How to Paint Clouds in a Room

Clouds add a great looking, whimsical touch to the decor in any room, whether it's a misty, dreamy child's room ceiling or part of a nature wall mural in your living room. They are also surprisingly easy to make. There's no standard shape to a cloud, so even inexperience painters can freehand it without going wrong. All you need to know is a few techniques to give them that light and fluffy look and your room will be a castle in the clouds.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Satin paint backdrop White satin finish emulsion paint Glaze Paint tray Paint stirrer Measuring cup (disposable) Container of water Sea sponge, about hand-sized Cheesecloth Rag

1. Paint your room your backdrop color. For most people painting clouds, this will be sky blue. Allow the paint to dry before proceeding.

2. Measure 4 cups of glaze and 1 cup of white satin finish emulsion paint into your paint tray. Mix it well with a paint stirrer.

3. Soak your sea sponge in water and wring it out well so that it is damp, but not dripping. Dab the sea sponge into the glaze mixture and run it over the edge of the tray to remove excess. Dab it a few times on the rag.

4. Begin patting the sea sponge on the wall, twisting and turning the sponge, working from the bottom up. Create an interesting cloud shape.

5. When you like the shape, dip your cheese cloth into the water and wring it out well. Ball it up in your hand and dab very lightly over the cloud shape. If you like, you can brush your hand in a gentle, circular motion. This will help fade and blend the glaze.

6. Dip your sea sponge into the paint again, removing excess and dabbing it on the rag. Pat another layer in the center of the cloud shape, but not all the way to the edge. Clouds are a bit more opaque in the center, so this will provide depth to the cloud and keep the edges more translucent.

7. Rinse and wring your cheesecloth again and dab it over the new layer. Again, use a light touch to blend slightly.

8. Continue making clouds in this manner over the area you wish to cover. Remember that less is more, so space your clouds out a bit so they don't overwhelm the room. Allow the paint to dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice your technique on a piece of scrap board first. Paint it your base color and allow it to dry first. Cut pictures of clouds out of old magazines or print them from pictures and keep them near you as you work. Refer to them as you paint so you can mimic the shapes.