" Faux painting adds grace and sophistication to any room. In this module, we'll show you how to create a faux leather effect. We'll use 2 different color combinations to suggest creative combinations that you can try. These faux leather techniques create striking textures and handmade detail, which cannot be matched by similar wallpaper patterns. Both of these faux painting process use the same technique and just 2 colors of paint. 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 entire room again. The base coat should either be a satin or 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. Use a W pattern about 2 or 3 square feet in size to distribute the paint onto the wall. In this example, we'll be applying a darker pattern over this medium green base. You can experiment to determine what combinations of colors will work well in your room. Roll the paint evenly over the surface as you finish an area of your wall. Go back to the area to even the application of the base coat with overlapping passes of the roller. When you've evenly covered the entire wall, allow the paint to dry completely. When your wall is completely dry, you're ready to apply the leather effect. The first glaze is made up of 1 part of semigloss latex color you've chosen, mixed with 4 parts of latex glaze. The glaze is a clear carrier that you use to make the color more transparent, and to allow you enough time to lay down the leather pattern. This mixing ratio is 4 parts of latex glaze to 1 part of latex paint. The glaze looks milky white, but dries clear. Stir the glaze thoroughly to blend the glaze and paint together. Using a medium nap roller, apply a generous coating of the mixed glaze to about a 2-foot square section of the wall. Roll the glaze in a random pattern. Crumple up a 2-foot square section of clear plastic wrap, and then lay it out flat, and very lightly press the plastic onto the glaze coating. Press with the flat of your hand so that you don't transfer finger marks to the pattern. This plastic wrap was packaging for dry cleaning shirts, but any plastic bag or wrapping will work. If there is more wet glaze to cover, apply an additional section of crumpled plastic wrap until all the wet glaze is covered. Then, taking a dried chip or stipple brush, lightly press the plastic wrap into the glaze. The random wrinkles produced by lightly brushing the plastic produces the faux leather pattern. With the pattern set, slowly peel away the plastic sheeting, being careful not to touch the wall. You can immediately see the texture from the first layer of color. Now, gently wad up a piece of cheese cloth to comfortably fit your hand. Dampen the cheese cloth with water, pressing out any excess water. Now, lightly pat any areas that you feel that the pattern is too intense. The cheese cloth will soften the look. The result: A soft sophisticated faux leather pattern. Now, you could stop here with excellent results, but we're going to add another layer of color glaze for added richness and dimension. We'll mix up another eggshell latex color by adding a slightly darker value to the 1st color. When you paint a larger wall, these colors would be mixed in proportionally larger quantities based on the area of the space you'd be treating. The 2nd color layer will need to be more translucent than the 1st color layer, so we're going to add about 20% more glaze to the 2nd color. When planning for a full painting project like this, it's a good idea to try your color and pattern ideas on small practice boards first before committing to covering an entire wall. Randomly apply the thoroughly mixed 2nd process color over the 1st layer. Crumple a sheet of plastic into a small ball, and then gently spread the plastic sheet over the wet 2nd process color. Lay the crumpled plastic sheet out flat, very lightly pressing the plastic into the glaze coating so that it stays in place. Again, press with the flat of your hand so that you don't transfer finger marks to the pattern. If there's more area to cover, apply an additional section of crumpled plastic wrap to cover. Here, we're using pieces of white kitchen garbage bag to apply the pattern. Any plastic sheeting that will hold a crinkled pattern will work. Next, taking a dry chip or a stipple brush, lightly press the plastic wrap into the glaze. The random wrinkles created by the light brushing create the new faux leather pattern. With the pattern set, slowly peal away the plastic sheeting, being careful not to touch the wall. You can immediately see the additional texture and tones from the 2nd layer of color. In this case, we want to"

" glaze, or you decide to use 2, the result is a rich, textured, classic faux leather pattern that adds a sophisticated look to any room."