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Faux Italian Plaster
Mottled Wall Technique
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Primary Tools Needed:
- Lambswool roller covers. I prefer to use the 4" Wall Magic "wool blending rollers" manufactured by Wagner Spray Tech Corp. You can use any size lambswool cover if you'd like, you don't have to use the Wall Magic covers. Many people find the dual roller cage and the dual paint tray convenient for this technique. I use a standard one gallon (5 quart) pail with a one gallon grid for each color with a standard 4" roller frame.
- Lambswool Pad. Manufactured for stain application primarily. With this finish they are used to soften and further blend the paint.
- 1" or 2" latex paint brushes (one for each color). Used to stipple blend the paint colors in small areas.
The Faux Italian Plaster Technique is a staple decorative finish. This technique is fast, works great with latex paint, it requires no glazing liquid or thinning of the latex paint. This technique does not create an actual texture which is ideal for future repainting concerns.
Click on Image to enlarge
Unlike Faux Venetian plaster, or real Venetian plaster,
Faux Italian Plaster Technique can be done in one layer, using standard latex paint.
Tools & Materials:
Base Coat:
Click here to see Universal Surface Preparation Rules:
Paint
Unless you have a badly damaged surface and you want to hide defects in the underlying substrate I would use a eggshell or satin latex paint.
Color Selection
The best and most predictable color system to use is a two color system. One deeper tone color and one light pastel color. If you add another color to this mix, you may get a "mud" color of brown. If you keep it to just two colors one deeper and one light pastel or off white (or white) you will get lighter to darker variations of the two colors you picked without creating a third muddy color.
Base Coat
Pick a color that goes with the overall look of your sample. Any color blend mixed from the two colors that you have chosen will work. Use the same sheen for your base coat that you are going to be using for your final finish .
click here to view Color Sample
Technique:
Rolling
You will apply the paint to the wall working on 4' x 4' sections of wall at a time, gradually working your way around the room.
Apply patches of each color to the wall in arching sweeps of the roller, alternating with each color, then begin to blend these colors randomly by rolling over the applied patches of colors with a dry roller leaving some spots slightly blended and other spots highly blended. Be careful not to over blend with the roller, later, more spot specific blending will be done with the lambs wool pad next. Work one 4' x 4' section at a time, then move on to the next.
A word about the 4' x 4' sections. The edges of these sections should be "jagged" not "plumb and square", to give them a randomness that helps hide the joints of section to section.
Softening and Blending
After a couple of sections have been blended as described above, use the lambs wool pad to do some more specific and refined blending as desired. Soften the work by patting the surface here and there (and where needed) with the lambswool pad. Take a minute to look over and blend as needed the joined sections together to help camouflage the joints. When done well, you will not see any joints from these sections. Again, be careful not to over blend.
Real Life Application Tips:
You can stipple blend the louver vents of the cold air return vents on the wall in the same way as you do small areas. Roller mottle and blend the face of the vents as you would the rest of the wall.
Use pails rather than roller trays
Use one gallon pails with one gallon grids to hold your paint and secure them to your ladder with either paint hooks (ladder hooks) , or set them on the tray on a step ladder. Using pails allows you to have your paint with you when you are on the ladder. I have done this technique on 16' high walls and you can't do the "dip into the roller tray then climb the ladder" method on high walls and of course it is faster on 8' walls too.
Remove the masking tape as you go
Don't wait for the paint to dry before you remove it , this will prevent pulling the paint off the wall with your tape.
Click on Image to enlarge
Click on Image to enlarge
Inside Corners
Tape off the adjacent wall with either 3" paper tape or 2" easy release blue tape. Continue your faux finish right into the corner, bumping the adjacent wall as necessary . Use a small paint brush to stipple blend the colors as needed in the inside corner joint. Use the alternate wall sequencing , this will allow you to tape off the adjacent walls as you go. Tape and treat the ceiling / wall inside corner the same way.
Small Areas
Small areas that are too small to get the 4' roller into need to be stipple blended with small paint brushes. Apply the paint in random streaks and patches in both colors, then with a dry brush in a random fashion, blend the patches by stippling the colors together.
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