painter's tape. Using a paint roller, basecoat a clean, dry wall with first colour; let dry. Apply a second coat if needed and allow to dry.
2. In paint bucket mix 1 part second colour and 4 parts glaze. In the second bucket, mix 1 part third colour and 4 parts glaze. (The glaze coverage on our wall is about 80 percent second mixture and 20 percent third mixture, so you'll need to mix quite a bit more of the second mixture.)
3. Cut in the second glaze mixture up to the ceiling with a trim brush. Then using a small roller, roll down from the top of the wall in sweeping, organic motions.
4. Use another small roller to apply areas of the third glaze randomly over
the top of the lighter glaze.
5. Cut a manageable piece of plastic approx 1m x 1m. Press the plastic onto the wall, bunching it with your hands as you go.
6. Pull the plastic off from the top downward; repeat the process in an adjacent area using the same piece of plastic. The plastic can be reused about five times, or until it is so saturated that it no longer removes the paint- glaze mixture.
7. Continue crinkling with a new piece of plastic. As you work the plastic
over the wall, overlap the already-crinkled areas, blending the paint-glaze mixture as you go.
8. Continue rolling the glazes onto the wall and removing with plastic. Finish one entire wall and then move on to the next, working quickly. Do not allow the glaze to dry before moving on to the next wall area.
After one wall or large area is completed, check for drips; blot and remove any with scrunched-up plastic,
continuing to blend and crinkle as you do so.
More on the Crinkle Technique:
- Crinkle-wrap painting is a dramatic technique that involves a minimum of fuss, tools, and expertise. Because it is a subtractive process -- involving the removal of paint from the wall after applying it -- the boldness of the look is determined not only by the paint colours applied, but also by how much of each colour is removed from the wall with the plastic.
- A basic tenet of a crinkle-wrap finish is that the lightest mixed-glaze shades are rolled on first, with the darkest tone on top. For added depth, one or several other progressively darker colours can be rolled on in between.
- The amount of pattern desired will determine the weight of plastic selected, and the manipulation of the plastic determines how much of the paint-glaze mixture is removed from the wall. Experiment, play with different plastic sizes and weights, and end up with an entirely different look for each room.
- Each paint colour selected is mixed with 1-part paint to 4 parts glaze. In addition, the amount of each paint-glaze mixture applied to the wall can differ for a varied look. In our samples, the percentage of each glaze-paint mixture indicates whether more or less of it is used on the wall treatment.
- Bold texture is the result of using several deep, rich tones. Two glaze-and-paint mixtures are rolled on over a warm-colour base coat; plastic is used to blend the colours and to remove some of the glaze mixture from the wall, adding a textural effect in the process.
- The amount and fineness of the texture is determined by the size and weight of the plastic used, how the plastic is manipulated while removing the paint-glaze mixture, and the number of mixed-glaze shades applied.
Tint Hints:
- Paint one or more sample boards to explore the colour options. A light base colour and progressively darker glaze top coats provide the most successful combination.
- Use a base coat and glaze colours in the same colour family for best
results; for example, a series of warm reds or cool blues. When picking colours from the same paint sample strip, keep the contrast somewhat high for a bold statement, or low for a softer, more understated look.
- For a leather look, use tones in deep yellow and brown; pale blue, cream, and tan tones may give a marbled look.
