Choosing paint and glaze colors for
all techniques that require glaze

When decorative painting with any technique that requires glaze, you will need at least two contrasting colors. The first color will be your base color. The second will be your glaze color.

Step 1 :: Begin by choosing your first color. This is referred to as the base coat color. This is the color that you will apply to the surface in the same manner that you would paint any room. You should use latex satin finish paint and allow it to dry completely prior to glazing.

Step 2 :: Your second color choice should be between 2 to 4 shades lighter or darker than your first color. This is referred to as your glaze coat color. (This color may be the same color family or in a different color family as you first color choice.)

NOTE: Two shades apart will give you a very subtle, muted color variation while five shades apart will give you a more dramatic textured look on your surface. We recommend that you practice with small quantities of paint and glaze prior to finalizing your color selections.

A glaze is a form of paint that is designed for creating decorative finishes. What makes a glaze different than paint is that it is designed to stay wet much longer than standard paint. It is also translucent to enable the base coat color to show through, therefore enabling you to create the illusion of depth and texture on a surface. There are two forms of glazes that you can use to do your decorative finish. The first is a premixed glaze the second is un-tinted glaze that you mix yourself.

Premixed Glazes :: This is ready to use and comes in a variety of colors. You can purchase these at many paint stores. The advantages of using premixed glazes are that you can see exactly what the colors look like and they tend to stay wet longer than glazes you mix with paint. The disadvantages of using a premixed glaze are that you are limited to the colors available and they can cost more than mixing your own.

Un-tinted Glazes :: Un-tinted glazes can be purchased at any paint store. You must mix your un-tinted glaze with paint (a color you choose). The ratio can vary depending on the manufacturer of the glaze, so you should read the instructions on the can prior to mixing. However, most manufacturers recommend that you mix one part paint to four parts glaze. In other words, one quart paint to one gallon glaze. If you prefer your glaze to be more translucent, you may increase the amount of glaze to this mixture. The advantages of mixing your own paint and glaze are that you have 1200 color choices and it's the most cost effective form of glaze. The disadvantages are that the paint colors will vary slightly after they have been mixed with glaze. Also, you will need to work rapidly to avoid the glaze from drying too quickly.

Choosing paint colors for Color-Meshing with
The Woolie or Roller-Meshing with The 2-Color Roller

When decorative painting with either the Color-Meshing technique with The Woolie or the Roller-Meshing technique with the 2-Color Roller, you will need at least two contrasting colors of latex satin finish paint.

Step 1 :: Begin by choosing your lightest color, which will be your first color.

Step 2 :: Your second color choice should be between 3 to 5 shades darker than your first color. (This color may be in the same color family or in a different color family as your first color choice)

Optional Step 3 :: If you are using the Color-Meshing technique with The Woolie, you are able to work with as many as six colors in one coat. This is done by choosing one light color and the second through sixth color should be 3 to 5 shades deeper than your first color.

NOTE: Three shades apart will give you a very subtle, muted color variation while five shades apart will give you a more dramtic "textured look" on your surface. We recommend that you practice with small quantities of paint prior to finalizing your color selections.

NOTE: DO NOT USE GLAZES for the Color-Meshing technique using The Woolie or the Roller-Meshing technique using the 2-Color Roller. These techniques are designed to be used with standard paint with no glazes.

Use latex (water-based) satin finish paints and glazes. This will allow your surface to be scrubbed and is extremely durable. The luster of this paint will enhance your final look as well. Using latex satin finish paints will allow you the flexibility of "layering" different types of techniques to create fabulous looks. If you choose to use a flat finish paint for a matte finish, we only recommend doing so with either the Color-Meshing technique with The Woolie or the Roller-Meshing technique with the 2-Color Roller.