For many homeowners, ceilings are fourth walls that provide another option to decorate the space. Marbling is a faux-finish technique that allows any homeowner to create the high-end look of natural stone without the costly price tag. The technique involves layering paint and glaze that is then manipulated with inexpensive products to create the marbleized look. You don't have to be a professional painter to create this high-end look on your ceilings.
Instructions
1. Remove any unnecessary objects from the room, including furniture and draperies. Cover the floor with plastic drop cloths and slip on a pair of rubber gloves and safety goggles. Clean the ceiling with a mixture of one tablespoon liquid dish soap and one-quarter gallon warm water. Rinse off the soapy mixture with a damp rag and allow the ceiling to dry before masking the trim or molding with painter's tape.
2. Cover the ceiling with a fresh layer of eggshell, semi-gloss paint. Using a paint roller, create a fresh, clean base for the marbleized effect by applying the paint in even, back and forth strokes. Allow the paint to dry completely, or at least eight hours, before continuing.
3. Apply the marble's top coat with a paint roller. Choose a shade of brown, gray or green; as these provide the most natural effect. Allow this top coat to dry for at least eight hours, or overnight, .
4. Create a glaze with one part paint and four parts clear glaze. Stir the glaze and paint together thoroughly before applying to dry top coat with a paintbrush or roller. After the glaze is applied, bunch-up and wrinkle a fabric drop cloth. Hold the drop-cloth against the wet glaze for one to two seconds. Perform this procedure -- which creates a rough, marbleized appearance - to sections of the ceiling instead of attempting to hold it against the entire ceiling at once, which is difficult without help.
5. Dip the tip of a turkey or chicken feather into the oil-based vein paint, which should be at least one to two shades darker than the original top coat color. Run the edge of the feather across the ceiling in various directions to create natural-looking veins.Rotate your wrist or use varying amounts of pressure to create a more authentic finished appearance. Allow this first layer of veins to dry before continuing.
6. Create a second layer of veins with a separate paint color. Use a color in the same family as the top coat, gray or black to create this second layer of veins in the same fashion. Allow the second layer of veins to dry completely, or at , before continuing.
7. Apply a thin layer of glaze over the finished look to create a translucent appearance. Allow the glaze to dry for 12 hours before removing the painter's tape.
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