There are many painting
techniques that can be used to paint walls, furniture
and objects. One of them is rag rolling paint
technique. This can be used for any object in the
house and is very child friendly. Rag rolling paint
technique is most effective when latex paint is used.
Latex is fast drying and non-toxic therefore child
friendly as well. In this technique of painting a rag
is saturated with paint and the rolled up like a ball
and then it is used to apply the paint to the walls.
Hence the name rag rolling painting.
This painting creates an ornamental rag effect
which can be used anywhere in the house. Here are simple steps
that you can follow to create this effect in your own home.
Prepare the surface or wall to be painted by
removing nails and repairing cracks and priming it.
Use masking tape or painters tape to tape off
ceiling edges, trim, doorframes etc.
Remove all electrical fixtures and switch
plates.
Cover furniture and exposed floor area with
canvas or plastic drop clothes.
Select a base color that has sheen and is a
little darker that the overall color that you would like for
the room. Use latex paints, apply and dry completely.
After base color for the secondary color or
rag color, mix base color with about 1/3 the amount of white
paint. The white paint must have the same sheen as the base
color. There is no need to dilute the rag color.
Put on disposable gloves, take a clean rag
and immerse it in paint and saturate the rag. The rag should
be completely soaked in the paint.
Take a corner of the paint soaked rage and
pull through the thumb and forefinger of the other hand to get
rid of the extra paint.
Open the rag and shape it like a ball, using
this "ball" begin working on the wall surface, using
a feather touch and moving your wrist to change the design
being created by the rag.
Open the rag at regular intervals and reform
into a "ball" and position properly in your hand.
Work all over the wall in a smooth fashion.
While working keep immersing the rag in the
paint periodically and straining through your fingers. This
will refresh the paint.
To fill in the edges and corners use a brush
dipped in paint.
Dispose the used rags properly.
Make a note of the colors used, as it will be
useful for touch ups later on.
While rag rolling paint you do not have to
worry about irregular patterns or lines appearing on the wall
you are painting. If children mess up a portion of the wall
that has been rag rolled, it can easily be covered up rag
rolling over that portion again.
