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THAT PainterLady.com » Instructions for Painting Gradients | Blending Colors
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Jan 09 2007

Instructions for Painting Gradients | Blending Colors

Posted by: THAT Painter Lady in Painting Advice, Painting Techniques
A recent email faux painting question for THAT Painter Lady….

Subject: Instructions for Painting Gradients

Debra.

I love you website…so much practical information. 
 
Do you know where I would find instructions for creating horizontal stripes on a wall and blending them?  I think it is called a gradient.  I’m not a professional…only an eager home decorator…
 
I appreciate your help!
Mary

Great Faux Painting Technique Question!

In order to create a blended effect or smooth transition from one color to another, make sure the colors are close on the color wheel. 

  • Choose the two paint colors and blend equal parts of each together. This will create the perfect mid-tone. 
  • You must work with speed.  The greatest success will be achieved while working with wet paint.
  • Work in small sections of wall at one time.
  • Use glaze in the mixtures to allow your paint to have more “open” time.  The wall and bruch should be dammpened before you start blending.
  • If the paint starts to dry up, or “grab” before you are done…add more of the mixture to “soften” the paint and it will start to blend again.

This technique is best on a smooth wall.  Any cracks or texture will be evident and the smooth transition will be spotty. 

  • The center space is filled with the mixture of half and half of your two color choices. Leave a gap between the two bands of color. 
  • Apply a little glaze to this bare area.
  • Now apply some of the bottom color and middle color.  Using the same bru
  • Apply the first color (one of the colors from your color wheel choice).  This band of color goes on from the bottom up one-third of the space.  Apply this coat with out using faux glaze or water until you get to the 1/3 line.
  • Use a brush, dampened.  Keep running the brush along the break working into the still wet paint with the wash of colors.  Continue to blend until you have blurred the lines and can’t see a hard edge. Use glaze and or water to help in blending. 
  • The top third of the space is painted in the same way.  The color is your second color choice and blended into the mix one third down the wall or area of painting. 
  • If you are painting around a corner.  Paint into and out of the corner while painting one wall.  Don’t stop in the corner if you can help it.  This will give you and area to blend up too on the next wall.

The key is working quick! A wet on wet technique is best done on humid days. 

For more informaiton about other simple faux painting techniques check out this book:


The Painted Wall

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 9th, 2007 at 3:51 pm and is filed under Painting Advice, Painting Techniques. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “Instructions for Painting Gradients | Blending Colors”

  1. » Underwater Mural | How to Project | THAT PainterLady.com says:
    January 25th, 2007 at 6:25 pm

    [...] The first step in creating an underwater mural will use the gradient technique (I taught this in a previous article…go check out instructions for blending paint colors. [...]

  2. Nancy S says:
    January 6th, 2008 at 10:26 am

    Hi. This is very helpful! My teenage daughter would love to have gradient walls in her new room and I was told it would be nearly impossible (or prohibitively expensive). This doesn’t seem so bad!

    However, in the second part of your description, the third bullet point appears to have been cut off. Can you tell us what the rest of the point is?

    I appreciate your site.
    Thanks!
    Nancy in NJ

  3. THAT Painter Lady says:
    January 6th, 2008 at 4:14 pm

    The center space is filled with the mixture of half and half of your two color choices. Leave a gap between the two bands of color.
    Apply a little glaze to this bare area.
    Now apply some of the bottom color and middle color. Using the same bru
    Apply the first color (one of the colors from your color wheel choice). This band of color goes on from the bottom up one-third of the space. Apply this coat with out using faux glaze or water until you get to the 1/3 line.
    Use a brush, dampened. Keep running the brush along the break working into the still wet paint with the wash of colors. Continue to blend until you have blurred the lines and can’t see a hard edge. Use glaze and or water to help in blending.

    The top third of the space is painted in the same way. The color is your second color choice and blended into the mix one third down the wall or area of painting.

    If you are painting around a corner. Paint into and out of the corner while painting one wall. Don’t stop in the corner if you can help it. This will give you and area to blend up too on the next wall.

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