Expert Advice for Home Improvement & DIY Repair
Mottling With a Two-Part Roller
With a special roller and paint tray, you can apply two colors of paint at the same time.

The effect is jarring at first, but if you roll back and forth in random directions, the colors blend and create a mottled look.

Because you use only paint, the finish lacks the translucent quality that glaze offers.

The trade-off, though, is speed, as you don’t need separate base and glaze coats.

Materials and tools you’ll need:

* Two-part roller with tray
* Wall paint in two colors (any sheen)
* Painter’s tape
* Newspaper
* Chip brush
* Cotton T-shirt rags

black line
 

1. Apply painter’s tape along the top, bottom, and side edges of the wall.

2. Pour the two colors of paint into separate sections of the tray. Load the roller by moving it back and forth into the paint and across the raised section of the tray.


3. Roll back and forth in different directions on several sheets of newspaper until the paint colors blend on the roller. This will help ensure that subsequent sections will look similar to the first.

4. Reload the roller and roll it back and forth in random directions.

5. Use the chip brush to move some paint into corners the roller doesn’t reach. Dab to blend the colors so the look resembles the rest of the wall. Remove the painter’s tape when you’re finished.

6. With a damp rag, clean off any smears on the ceiling or baseboard. You don’t have to worry about smears on adjoining walls if you will be painting them. The final effect shows how the colors blend. Wait for one wall to dry before you paint the next. Tightly cover the roller and tray with plastic while you wait.

Want to Check Out Other Finishes? See the Faux Finishes Main Page

decorative paint faux finishes

Decorative Paint & Faux Finishes
This Sunset book is by far the best book we have ever seen on the subject of doing your own decorative painting. Step-by-step photos and professional advice guide you through the art of producing many different and stunning faux finishes.

Copyright Sunset Publishing Corporation

Related Articles on HomeTips

DIY & Installation Projects (8)
Buying Guides & Reports (1)

 
Have a Question About This?
Search the HomeTips Forums   Search
 
        What Others Are Asking...