| If a ceiling and frieze is to be distempered the ceiling | | | | the walls of the inside of a cupboard. Wall or ceiling |
| should be completely covered before the frieze is | | | | surfaces that are badly marked and tend to crumble |
| coated. After the job has been completed the brush | | | | are best covered with a lining paper before they are |
| should be washed out immediately and well rinsed | | | | distempered. |
| and any surplus water should be shaken out. Walls | | | | If a wall or ceiling surface is lined, care should be |
| are distempered in the same way as ceilings and only | | | | taken to ensure that all the joints of the paper |
| one wall of a room should be covered at a time. The | | | | closely adhere to the under-surface so that the |
| distemper should be applied to the wall in small | | | | distemper cannot seep through the patches of the |
| sections, working a strip across the top of the wall | | | | paper. Walls may also be distempered in two |
| before moving down and coating the next strip in | | | | separate colors, using one color at the top of the |
| small sections in the same order of sequence as the | | | | wall and the other at the bottom. When applying this |
| first one. | | | | form of decoration, it will be found necessary to |
| A small brush can be used for cutting in cleanly on | | | | mark straight lines on the walls. The marking of lines |
| door or window frame and, although any distemper | | | | on walls and ceilings may be found necessary in other |
| splashes on woodwork may be cleaned off, the | | | | forms of home decorating and perfectly straight lines |
| amateur should develop the good habit of cleanly | | | | can easily be marked by using a snap line. |
| cutting in at edges to commence with. Any spots of | | | | When walls are divided into two different colors, you |
| distemper on floors or woodwork should be | | | | must be careful to make sure that the wall |
| immediately wiped up with a damp cloth. To avoid | | | | sculptures match the color scheme. Cold rolled steel |
| getting distemper on the wall decor, all light fixtures, | | | | art can come in many colors, so careful |
| metal wall art, and any sort of wall sculpture, should | | | | considerations must be made. A snap line is a piece |
| be temporarily removed and stored elsewhere. | | | | of string with chalk coated on it The ends of the line |
| A very easy way to avoid the formation of brush | | | | are held tightly at each end of the wall in position |
| marks in distempered surfaces, which the beginner | | | | where the dividing line is to be marked. Two people |
| may find difficult to eliminate, is to stipple the work. | | | | are required for this job. With the line held firmly to |
| Stippling is done while the surface being decorated is | | | | the marks, it should be pulled slightly away from the |
| still wet. To stipple a surface, you need a small, stiff | | | | wall surface in the middle, then let go to snap on the |
| brush such as a military hair brush. Stippling consists | | | | wall surface, where it will mark a straight line. |
| of dabbing or tapping the whole surface with the | | | | Distemper may be used with wallpaper to obtain |
| brush and the final result should be quite clear of any | | | | some particularly attractive finished effects in rooms |
| streaks and brush marks. If a large amount of work | | | | that are suited to this form of decoration. Rooms |
| is to be done the amateur decorator will find it wise | | | | with Native American decoration aesthetics do well |
| to invest in a stippling brush, which is not a very | | | | with the use of such geometric patterns, which is |
| expensive item of equipment. | | | | particularly complimented by laser cut metal wall |
| The stippling brush may also be used for two color | | | | decor. One of the modern aids to good home |
| stipple finishes. This is done by distempering the wall | | | | decorating, especially made for amateur use, is a |
| with a ground color and following the first coat, after | | | | roller. This may be used for painting or distempering |
| it has dried, with another wash of distemper of a | | | | large areas. There are several kinds of rollers which |
| harmonizing or contrasting color. The second coat of | | | | are very similar in design and use. |
| distemper should be stippled immediately the surface | | | | The roller consists of sheepskin-covered roll which is |
| has been coated and the effect of dabbing the | | | | supported by an axle pinned to a handle at one side |
| bristles of the stippling brush is to clear small areas of | | | | so that the roller freely revolves when drawn over |
| the top coat, allowing the ground color to show | | | | the decorating surface. A tray is supplied with the |
| through. With a little practice the amateur decorator | | | | roller and a small amount of the decorating material, |
| can make this quite an effective way of using | | | | distemper or paint, is placed in the tray. The roller is |
| distemper. | | | | then dipped into the decorating material and rolled on |
| Stippling can be used on other painted surfaces as | | | | the sloping base of the tray and completely coated |
| well, such as sculptures, laser cut metal wall art, | | | | with paint or distemper. With this done the roller is |
| boats, and furniture. Another method of stippling to | | | | used on the surface. Very little practice is required to |
| obtain a two color finish is to use a coarse sponge or | | | | become efficient with a roller and in many ways it is |
| a rag, dampening it and dabbing it over the surface | | | | considered better than brushes for use by the |
| after the second color has been applied and is still | | | | amateur. |
| wet. A good place to try stippling experiments is on | | | | |