Distress Yourself Out!

Saturday, June 11, 2016

How to DIY an Ombre Wall!

Things you need:

1. Paint brush (I used my go to 2 inch rubber bottomed Wooster Shortcut)

2. Your two paint colors (Using white as one is the best way to go to get a stark contrast)

3. Mixing bowls (3 for each of the mixtures you will need)

4. Mixing sticks

5. Measuring cups you can get dirty

6. Tape! I used Scotch Blue.

7. Spackle and 100 grit sandpaper if wall needs patching

Ok so, first thing is first, the before wall. Yuck. It was well worn from the previous owners so after taking down the coat rack I spackled and smoothed with 100 grit sandpaper.

You can see the spackle is wet in this picture, so I put the spackle on then taped off my trim and divided the wall into five even sections.

MIXING THE PAINT:

So, measure out your five even sections and tape below your marks.

For each mixture, mix paint into a separate plastic bowl.

I started with my pure white on the bottom and ended with pure Glass Slipper blue by

Benjamin Moore on top, so I only needed to mix for the middle three sections.

Bottom: Pure White- no mixing needed

Second from bottom: 1 1/2 cups pure white, 1/2 cup glass Slipper

Middle- 1 cup pure white, 1 cup Glass Slipper blue

Second from top: 1 1/2 cups Glass Slipper blue, 1/2 cup white

Top: Pure Glass Slipper- no mixing necessary

Ok, paint is mixed, spackle is dry and sanded, sections are taped.

BRING ON THE PAINT!

THE PAINTING:

For the first coat, the tape stayed on and I just began with my clean paint brush and worked my way through the colors never washing my brush, starting with the white and ending with the Glass Slipper. Blend as you go. I did large wide strokes.

I then took the tape off.

For my second coat, I did the same thing. Started with a clean, dry brush, began with the white and worked my way through the colors, never washing my brush.

The difference of the second coat was that where the tape was I "X" brushed the two colors to try and make the gradient a little smoother. I was going for a gradual ombre, not a stark definition of each level of color. After "x" brushings I smoother it out by again, doing long wide strokes.

I followed by doing a third and final coat exactly the way I did the second coat.