Painting, Decorative & Faux Wall Techniques:

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Jasper Paint Technique

Source:  Realtor.com

• 6-Foot lengths of 90-weight cheesecloth
• Clean rags
• Mineral spirits
• Gloves
• Newspapers
• Brush
• Painter's masking tape
• Paint buckets
• Mixing sticks
• 2 Paint trays
• Several rollers with low-nap or foam covers
• Several 3-inch-wide decorator brushes
• Warm white satin latex paint
• Custom-mixed flat alkyd paints for the first coat
• Custom-mixed alkyd paints for the glaze colorant
• Clear top coat (optional)

Instructions:

1.  Cut the Cheesecloth, Mix the Glaze.  Cut one cheesecloth into 6-foot-long pieces, then set the pieces aside.

Mix the gray and rust oil glazes to the desired color and thickness. Seal the cans to keep the solvent from evaporating.

2.  Apply Yellow Latex Paint.  With random, diagonal strokes, brush or roll intense yellow full-bodied latex paint onto the surface (use a roller for a large area). Cover about 70 percent of the surface, leaving much of the white base coat showing.

3.  Apply Orange Latex Paint.  Working the same way and in the same direction as in Step 2, slap on full-bodied orange latex paint using random, diagonal strokes.

Cover some of the yellow paint and some of the base coat so that 80 percent of the surface is hidden; this will leave about 20 percent of the white base color showing.

4.  Apply Gray and Rust Glazes.  Continuing on the diagonal, brush gray glaze over the yellow strokes and rust glaze over the orange strokes. Blend the glazes and pull them over the white base coat as you brush.

5.  Press Newspaper to the Glaze.  Press newspaper over the glazed surface to further blend the colors and lift off the excess.

If the newspaper removes too much glaze, apply some gray glaze to the newspaper, then press it in place to redeposit glaze onto the surface.

6.  Blend the Colors with Cheesecloth.  Pat cheesecloth over the surface with up-and-down strokes to fold in the texture and further blend the colors. Turn the cloth frequently to avoid making an identifiable pattern.

Thin the rust glaze with solvent, then brush it over the dry surface. Immediately absorb the excess glaze by texturizing it with newspaper as described in Step 5. Then texturize it further with a bunched cheesecloth as described in Step 6.

Repeat this process until the entire surface is covered.

8.  Admire the Results.  Note the complexity and depth of the final finish. Its subtle yet exotic color variations create a handsome stone look.

If you wish to protect your faux jasper with a clear top coat, wait until all the glaze has dried, then cover the surface with a low-luster varnish.