How to Paint the Wall 3 Colors in Faded Stripes of Blue, Orange & Brown
- 1). Combine 1/4 cup of all-purpose cleaner with 1 gallon of warm water in a bucket with a large sponge. Dip the sponge in the mixture and wash all the walls thoroughly. Allow the walls to dry completely.
- 2). Sand the walls with 100-grit sandpaper, roughing up the surface to hold the color. Dust the walls with a feather duster when finished. Apply painter's tape to the baseboards, window frames and molding.
- 3). Dip your paint roller in water-based primer. Apply a coat of primer to the walls. Allow it to dry thoroughly. Look at the intensity of your blue, orange and brown paints. Pick the lightest one as your base color and pour it into a pan.
- 4). Mix 1/4 cup of water into the paint to fade the color. At this point, you can keep adding quarter-cups of water to fade it more, or leave it as is -- it all depends on your tastes. Be sure your paint roller is clean, and dip it into this paint. Apply a single coat to the walls and allow it to dry completely.
- 5). Place a carpenter's level horizontally on the wall and mark how wide you want your stripes to be. You can have them all the same size, or widths of various repeating increments. Use a colored pencil that matches your base color.
- 6). Extend your marks upwards with your level. Stop periodically to check to make sure all your lines are straight.
- 7). Tape off your lines with painter's tape. Make sure you apply the painter's tape onto the edge of the lines that you've drawn, so that the tape creates a strong border for you to paint along.
- 8). Pour each of your remaining paint colors into a paint pan and dilute with 1/4 cups of water until you reach the desired, faded shade. Pick the first color you want to start with and dip your trim brush into it. Cut into the edges of the first stripe to establish your borders and then fill it in. Continue in this manner until you fill in all your stripes of this particular color, painting over the tape line.
- 9). Remove the painter's tape and allow your second color to dry. Once it is completely dry, apply painter's tape to either side of your final stripe, giving you concrete borders to paint over so you can create a perfect stripe. Color in the final stripe, allowing yourself to overlap on the tape slightly. Remove the painter's tape when finished and allow your final color to dry.