DIY Network

Paint Effects for Walls Turn plain walls into works of art. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-137

Artist Maya Griffiths shares Michele Beschen's dedication to courageous creativity: Don't worry about whether you're doing it "right," just do it. She joined Michele Beschen and B. Original viewers for a primer on using acrylic paints and lint-free rags to give plain walls dimension and character.

Scroll down to find out more about Maya's techniques and how you can use them in your home.

Create terrific textures...

And stupendous stripes!

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

Painted Wall Textures

Materials:

primer
wall paint (base coat)
acrylic paints highlight colors
metallic acrylic paint
pearlized glaze
paint roller and tray (for base coat)
painter's tape, drop cloths
lint-free rags for effect painting
bucket of water

• Use tape and drop cloths to protect floors and woodwork. Prime and paint the wall with a solid base coat. For the demonstration wall they painted on B. Original, Maya and Michele Beschen used base coats of vibrant pink and apple green (figure A).

• Choose paint colors according to the base coat color. On the vibrant pink wall, Maya used three different shades of red or magenta plus metallic paints and a pearlized glaze. Michele Beschen used teals and yellows on the green wall, along with pearlized glaze and some metallic highlights.

• Pour paints and glaze into divided plastic plates (figure B). Maya prefers mixing her paints on her paint rag or on the wall, not in a container.

• Dip a lint-free paint rag in water and wring out until just moist. Don't worry if the water in the bucket gets dirty during the course of the project; Maya says the diluted colors just add depth to the overall piece.

• Fold the rag and wrap it around your fingers so that you're painting with two fingers covered by the rag (figure C).

• Dip the moistened rag into the glaze and paints and work them into the wall with a circular motion. Alternate directions and the size of circles you make; don't have everything going in one direction or in one scale.

• Periodically step back and take a look at the wall to see if some areas are being neglected or over-painted. Don't leave gaps; paint the entire wall.

• The finished product shows a lot more depth and character than the original flat surface (figure D).

	Figure E
	Figure F
	Figure G

Striped Walls

Materials:
primer
wall paint (base coat)
acrylic paints highlight colors
metallic acrylic paint
pearlized glaze
paint roller and tray (for base coat)
painter's tape, drop cloths
lint-free rags for effect painting
bucket of water

• Forget using painter's tape to define stripes, Maya says—you can give walls multidimensional stripes using her easy rag-painting techniques.

• Use painter's tape and drop cloths to protect surfaces, then prime and paint the wall a base color. Maya and Michele Beschen used lavender and brown, respectively, for the demonstration wall they painted on B. Original (figure E).

• Pour acrylic paints, metallic paints and pearlized glaze into divided plastic plates.

• Moisten and wring out a lint-free rag, then fold it as above. Dip the rag into the paints and drag long stripes either vertically or horizontally over the wall (figure F).

• When the paint is almost dry, go over it again lightly wit the cloth to give it more dimension.

• The final effect is loaded with sophistication and character (figure G).