How to Create a Glaze for Color-Washing Walls

Create your own custom glaze.

Color-washing for walls is a faux-painting method. The process involves putting a translucent coat of tinted glazing liquid over an existing color. You then manipulate the wet glaze, if you wish, using things like cheesecloth, rags or other faux-painting tools. The first step in the color-wash is creating a glaze. The glazing liquid itself is almost clear. It's the paint base, untinted. You add your own tint color. The tint can be warm, like rust, or cool, like sea green. The color selection is completely up to you, though a big contrast between base color and glaze creates a stronger effect.

Things You'll Need

• Glazing liquid
• Large container for mixing
• Stirring stick (or drill with mixing bit)
• Tint or latex paint in desired color
• Brush
• Rag

Instructions

1. Pour a quart of glazing liquid into your mixing container for every 100 square feet of wall.

2. Add about a tablespoon of tint for every quart of glazing liquid. If you are using latex paint rather than tint, use 1 part of paint for every 4 parts of glazing liquid.

3. Stir the mixture well. Use a drill and paint-mixer attachment, if you have them. With the mixer attachment in the drill, submerge the attachment in the glaze mixture. Turn in on slowly. Mix until the glaze is uniform.

4. Evaluate the glaze. Dab a bit on the wall. It should not opaquely cover the base coat. Wipe off the test using a rag.

5. Add more tint (or paint) to add opacity, if the test blotch was too translucent. Add more glaze liquid to add translucence if your test blotch covered the base coat too opaquely.

6. Mix the glazing mixture again. Continue adjustments until you arrive at the proper level of opacity. Your glaze is then ready to apply.

References

• "Fifty Ways to Paint a Wall"; Gail E. McCauley; 2005
• Danny Lipford: How to Tint Paint Primer Yourself