 | Deb Drager
owner of Drager Design Studio (D2), began her career as a fashion and product illustrator for a department store. Deb became a certified faux artisan in 1993. From decorative finishes to custom murals, D2 has coordinated projects with developers, builders, architects, designers, and homeowners in residential and commercial settings. D2/E2, a division of Drager Design, offers instruction and workshops in applying and achieving distinctive architectural finishes. You can contact Deb at (316) 269-3600, or by E-mail at deb@ddrager.com |
Interior Decorating
2003-06-01 16:04:00
'Translucent' Walls
: How does one get walls to have a 'translucent' look when they're painted?
ANSWER: The definition of translucent (In Random House Dictionary) is: Permitting light to pass through so diffusedly that objects cannot be clearly seen. When referring to translucency in painted surfaces, the term is used to explain a see-through color, or a color that has been diluted to appear as many tones of a color or value of a shade of color. This effect is achieved by choosing a waterborne paint color (Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, Home Depot) and adding a medium, called "Glaze" to the paint material. This glazing medium dilutes the opaque color of store-bought paint into a sheerer material that can be applied to walls and manipulated in various ways to create pattern and depth of color. There are a variety of ways to create illusion of depth with paint. The most popular is "negative glazing" which is applying the glaze/paint mixture in an even layer on a wall, then removing parts to the glaze mixture with rags, sponges, rollers, and various artisan tools on the market today. Decorative paint glaze treatments include sponging, ragging, marbling, wood graining, stippling, and pouncing. Glaze mixtures are easily worked or maneuvered on sealed wall surfaces because the glaze medium is designed to make the paint stay wetter, longer, and allowing more "open-time" to create patterns or movements with the glaze mixture. The depth of translucency that is created depends greatly on the colors chosen and the many layers that can be applied. It also depends on the ratio of paint to glaze. Another factor on successful glazed creations depends on the finish or sheen level of the paint chosen. Paint comes in many different sheen levels, such as dull, flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, gloss… each finish has a separate function when choosing a look for a glazed effect. Choose a flat or eggshell paint for a matte look, chose a satin or gloss paint for a "wetter" or deeper color appearance. Also, the depth of color chosen will be a big factor in the outcome of a glazed wash. Pastel colors contain more white and will produce a greater opacity, and deeper tones will create a more transparent look. Finally, the heaviness of application will also determine the final translucent appearance of the glazed surface. By applying sparingly to produce thin layers of color,the surface will appear more see-through than it would by laying on thicker coats, which will dry more opaque. One other option when desiring a translucent paint effect for walls is working with oil paints and the many paint thinners and solvents on the market to thin-out or dilute oil materials. These are becoming less popular, not only because of the extra clean-up and smells, but the toxicity for the painter and the planet is becoming of great concern.
