Ragging.
Like all paint-effects, ragging 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.
Pour a little of the thinned paint into your tray or bowl (Approximately a pint (½ Litre).
NOW FOR THE MESSY PART!
Take a piece of lint-free cotton cloth approximately 18 inches (450 mm) square and scrunch it up into a crumpled ball. (The rougher the better).
First, dab the rag in the paint, and then dab it on a dry part of your tray or bowl to remove the excess paint.
Now dab it onto the surface of your cardboard to practise the effect.
The challenge of ragging is to twist the rag in-between dabs so that each impression left by the rag is different to next.
Only dab 6 to 8 times before reloading the rag.
When you feel confident, try it on the walls.
If you can, get someone to carefully clean paint from woodwork etc while you work, otherwise, re-paint woodwork etc when it is dry.
Allow the paint to dry before protecting with a coat of clear glaze or varnish (optional).
Single colour.
Dual colour.
Multi-coloured.
!!! With oil-based
method, used rags must be laid flat and allowed to dry before discarding to prevent spontaneous combustion!!!
The more contrast between the basecoat and topcoat; the more pronounced the pattern will be.
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.
Ragging gives a better effect if two different colours are ragged over the basecoat. (1 at a time of course)
A matt or semi-sheen basecoat works best as silk tends to make the rag slip & slide.
Colours should be related in some way, either different tones of the same colour, or similar tones of related colours.
It is advisable to dab a corner of the cloth into internal corners first, then rag up to it. Otherwise the corners will seem bare.