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Sponging
| Sponging is effective and extremely versatile. It gives an all-over, random | |
| pattern that can be subtle or bold - it is up to you. If using muted colors, | |
| you will get a soft, hazy look, or a really striking 3-dimensional effect | |
| can be achieved by building up several layers in different colors. | |
| YOU WILL NEED | |
| • Colored Latex/Emulsion or Special Effects Paint. | |
| • Silk emulsion paint as a background for your project, |  |
| Gloss or Quick Dry Satin as a background for woodwork and furniture. | |
| • Brush or paint roller and tray. | |
| • Gloves. | |
| • Natural sponge or deep profile flocked sponge. | |
| • Card to test your technique before painting. | |
| Matt emulsion should only be used for your background, if you are sufficiently experienced. | |
| YOUR STEP BY STEP GUIDE | |
| • Before you start, experiment on a card to achieve the desired effect. | |
| • Ensure surface to be decorated is clean. | |
| • Apply a base coat and allow to dry. | |
| • Dampen your sponge with water and stir your paint. | |
| • Dip your sponge into the paint, avoid overloading. | |
| • Pat the sponge gently on and off the wall taking care not to drag or smudge the area. | |
| Keep changing the direction of the sponge to avoid unwanted repetition of | |
| patterns, standing back occasionally to assess the effect. | |
| • Sponge internal corners after the effect has been applied to the walls. | |
| Leaving an irregular un-sponged margin on either side of the corner, then | |
| use a small piece of sponge to fill and blend these areas into the rest of | |
| the effect. | |
| USEFUL HINTS AND TIPS | |
| • When sponging several colors, wait for each colour to dry before adding | |
| the next. | |
| • If you are sponging ‘off’, roll a small area with | |
| semi-transparent paint then dab it off to reveal the background color. Wipe | |
| excess paint from the sponge as you go. | |
| • You can sponge ‘on’ with standard emulsion paint, but it | |
| will not be semi-transparent and will dry much quicker. | |
| • Leave mistakes to dry before sponging over with the background |  |
| color. | |
| • Simply wipe over minor mistakes and re-sponge. | |
| • Surfaces subject to wear and tear should be protected with clear varnish | |
| which should be applied after the effect has been allowed to dry for at least | |
| 24 hours. | |
| TIPS FROM AN EXPERT | |
| Wash the sponge out frequently using running water. | |
| Wash out the sponge when it starts to feel heavy. | |
| An imitation sea sponge can be made from a standard decorators sponge, as | |
| follows; | |
| Pinch off all straight edges using your fingers or pliers | |
| Gradually distort the shape by pulling pieces from the sponge. | |