Faux Painting Technique "Multi-Color Ragging"

by Richa
(India )

This technique of dabbing/ragging was accidentally found. I wanted a textured finish but not a symmetrical one - something that would look un-structured and hand-made.

I didn't know what technique I was going to use yet, and I decided to choose colors first. I didn't have a paint brush and so I used an old shirt to apply colors on a sample board to see how they would look together.

As I started dabbing the first color on the board, I noticed that the cloth made a nice pattern - exactly what I was looking for! I didn't know that this was the ragging technique, I actually thought that it was my own invention!

Anyway, I used this painting technique on the walls with great success. The base color of the wall was pink, and for the faux finish I chose light yellow and green - the colors from my furniture pieces. That's where the color combination came from.

The technique is very easy to do. Take some cotton fabric and make it look like a loose ball. Then just take one color first, dip the fabric in the paint, dab it on some newspaper to remove excess paint, then press it lightly to the wall, rotate your hand a little, and go over the entire wall in this way.

Then repeat the process with the second color, and all the colors will mix and blend perfectly. That's it!

The finish looks mix-and-matched, just like my house! I'm very happy with the outcome - and I'm sure you will be too.

Have fun, be like a kid, and enjoy dabbing!

Click here to share your rag painting idea and see your name in lights!