Decorative Painting

It's amazing to find decorative painting dominated by women. Julia, Karen, Dee, Marcia - all women, only four of dozens of others, each proudly showing off incredibly beautiful work samples. Why decorative painting should be the exclusive turf of women (relegating men to being merely house painters) stupefies. If it's any consolation, at least the Great Masters have all been male.

Decorative painting is of interest to every DIY decorator for the many exciting possibilities it opens for decorators looking for an inexpensive way to perk up their homes. In a sense, decorative painting artists are pushing the envelope on home decorating. Faux finishes from onyx to alabaster, from serpentine to breccia are now available to the DIY decorator, very handy in raising the glam factor of any home decor, or in tying together the decor style dictated by one's acquisition of magnificent wall grilles and other metal art. Wrought iron wall grilles, stuccoed walls, terra-cotta and plaster pots with relief designs in faux verdigris, Corinthian-capital base of a glass-top table in faux granite-- what more can a Mediterranean style fan want?

If the DIY possibilities excite you well enough to want to try your hand at decorative painting, here's what you need to know about the different types of paints. Green concerns make water-based paints popular. Of interest to you are latex paint, aerosol acrylic paints, craft acrylic paint, ceramic paints, and fabric paints.

Latex paint
Latex paints use acrylic resins, vinyl resins, or both. You'd want to choose latex paints of acrylic resins because they provide an even and complete finish and wear longer, but you might settle for acrylic-vinyl mixes, or all-vinyl depending on your budget. Latex dries fast, wears well, and can be custom-mixed to your precise color. It's available flat for a matte appearance or high-gloss for a more durable finish.

Craft acrylic paint
This is 100 percent acrylic-resin paint which should not be confused with the ones used for canvas painting. Sold in 2-oz, 4-oz, and 8-oz bottles, they come in various colors and in fluorescent, iridescent, and metallic versions. If a thinner consistency is needed, they can be diluted with water, latex paint conditioner, or acrylic extender.

Fabric paints
Although acrylic paints can be used to paint on fabrics, there's a paint that's manufactured exclusively for fabrics: fabric paint. To avoid unnecessary stiffness, remember to apply lightly. You know you're doing it right when you can see the fabric's texture. The painted fabric can be machine-washed or dry-cleaned once heat-set.

Ceramic paints
These are paints specially formulated for ceramic surfaces, although you can use acrylic or latex paints on a previously-primed surface. Subjecting the finished product to hardening in low temperature improves the paint's adhesion, durability, and water resistance.

Aerosol acrylic paints
This type dries quickly and covers well. Extremely handy, they can be applied quickly, and are best-suited for painting irregular surfaces. To be on the safe side of green concerns, use only the type that's free of fluorocarbons and methylene chloride.