If you use textured paint you can apply color once it has dried
Textured paint is a latex paint which has been thickened with fillers. It is used to create a variety of three dimensional decorative effects which have the added advantage of masking flaws in your walls such as uneven areas, small holes, rips and tears. The three dimensional effects are achieved once the paint has been applied to the surface being decorated. There are several techniques which can be used, and if these are executed correctly, indentations and other problems will no longer be obvious. Textured paints are mainly white but can be over-painted with color once they have dried.
Instructions
Getting Started
1. Prepare the room for decorating. Remove as much furniture as possible and cover everything else with drop cloths. Ensure flooring is well protected and take down pictures and mirrors. Apply masking tape to the edges of light fittings, light switches and wall sockets.
2. Paint the ceiling using a good quality paint. If you have opted for a traditional white ceiling use one of the so called "magic paints". These are pink when applied but dry to brilliant white and allow you to easily see where you have painted and parts of the ceiling you still have to paint. Apply the paint to the edges first with a small brush. Also use this brush to paint a narrow strip round the base of light fittings then paint the rest with a roller or large brush. Allow the ceiling to dry thoroughly.
3. Cut in with your chosen textured paint along the top of one of the walls you are painting. Use a small brush for this job. A small brush gives you more control and allows you to achieve a clean edge. Cut in along the baseboard at the bottom of the wall using the same brush. Paint the rest of the wall with a roller or large brush using a series of random overlapping strokes. Each time you cover an area of approximately 12 square feet, go over it again with a number of parallel strokes to create an even surface finish.
Achieving Your Textured Effect
4. Experiment with the first wall in the room to choose the textured effect you want to achieve. You'll need a flat bladed scraper, texturing comb, marine sponge and patterned roller sleeves to hand.
5. Draw the flat bladed scraper over the surface of textured paint. This will give your wall a finish similar to tree bark.
6. Create overlapping swirls on the wall using a texturing comb. These look like large half circles of ridges which run into each other.
7. Place a marine sponge on the paint and twist it before pulling it straight back from the surface. This will give you a series of small overlapping swirls.
8. Go over a section of paint with a patterned roller sleeve. Some of these create a regular diamond pattern and others produce a random streaked effect.
Completing Your Decorating
9. Apply your chosen textured effect to the entire wall you have just painted and go on to treat the other walls in the room in the same manner.
10. Allow the textured paint to dry thoroughly before applying color on top. Apply the color paint as if you were applying it to a flat wall. Cut in along the edges and use a roller or larger brush to paint the large sections of wall.
11. Allow the walls to dry before lightly sanding the wood trim. Vacuum it thoroughly to remove all traces of dust and wash it if necessary before applying a fresh coat of oil base paint. Once this is dry apply a second coat.
