While you can paint a room with a solid color or add accent walls, some decor schemes call for a more special touch. By employing special painting techniques, you can add texture, vibrant colors and even make the wall look as if it is made from another material.
Sponge Painting Technique
One of the easiest and most popular of the special painting techniques is sponge painting. Using a natural sea sponge (not the kind you wash dishes with), you can either add paint on top of a base paint coat or remove paint from it, resulting in a textural effect. If you are painting a wall constructed of drywall that was poorly installed or an old plaster wall that has cracks and uneven surfaces, this technique helps to hide flaws.
To create this effect, paint your wall a base color. Then mix up a glaze, and dip the sponge in the glaze and press it into the wall in a random pattern. Use several tones of the same color or complementary colors to add depth. For detailed steps on sponge painting, see the Resources section below.
Splatter Painting
If you are an amateur abstract artist, you might enjoy trying out the splatter painting technique. While it takes extra time to prepare the room---moving out or covering furniture as well as the entire floor---this free-form method can be a lot of fun.
Paint the wall a base color, and then simply flick paint at the walls using brushes, rags or other tools. You can create larger or smaller splatter drops depending on the brush sizes and bristle types. Experiment by using different colors and splattering from varying distances.
Painting Faux Finishes
You can use special painting techniques to make your walls look like they are made of marble, leather or wood. These effects are achieved by layering the color and adding texture with glazes and special brushes. The process of emulating another material can be time consuming, but it is a cost effective alternative. Consider how much it would cost to install marble slabs on your wall or cover it with expensive leather.
Stenciling and Stamping
A relatively easy technique that is a good choice for a child's room or to create a whimsical border in any type of room is to use stenciling or stamping. Both methods allow you to create shapes and patterns, achieving an effect similar to wallpaper. Don't worry if you have no artistic skills: the stencils and stamps allow you to be consistent.
