How to Frottage Walls
To frottage a wall is to apply a faux treatment used by decorative painters and muralists. Frottage is French for "rub," and the technique traditionally works by using a drawing tool to make a "rubbing" over a textured surface. Here's how to use a decorative-paint variation of this technique to add an elegant look to walls in your home.
Things You'll Need
- Dark paint for base
- Lighter paint for secondary coat
- Glaze paint additive
- 4 to 5 plastic drop cloths
- Paint brushes
- Paint trays
- Bucket
- Paint rollers
Instructions
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1
Apply the darker base paint to the wall. Let it dry.
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2
Mix the glaze and the secondary lighter color in a bucket. Use three parts glaze to one part paint. Stir thoroughly. Pour the mixed paint and glaze into a paint tray.
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3
Roll the glaze mixture onto the wall. Work swiftly, and only apply a few feet of the mixture to the surface. The glaze gives the paint a longer drying time, which will allow you to apply the frottage technique.
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4
Unwrap the drop cloth. Open it completely and crumble the plastic as if you are going to throw it in the trash. Apply the plastic to the wall, starting at the top of the wall. Rub and press the plastic to the wall. Pull the plastic from the wall immediately after it has been applied. Do not be concerned about smoothness. The more creases on the plastic, the more texture will be achieved for the frottage.
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5
Complete the entire wall repeating the steps above. Apply the glaze a few feet at a time to assure enough space to put the plastic on the wall without the glaze mixture drying during the process.
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Tips & Warnings
Pay attention to the top of the wall up by the ceiling and the corners to assure the frottage technique is applied in those areas.
If there is a demarcation between the application in any area, simply take a paint brush, apply more glaze mixture and lift off the glaze with a piece of crumpled plastic.
Resources
- Photo Credit Google Images
