Frottage
Also known as 'Fratting'
Like all paint-effects, frottage can be a little messy, so wear old clothing or overalls.
Also: remove or cover all carpets, furniture and other valuables from the room.
Prepare
the surface that is to be painted, apply at least 2 coats of mid-sheen paint in your chosen
colour
and allow to dry thoroughly.
Water-based paint dries quickly so start on your smallest walls first; your speed will improve with experience.
Have a bucket or bowl of clean water and some rags close at hand for cleaning purposes.
FROTTAGE PROCESS.
In this technique the topcoat, or glaze, is patterned by gently placing & removing crumpled lining paper over the surface.
Where the paper makes contact, the glaze is lifted revealing the base coat.
It is advisable to get someone else to paint the wall with the mixed glaze ahead of you, so that you can concentrate on creating the effect
If you must work alone, paint small sections, 3ft (1 metre) at a time, & stop the frottage process 6 inches (150mm) short of the leading edge.
Before you begin, cut several 2' 6" (1 metre) lengths of lining paper off the roll
To avoid the possibility of print being transferred to the wall, do not use newspaper (as suggested by other websites).
Crumple the pre-cut lengths of paper, and then open out, making sure there are lots of creases and folds.
Apply the mixed glaze evenly with a brush or roller.
Place the crumpled paper onto the surface of the glaze, flatten it gently with the back of your hand and carefully peel it back off.
Move to the next section of wet glaze and repeat.
Any missed areas may be patched in with small pieces of paper torn from the roll
The challenge of frottage is to smooth the paper evenly over the surface without twisting or sliding it in the glaze.
Repeat the process over the area to be decorated, lapping-in on wet edges.
Allow the first wall to dry before starting another to prevent spoiling the finished effect.
Allow the paint to dry before protecting with a coat of clear glaze or varnish (optional).
Apply glaze.
Stipple the glaze.
Rub the paper.
!!! With oil-based
method, used paper should be saturated with soapy water before discarding to prevent the risk of fire !!!
The more contrast between the basecoat and topcoat; the more pronounced the pattern will be. (Especially important with this effect)
You should not add white to the basecoat colour to make the topcoat, or vice versa. This gives poor results unless the contrast is strong.
An oil-based basecoat will greatly improve the working time of the glaze. It is advisable to use an oil-based topcoat too in this instance.
You needn't worry about getting paint on the ceiling or woodwork, this can be corrected later & avoiding these areas will spoil the effect.
Colours should be related in some way, either different tones of the same colour, or similar tones of related colours.
Dark or strong colours give a rich effect, but the base-coat must be fairly light compared to the glaze for the effect to be visible.
Variations in finish can be achieved using different types of material such as cellophane rather than paper.