The dry brush technique of painting requires you to put the paint on with small brushes so it takes a little longer to complete the project, but the final result will be well worth the time invested.
You will need a base coat paint,(a pearl finish looks wonderful when applied as the base), then you need to get three different colors of paint to create the finished look. You want your color combinations to be no more than two shades off from one another so you create a harmonious blend.
You are going to need a paint roller with a 3/8 inch nap, three paint brushes that are 2 and one-half inches, and some cardboard, or newspaper, some clean dry rags, a roller cage for your roller, and water to do the clean up with.
The first step is for you to clean the surface of the walls, lay out drop cloths, and tape any areas that you do not want to get paint on. Then you will need to apply your base coat. You should apply two coats of your base color so that you have even coverage. Once the base coat is applied you need to allow it twenty-four hours of drying time before you come in to start your dry brushing.
Make sure that you have taped your base boards, and applied painters tape around the ceiling before you start. This is a step that people often overlook and when they make one tiny mistake, they regret skipping this step. Better safe than sorry, so if you have not done your taping you need to do it now.
Dip your paint brush into your first selected color. You want to dab the brush onto the cardboard to remove excess paint. You do not want to apply a heavy coat of paint so remember that when you load your brush.
You want to make brush strokes that are no longer than twelve inches and not shorter than eight inches. Make the first stroke at a forty five degree angle and then make the next stroke adjacent to that one at an opposite forty five degree angle. This will create a pattern that resembles herringbone. Repeat the pattern in four by four foot sections until you have done all of the walls. You will periodically have to dip your brush again, but remember that with this technique less is more. The first coat will appear rather dark in color and you should not allow this to alarm you. The second and third colors will soften the look.
After allowing the first coat to dry completely you will apply the second color in the exact same way. You want to follow the same pattern with the second coat but be looser and touch the wall lighter with the brush while you are working. This will soften the look of the first coat.
The third coat is the lightest of all of your color choices. It is applied with a brush, but you are not going to follow the pattern. Instead, you will randomly touch areas with the third color to create a cloud effect that highlights the previous colors.
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