How do you paint a room?

Answer 1

Step #1 Determine the size of your room.

This will enable you to determine the amount of paint you will need. Take your sizes to a reputable paint retailer and they will help you with your paint purchase. They should also be able to supply you with all of your other supplies (paint brushes, rollers, tape etc). The formula for determining area is - wall height x total wall length (add up all four walls) less any large openings.

Step #2 Prepare the room.

Remove ALL fixtures, switch plates, outlets covers etc. Lay down drop cloths and tape off any areas you do not want paint on.

Check the surface of the walls. If the are very dirty it is a good idea to clean them down. A good cleaner for very dirty walls is TSP, make sure you rinse the wall thoroughly.

Repair all cracks, holes and damage using crack filler and sand the dried repairs to a flat finish. Prime over the repairs with a good quality primer. Do not miss this step as the finished paint will look different over repairs that are not primed.

If the walls are a very dark colour, and you are using a light colour top coat, it is advisable to prime the entire walls. Also if you are using an intense colour, you should use a coloured primer (ask your paint retailer for details)

Using a good quality paintable caulking, run a bead of caulk along the areas where your trim meets your walls. This step is what makes the difference between a professional look and a look that says you saved some money by doing it yourself.

Step #3 Paint the room.

Using a paint brush, cut in along the top of the walls, around fixtures, along trim work, and the corner of the walls (do one wall at a time). Then using a roller apply your colour coat, using the "lazy W" system, (your paint retailer can explain this in detail if you need it). Once the entire wall is covered proceed to the next wall. Again cut in with a brush and roll the large areas. Any drips or splatters should be dealt with immediately using a damp cloth (water for latex, paint thinner for oil). If a second coat is necessary, wait the time listed for "re-coating" on the paint can label and repeat the process. Allow the walls to dry and remove the tape.

Step #4 Paint the trim.

Using a brush paint all trim work. A paint edger can help with keeping the trim colour off the wall or wait until the walls are dry and use painter's tape to keep your edges clean. When using latex or acrylic paint, work from dry into wet... when using oil based paint, work from wet to dry.

Step #5 Finishing touches.

When the room is complete, remove any remaining tape and allow the paint to dry over night. Replace all fixtures, switch plates, outlet covers etc. Remove the drop cloths and do your final clean up. Run a vacuum (or damp mop) over the floors, rehang your window treatments, and move the furniture back into the room... This might be the time to try a new arrangement of the furniture to add to the "fresh look".

The Extras

When preparing your room, it is also advisable to prepare yourself.

Wear old clothing you don't mind getting paint on... latex, acrylic and oil paints are all extremely difficult to remove from cloth.

A painters hat (available from your paint retailer) is a good idea, even if your hair is not overly long it is not a lot of fun getting paint out of it. Several of my women friends have been known to put a hot oil treatment or conditioner into their hair while working... that way, not only does the room look good at the end of it all, so does the painter.

Areas of your skin that are exposed would benefit from a generous application of moisturizer. It will make personal clean up much easier.

Many people use latex gloves to keep paint from drying on/under/around the fingernails, others apply a coat of petroleum jelly to the same result... but this is entirely up to you.

Answer 2

The first and most important part of any painting, is the subject and composition. Still life is a good place to start (vases of flowers, bowls of fruit, cakes), but many people prefer scenes or animals. People are much harder as the skin tones can be difficult to mix.

Once you have decided what you are going to paint, then you are ready to set things up. You will need things like a palette to mix the paints, paints (water colour, acrylic, oil), water, brushes, and paper or canvas. Many people like to paint from either a picture or an item so this needs to be set up too.

Next you will need to choose where to start the painting and mix you colours. It is best to mix the majority of the colours on the palette, although some colours can be blended or mixed on the canvas.

Now simply put the brush in the paint and then on to the canvas and get creative! If you are new to painting then don't give up if it doesn't work out the first few times. People tend to find it easier to start with the background first and then work on the middle ground and foreground. It is often easier to work with lighter colours first and then darker ones, as it is harder to paint over darker colours if a mistake is make or if a colour is wrong.

Remember there are many different styles of painting. Don't try to copy someone else's, you need to find your own.

The most important thing about painting is to have fun! Don't worry about the end product, just enjoy being creative!

Answer 3

You can use carbon paper under a picture and go over the picture

Answer 4

Find blank picture frames at a craft store (wooden works well), get some paints and paintbrushes, and bring some inspiration, then paint away!