INGREDIENTS: Natural sponge – tray to dab off excess glaze – pale pink coloured acrylic emulsion paint for the base coat, – pot to mix – decorator’s tape – ladder – classic colour glaze – 2 darker pink paint tester pots – wiping cloth – ladder
LEVEL OF EXPERTISE: 4 star (on large area) and 1 star (on small areas such as alcoves or furniture)
1 star = extremely simple, 5 stars = not so straightforward
TIME REQUIRED: For a 2.5 x 3m wall, approximately 4 hours.
SUITABLE AREAS: This effect looks best on smaller areas (eg Furniture).
TECHNIQUE
Step 1: Paint the basecoat using pale pink coloured acrylic emulsion paint and leave to dry overnight.
Step 2: Mix the glaze: Use one-third darker pink acrylic emulsion from tester pot with two-thirds classic colour glaze, stirring well.
Step 3: Decant a small quantity of glaze into a tray, dab the natural sponge into the paint, taking off the excess.
Step 4: Working in approximately one-meter square sections on a wall keep dipping into the glaze and dabbing onto the wall until you has achieved a consistent appearance before moving on to the next section.
TIP: Take your time, try not to rush. Test on a smaller item of furniture to gauge how long it might take to do a whole wall for example. Using a synthetic sponge as opposed to a natural one will give a different finish. The natural sponge gives a less dense appearance compared to the synthetic sponge. The synthetic sponge also appears more subtle and finer in texture when compared to a natural sponge (see picture orange wall) A pre-bought sponge needs to be cut to a more irregular shape with scissors. This would avoid obvious repeated shapes ruining the effect.
TECHNIQUE
