Decorative artist Joe Fenzl didn't want a wild new pattern on his wallpaper--he just wanted to add some highlights with subtle colors, a few random shapes and a bit of sparkle. Here's how he proceeded:
- Start out with plain white felt liner paper, available at home centers. "It can cover up a lot of ills," says Fenzl.
- Crumple the paper in your hands to give the background some texture and a few little lines. In this case, since Fenzl is working with eight-foot walls, he crumples eight-foot strips of felt liner paper.
- Apply a clay-based wallpaper paste to the back of the paper.
- Put the paper on the wall.
- Apply an oil- or water-based glaze, thinned to the consistency of water, to the wall.
*To add a wash of color, tint the glaze/water mixture with a little Raw Umber and Burnt Sienna.
*Apply the glaze with a rag. The places where the paper has been crumpled will pick up more color.
*If after one application you want the paper to be a little darker, apply another coat of glaze. "The biggest mistake people make is starting out too dark, which makes the paper blotchy," says Fenzel . - Decide the random shapes you want and then make stencils of them using acetate sheets.
- With acrylic paint in silver, metallic and platinum plus the stencils, paint some shapes here and there on the wallpaper.
- Add a bit of gold leaf in places, striving for an "unplanned" look.
*Spray an oil-based varnish in a few square inches of the paper, just until it gets sticky.
*Pull down a bit of gold leaf onto the sticky area (figure A).
* Consider using silver or copper leaf for other accents. - When you're done, add a protective coat for kitchens or other heavy-duty areas or a protective spray for walls that don't see as much action.
Guests Joe Fenzl
Decorative Artist, Instructor, Decorative Arts of Los Angeles
15047 Hamlin Street
Van Nuys, CA 91411
Email:
dala2000@mindspring.com
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