Materials and tools you’ll need:

* Base paint (eggshell sheen)
* Glaze
* Paint or universal colorant to tint glaze
* Painter’s tape
* Cotton T-shirt rags
* Disposable gloves

1. Apply two coats of base paint. When the final coat is dry, tape off all areas you do not want to paint. Also tape along adjoining walls because rag rolling deposits far more glaze into corners than other mottling methods do. 2. Prepare an opaque or medium glaze. Wearing gloves, dunk a dry rag into the glaze and twist the cloth so that it resembles a thick, short rope.
3. Roll the rag across the wall in random directions. When the marks become faint, reload the cloth with more glaze and continue rolling. Do not allow your rag to become too saturated or it will slip on the surface and smear the glaze. Also avoid using a freshly loaded rag along a corner because excess glaze may drip into the crease. Instead, gently push a fairly dry cloth into the corner.
4. The final result shows a random pattern in the glaze.
Rag rolling with a roller To create this look with a roller, use a specialized tool that consists of a cylinder with a cloth cover and end caps. The cloth cover is twisted to create a series of folds that leave their imprint in the glaze. With the roller, you can produce a network of diagonal lines. But if you’re working in a small area where the roller won’t fit, you’ll need to glaze some sections by hand. In this case, roll in random directions so the two areas blend.

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.