Painting Technique

Getting Ready to Paint

No matter what painting technique or style you are using, the basics of getting ready to paint should always be the same.

First, you should dress in old clothing to avoid staining your clothes. Depending on the type of paint you are using, you might want to wear a breathing mask and protective gloves to make sure you don't have any skin contact with the paint. Always follow the manufacturer's suggestions on any safety gear you might need.

You'll also want to paint in a well-ventilated area. If you're painting a wall, open any windows in the room, leave the door open, and turn on a fan or two to help draw fresh air into the room and smelly air out.

If you can move the item that you are painting outdoors, that would be the best option. Paint on a day that isn't incredibly windy so that your paint stays on the item you are trying to paint. Even if you are outside, cover your work area with newspapers or a drop cloth so you don't get paint where you don't want it.

Painting Technique

For best results with any painting technique, you want to start with a clean slate. If you're working with raw wood, make sure it is sanded smooth and clean of any dust particles before you begin. If you're spray painting plastic, make sure it is clean. Wipe down your walls and sand any patched parts before you begin.

Once you've got a clean slate, use a primer if necessary to smooth out your surface. Priming wood is a great idea because it protects the wood and makes it last longer. If you're sponge painting a wall or doing another faux finishing technique, the "primer" step is painting on your base coat of color.

If you're painting a room and changing from a very light to a very dark color or vice-versa, you'll want to apply a tinted primer before applying the color. You can get primer tinted the color you intend to paint the room.

Whether you're painting a wall or a china plate, it's important to work in stages and paint evenly. Let one coat dry before moving on to the next step, whether that's adding a second color or doing a faux finishing technique like a crackle glaze or sponge painting.

Finishing Techniques

There are many different kinds of finishing techniques you can use on your painted objects. Using a rag, a sponge or a special paint roller can give you all sorts of interesting effects on a wall, a vase, a table top or anything else you might want to paint.

The main thing that different faux finishing projects have in common is that you start with a plain base coat of paint, allow that to dry, then mix a second color or more of the first color with some sort of finishing glaze and paint, roll or sponge that onto your painted object.

The main thing you should know about these finishing techniques is that they were developed through experimentation. Try your own experiments: using more or less of the finishing glaze, applying the product with a different piece or equipment, sponging or ragging off some of the finishing agent after you have painted it on, or anything else you'd like to try. The worst thing that can happen is you hate it and need to paint it over again. Along the way you might just discover your favorite new painting technique.