Earthy tones are making a strong showing in many new home designs throughout America and around the world. From lamps to furniture and even entire rooms are using multi colored methods for achieving these earthy tones. You can create a terra cotta look easily and cheaply with the instructions in this article. You don’t need to spend a fortune on painters or paint supplies. You just need a little patience and time to create a unique design that will look and feel great in your home. If you’re intimidated by doing a whole room, start small on a picture frame or old lamp. You can create a terra cotta design on any object large or small.
The material list isn’t too large. Basically for brushes you need a small paint brush for small projects or a larger one for bigger projects. You will need several small sea sponges, but you can buy a few large ones and tear off pieces as you need it. You will need basic painting supplies as well. Disposable gloves, paint trays, and brush cleaning supplies. You will need a large variety of colors. A large 1 gallon can of yellow base coat or latex, and small pint cans of black, red, light brown, dark green, white, and light brown paints. If you’re doing a small project first use small cans of paint. The larger the project the more paint you will need.
To start, use the paint brush to apply a coat of yellow base coat or yellow latex. Let the paint dry and apply a second coat. You can use a roller to apply the paint over a large area if you want to make the work go quicker.
Break a small piece of sea sponge off a larger piece. Use a plastic disposable paint tray to hold the many colors you will need for the terra cotta look. You can get creative and use old milk jugs or soda bottles to hold the paint instead of buying trays you don’t need and save a few bucks. Pour a small amount of black paint into a tray. Use a small sea sponge and dip in the tip of the sponge. Apply it to the yellow base paint in small splotches uniformly around the yellow base
Let the paint dry for a few hours then use another paint tray and pour in the red paint. Use a new sea sponge and dip in the red paint. Spread in a uniform pattern just as you did with the black paint. Repeat the same process with the dark brown paint. Let it dry for a few hours between coats.
Now take the dark green and pour it in a paint tray. Dip in the sea sponge and using a light touch, dab the green paint on the project. Use the green sparingly and with a light touch. Don’t over apply the green. For each color you add, you should be able to see all of the other colors.
Mix a small amount of black with the white paint in a paint tray. Dab the sea sponge in the paint and apply sparingly to the project as you did with the green. Finally add the dark brown in a tray and use a sea sponge to dab it on. Don’t use nearly as much brown as you have before with the other paints. Use as small amount as possible.
