Home decorators looking for something a little different are 
often faced with expensive products and time consuming solutions,
making many of us opt for more everyday options like wallpaper 
and basic paint finishes. However one lasting favorite offers an 
inexpensive solution that can be used almost anywhere and mimics 
that most ancient and noble of finishes - marble.

With the right approach, and a little patience, you can recreate 
marble on almost any surface using basic paints and glaze.


Tools For The Job

For a pale marbling effect you will need: 

1) Undercoat or eggshell paint for the background (dependent on 
   surface)
2) Artists oil paints in umber and varying shades of grey (for 
   the veins seen in marble)
3) Translucent glaze to create a natural sheen for the finish
4) Brushes - household paint brushes, a soft flat artists brush, 
   soft makeup brush, natural sponge, lint free rags
5) Glass paper and white spirit


Mixing The Paint

The marble effect is created by applying layers of tinted glaze, 
veins and mottling over a white or pale basecoat. You then work 
in gradual variations of tone to the background color by dabbing 
on artist's oil paint or tinted eggshell paint. Use the brushes 
and natural sponge to break up the color of the basecoat.

You need to mix the paint in the appropriate ratios. For an 
opaque glaze, good proportions to work with are:

- Three parts oil based scumble
- Five parts of white eggshell
- Two parts white spirit. 

Mix the paint with the glaze then add the white spirit to give a 
creamy consistency. You can create a more translucent glaze by 
tinting it with stainers or oil paints and then add equal amounts 
of white spirit.


Six Easy Steps

1) Rub down the surface to be decorated and apply undercoat (on 
   wood or metal) or eggshell (on walls) in a suitable color. A 
   well-prepared surface will be free of splinters or flaking 
   paint. The paint effect will look better if you take care 
   over this stage.

2) If necessary, apply a further coat to act as a base coat for 
   the decorative finish. Tint it slightly with grey oil paint 
   and use a sponge to create lightly mottled areas.

3) Using artists’ oil and an artists brush start to create a 
   random trellis of diagonal veins across the surface.  
   Traditional colors to use are burnt sienna and dark grey 
   on pale marble and whites and greens on black backgrounds.  

4) Strengthen some of the veins with darker colors, and then 
   soften the effect by brushing over the surface with a soft 
   feather or soft brush.

5) Use a natural sponge to create variations in tone, lifting 
   off color or applying more color where needed.

6) To create the natural luster of marble apply a translucent 
   glaze, with a light umber tint. In some patches, add extra 
   coats of glaze for a natural effect.  Finish by applying a 
   coat of clear gloss varnish followed by a coat of satin 
   varnish to give the surface added sheen and greater depth.


Luxurious And Opulent

Creating your own marble effect is as easy as following the 
directions above. The cost of the paint is minimal but creates 
an expensive looking effect. Marble has long been used as a 
luxurious and opulent building material, leaving a unique finish 
that can be easily mimicked with a little effort.

The real beauty of this technique is that because the materials 
are inexpensive it allows you to try different colors and 
finishes to match your décor. Experiment with different shades 
and tones and try varying the depth of the veins to really bring 
the work alive. With a little practice, and some patience, you 
might be amazed at the results. 

Louise Alderson combines her hands-on experience as a real 
estate developer with her love of interior design and textiles, 
and is the author of a number of popular articles on home decor 
and home accent tips.
Visit The Tapestry House online at: 
http://www.thetapestryhouse.com/