Are you looking for how - to tips for colorwashing? Color washing is really an easy technique to master… if you have patience and the right tools.

I am not going to explain color washing techniques in this article. That is a subject for another day.

What I am sharing with you is a fun little video showing how to do color washing.

What’s so fun about it? Several flaws in the technique shown in this video are actually really good for you to learn… I mean learn what NOT to do!

Faux finishing and color washing are essential the same thing to most beginner painters, so I won’t go into that subject either.

Here are the errors I found in this video and tips to avoid the errors.

• First I need to address that in this video you can not actually see the paint colors she is applying. I think she started with white walls and did all her color washing in white. Even at the end of the video she is standing in front of her new faux painted walls… Really!
• The painter tells us to wear old clothing, so we don’t ruin our good clothes. I’m serious… can you see any paint on her clothing or even her hands as she is painting? If any of you have watched any of my videos… you will see paint everywhere. Hmmmm, do you think she really painted the walls herself?
• Watch the pa
  rt where she has the tape at the ceiling line. She has made the same mistake I have made several times in my career. It is when your brain gets busy with other things and you forget what you are taping off. The tape is actually on the wall instead of the ceiling. So when she pulls off the tape, she will have a small base coat colored stripe at the ceiling line.

• Note: This is obviously not an intentional stripe. Who would put an inch wide strip at the top of the wall? If you are doing this …. STOP the madness.
• I never recommend faux painting or color washing with just water. The reason is it dries to fast… leaving you unable to blend well. When your paint dries quickly, your brush or rag will start to drag. If this happens you will know what I mean. Instead of having great looking walls, your walls will look the world map.

• Good Tips:

• Starting in the most un-obvious corner of the room.

• Starting at the top of the wall

• One of the techniques use in the painting video calls for using a sea sponge. I used to use this very technique when faux finishing walls. I have found much easier techniques not. Plus, sea sponges for washing walls is actually using a fairly expensive tool that isn’t necessary. A car washing sponge would work just as well.

• The technique I recommend involves using a Woolie Pad.

Watch the video and leave comments below. See if you find any other mistakes.

Click on the picture to find more information about Woolie Pads.

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