" Faux painting adds grace and sophistication to any room. In this module, we'll show you a series of comb faux painting effects. We'll use just 2 color combinations and a variety of patterns to suggest creative combinations that you can try. These combing effects create rich textures and handmade detail, which cannot be matched by similar wallpaper patterns. All of these combed faux painting processes use the same technique, and no more than 2 colors of glaze. It's easy to do and the results are very rewarding. Here's how. We've already painted 2 coats of primer on this demonstration section of drywall. Your wall should be clean, sanded, and smooth. Even if the existing paint is in good condition, it's a good idea to prime the room again. In this example, we'll be applying darker stripes over this lighter base. You can experiment to determine what combination of colors will work well with your room. The base coat should always be either a satin or a semigloss finish, never a flat or gloss finish. We're using latex paint here for both easy application and cleanup. Start by applying your base coat with a W pattern in about a 2 foot square area. Then fill in the area before moving on to the next space. As you finish an area of your wall, go back and try to even the application of the base coat with overlapping passes of the roller. When you have evenly covered the entire wall, allow the paint to dry thoroughly. After the base layer dries, you'll often find holidays or areas of missing paint. You'll get better overall results if you give the walls another even coat of paint before you start. The 1st process layer of combing color is made up of 1 part latex semigloss or eggshell color that you want for the combing effect mixed with 4 parts of latex glaze. The latex glaze is a clear carrier that you use to make the combing color more transparent and allow you to have enough time to lay down the faux pattern. So for combing, the mixing ratio is 4 parts of latex glaze to 1 part of eggshell latex paint. The glaze looks milky white, but it dries clear. The glaze will provide a transparency and a depth of color characteristic of faux painting effects. Stir the glaze thoroughly to blend the glaze and paint together. The combing effect is created with either a rubber combing tool with different size combs on the edges to produce different effects or a single width metal call, which is a traditional tool. With your comb ready at hand, use a roller to apply the 1st glaze in a strip about 2 feet high and along the entire length of the wall. This is important. You can't stop the combing effect halfway down the wall. You have to run the stripe of paint all the way down the entire length of the wall and be ready to apply the combing effect for the entire length. Now, starting at the upper corner with a firm and steady pressure, drag the comb over the wet glaze. After each pass of the comb down the full length of the wall, wipe the paint off the comb with a clean lint free cotton rag. Roll a 2nd stripe of glaze down the entire length of the wall, and with a comb cleaned off, align the teeth with the pattern created on the last pass, and matching the pattern, start your next pass down the wall. Pull the comb slowly and evenly with a steady pressure. Continue working your way down the wall applying the combing effect to the freshly applied glaze. After each pass, wipe the excess paint off the comb so that the pattern stays crisp. Here's a tip. When applying new glaze to the width already glazed, orient the roller so that the far end or feather end of the roller overlaps the glaze already on the wall. It's the near end of the roller that applies most of the new glaze to the wall. Orienting the roller in this way creates a feathering effect hiding where the glaze overlapped. Continue adding more glaze as you work your way down the wall, but don't add more glaze than you can comb out in a few minutes because the glaze will start to set. Using a combing tool, match the teeth up with the pattern already on the wall, and using a steady pressure, slowly pull the comb over the wet glaze. When the entire wall has been combed, allow the wall to dry thoroughly. A single comb effect like this 1 is very attractive in many situations without any further technique. But, let's add a 2nd process color for more dimension. We've selected a 2nd darker latex paint that complements the 1st color. We're going to mix this new second color in a ratio of 1 part latex paint to 4 parts of latex glaze. When you paint a large wall, these colors would be mixed in proportionally larger quantities based on the area of the space you are treating. Mix the 2nd process color glaze thoroughly together. Roll the 2nd color glaze over a 2 foot square area. We're going to just cover the left side of our sample board so that we can illustrate a number of different effects. This time, we use a fixed width metal comb and a steady pressure to apply a vertical combed effect over the horizontal lines of the 1st color. Continue applying the vertical combed effect to the wet glaze. Either a rubber or a metal comb will do. The result is a checked pattern formed by 2 different colored glazes combed in opposite directions. This faux pattern is classic and works well in many home environments. Now we're going to coat the right side of the sample board with the 2nd color glaze, and using the same tools, create a completely different look. This time, we'll take the metal comb and randomly apply short combed patterns for an abstract effect. Or, you can let your creative side run wild with more sweeping patterns if you wish. In addition, you can alter these combed effects by simply changing the colors you choose. Just remember that whatever pattern you pick, you'll need to apply it evenly to an entire wall. So, with 1 tool and 1 or 2 glazes, you can quickly create fun comb faux patterns that will add rich handmade detail to your home. The texture and artistry will be uniquely your own, something that wallpaper will never match."