crumpling it again. Start at the top corner of the wall and press your rag down gently. Work in an area of about one square yard before moving on. As you move along, uncrumple your rag from time to time to vary the pattern. Remember, this is a unique work of art you're creating. You don't want it to look like wallpaper.

After you've recrumpled the rag several times, repeat the process of dipping, opening and recrumpling your rag, and dabbing paint onto the wall until you've finished the entire surface. If you're doing several walls, you'll get the best results if you work on opposite walls first. Take a few steps back from time to time to check the uniformity of your ragging texture.

For a crisper texture, you can use a polyester rag instead of a cotton one. Plastic grocery bags also give a rougher texture. Regardless of which type of rag you choose, the key to a great-looking wall is to take your time and strive to achieve a random, yet uniform texture across the entire surface. It's not an expensive remodeling technique and it will take time to do, but with patience, you can dramatically change the look of a room by giving it a unique texture--one that you can proudly tell your guests you created yourself!

For professional decorative wall finishes, take a look at the Faux Artists who worked on the Habitat for Humanity project on http://flipthathousewithfaux.com/

Copyright © 2007 Jeanette Fisher
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Video:
How to Faux Paint : Beginner Faux Painting Workshop Online : How to Use Rags for Faux Painting : Faux Painting Tips and Techniques



Learn how to use rags for faux painting, in this free video.

WallDreams Paint Ideas! Some cool tools for ragging are different textures in the cloth being dabbled or rolled on or off the surface. Again, its always better to practice your technique on a practice board before committing to the entire room. Likewise, try bubblewrap, terrycloth, sheets, plastic sheeting, burlap, cheesecloth, torn up t-shirts, a specialty rag rolling roller cover from a paint store, etc. Once you've put glaze to wall and begun a technique, stay on target. You can not change tool or stop mid-wall or the finish will be different. And as for any technique, do pull back occasionally and check for quality assurance, consistency.

Soft, Textured Walls - How to Achieve it with Rags

Into the 21st century, painting is an ongoing river of creativity. It would be, ostensibly, difficult to imagine a wall without paint. When a thin layer of paint is applied to a wall it converts to an opaque solid film. So basically, what you see is what you get. But when you apply the Rag Rolling technique to your paint job, not only do you achieve a soft, textured effect on a wall, you even add depth and excitement to an otherwise bland surface. This article will explore the different techniques used in creating that lustrous, textured look that can only be achieved with rags.

Now let's get the terminology out of the way first. Rag rolling and ragging are two different things. Rag rolling is rolling or ragging paint on; and ragging is rolling or ragging paint off. The finished product is totally different, however. I'll cover this in a minute, but before I do, please make a note of this: to see the effect you like best, use a piece of cardboard to try out both methods.

Essentially, the principles of rag rolling and ragging are pretty much the same. What will create the difference between the two methods are the shape of the rag and the shape it creates on the wall. Between the two techniques, you will get the appearance of a vertical pattern with rag rolling, whilst ragging will appear sharper in texture-more arbitrary, if you will.

Preparation is easy. With both techniques, you'll want to ensure that the rags you use are wrung first before you apply the rag onto the base coat on the wall. It is important that all of the excess paint--or water in ragging--is removed from the rag if you want to get the best effect. Have several rags to work with, and pour glaze onto a paint tray where you will be dipping the rags into. Give them a good soak. You will be using one rag at a time, so place the extra rags in a bucket and place a lid over them to keep them moist.

Rag rolling paint on involves rolling paint onto the base coat. You need to use both hands to do this properly. The technique is simple: just roll the rag down from the top to bottom of the wall. When the impressions fade, get another rag from the batch you prepared earlier. Make sure you overlap each strip as you continue to roll.

Ragging paint on involves applying a soaked and crumpled rag onto an already glaze base coated wall. Ragging can create a scattered effect, thus in order to achieve a concentrated effect, overlap areas when you apply the paint. Dip the rag, wring it, and then dab it onto the wall. When the color gets lighter, just dip it again and continue dabbing.

Rag rolling paint off is a technique that involves working with a freshly glazed surface and simply applying a wet-with-water but wrung rag to roll the wet paint off. Use a clean rag once your rag gets saturated with paint. Simply apply glaze in small sections and continue rolling the wet paint off. If you want a more subtle effect, wet your rag with water and wring out before rolling paint off. Once the rag becomes saturated with paint, start again with a clean rag.

Ragging Paint Off is similar to ragging paint on, except in this technique you dab the paint off. For a more subtle effect, wet the rag, wring out the excess water, and crumple the rag. And when it's saturated with paint, use a clean rag.

Creating illusions of fabric, stone, wood and other natural surface materials can be easily achieved using faux paint techniques such rag rolling and ragging. It is the way you apply these techniques to the wall that determines the texture. Whether you rag on or rag paint off, you will get a textured look in the end, but to see the effect you like best, try using a piece of cardboard to try out both methods first.

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Faux Painting Techniques

In the last 10 years, faux painting techniques have gone from obscure to popular, from the realm of professionals to do-it-yourself projects. These techniques are not difficult although they can be time consuming (what decorating or remodeling project isn't though) and require quick hands.

Called "faux" painting because these techniques mimic or create a false look of stone, texture, leather, and more, you will find that the styles fall into one of two types: additive or subtractive. Additive (also called positive) techniques simply mean that you add color onto the wall. Sponging is the most common of this type. Conversely, subtractive (also referred to as negative) techniques means you take paint off after it has been applied. Ragging is a common subtractive technique. Most negative techniques use glazes and require that you move quickly before the glaze dries.

When it comes to glazes, there are two types: latex (water based) or oil based. Latex is by far easier since it cleans up with soap and water, but oil based glazes provide longer working times and generally provide a harder, more durable finish. However, for do-it-yourselfers, I recommend latex glazes and working in small areas at a time. I have also seen solutions that you can add to the glaze to lengthen the working time. For your first glazing job, you may well want to consider using this additive available at finer paint supply stores.

Here are the various type of faux painting techniques:

Sponging: Probably the easiest method, you apply paint to a wall with a natural sea sponge. It provides a richly textured look. In addition to good looks, it's a simple way to camouflage an uneven or repaired crack wall. Use a couple of colors over the base paint to add greater depth. Be bold or subtle; it's up to you. You can use glaze or paint just as easily with this technique. I've seen this done in a negative manner, but it is most commonly performed as a positive method.

Ragging/Rag Rolling: Typically a negative technique, you paint a tinted glaze over the base painted walls. The glaze should be tinted darker than the base coat, keeping in the same color family as the glaze allows some color through it as well. Either use a wadded up dry rag or twist a rag into a cylinder. Then dab or roll the rags to remove the glaze. You can use one or two colors over the base coat. You may also do this in a positive method like sponging for a softer look and texture.

Color Washing: In this additive technique, you apply the tinted glaze mixture over the base coat using a circular motion as if you were washing the wall. Use rags for a very soft look or a natural sea sponge for a more textured appearance.

Strié: Create a historical and aged texture to the wall, with this negative method. Roll tinted glaze over the base coat, then use a wall paper brush to make fine lines from top to bottom. The glaze should be darker than the base coat to allow the lighter base to show through the fine lines.

Striping: The only difficult part of this positive technique is getting your stripes straight. Be sure to use a level or drop a plumb line. Tape off your stripes, then paint every other one with glaze. If you use a bold color, you do not need to tint the glaze to get a delightful two-tone effect. For softer colors, you may wish to slightly darken the glaze although it is not necessary. This technique may also be combined with color washing as you color wash the stripes for more interest and texture. Of course, for a more dramatic look, you can use paint in complementary or various colors.

Dry Brushing: This is a positive method in which you use a small amount of paint on a brush in herringbone patterns to create the texture. You will need tow or three colors to achieve the best results.

Frottage: Using plastic sheets for this negative method, tinted glaze is applied over the base coat and then plastic sheets are applied and smoothed over the glaze. Once the wall is done, the plastic sheets are removed for a marbling effect.

Faux finishes can provide interest and texture to your rooms - and less expensively than wall paper. While you may need to block out a full day to do the work, by the end of the day, you can sit back and admire the rich, luxurious look of your new room.

About Author:
Julie Lohmeier is the veteran of numerous home remodeling and building projects and has seen the entire spectrum of home improvement. She shares her remodeling tips, home decorating ideas, and other various rants at http://www.myhomeredux.com?FAUX_GO. @copyright 2005, Julie Lohmeier, www.myhomeredux.com
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