" Faux painting adds grace and sophistication to any room. In this module, we'll show you how to create a variety of color wash effects. We'll use 2 different color combinations to suggest some of the creative combinations that you can try. Color washes create softly patterned handmade effects, which cannot be matched by any wallpaper patterns. All of these faux processes use the same technique in just 3 colors of paint. It's easy to do and the results are really rewarding. Here's now. 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. The base coat should either be a satin or a semigloss finish; never a flat or a gloss finish. We're using a latex paint here for both easy application and cleanup. In this example, we'll be applying a dark wash over this light base. You can experiment to determine what combination of colors works well for your room. 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 and then roll the paint evenly over the surface. As you finish an area of your wall, go back and 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 a better overall result if you give the walls another even coat of base paint before you start. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly. After the base coat is completely dry, it's time to apply the faux effect. This effect is made up of 2 glazes, each made from a different color of latex paint. The 1st layer of glaze is made up of 1 part latex paint for color mixed with 4 parts of latex glaze. The latex glaze is a clear carrier that you use to make to wash transparent and allows you enough time to lay down the effect. Thoroughly blend the glaze and the paint together. Although the glaze may look milky white now, it will become transparent when it dries. Put aside the 1st process color and get ready to prepare the 2nd process color. The 2nd process is prepared just like the 1st. Mix the 2nd process latex color in a ratio of 1 part latex paint, to 4 parts of latex glaze. You can use the paint manufacturer's coverage recommendations to determine how much glaze and paint you'll need to cover the entire wall. Thoroughly mix the paint and glaze together. Our 2 wash glazes are mixed and ready to go. Our 1st glaze is a darker brown on the right, and our 2nd glaze features a reddish tint on the left. Start with a 2 x 2 section of wall, and apply a very thin layer of your 1st glaze over the base coat. Roll the 1st glaze onto the wall with a random pattern. This random pattern of applying the 1st glaze is an attractive faux effect all by itself. With the 1st glaze freshly applied, take a 3 or 4-inch cheap latex paintbrush and dip it into the 2nd glaze color. Wipe off the excess paint on a clean cotton rag and then randomly spread the 2nd color glaze over the wet 1st colored glaze. Here's where the artist in you takes over. Apply the 2nd process color and feather it over the 1st process glaze in a way that pleases you, applying as much or as little 2nd color as you wish. The trick is to keep your strokes random so that the effect looks abstract. Each time you add more 2nd color glaze, wipe off the excess with a rag to keep from over applying the effect. From time to time, step back and look over your work. If there's an area that's too light, simply feather in more color until the effect is even. On the other hand, if there's too much effect or too much color, wad up a handful of cheese cloth and then lightly blot the area until the effect is softened to your liking. Another trick to removing some color is to apply some more of the base coat, feathering it in over the glaze. If you stop here, you have a richly patterned faux painting effect. It features the angular brush strokes used to create the effect. To get a soft washed effect, dampen a clean cotton rag with water, and using a gentle circular motion, wipe off the glaze. Depending on how firmly you press, you can vary the effect to your liking, but it's important to note that the glaze will only stay workable for about 15 to 20 minutes, so it's important to work quickly from step to step. Keep rinsing and re-dampening the rag as you go. If this washed effect is what you're going for, you won't need to spend as much time as we did getting the 2nd glaze effect perfectly balanced. Just add the 2nd glaze and start wiping down the glaze with a damp rag. Depending on how much you worked the surface, this washed effect can produce an illusion of anything from a sandstone wall to a watercolor effect. It's a very expressive faux painting technique. So, using a base color and just 2 glazes, you can produce 3 effects; a rich angular effect using the base and 1 glaze, randomly adding a 2nd glaze and getting even more depths and dimension, or wipe down the glazes with a damp cloth and produce a variety of soft washed effects. Whichever effect you choose, you can be sure that the result will lead rich detail and sophistication to your home."