Start by clearing all the furniture out (or move it into the middle and cover it with drop cloths or plastic sheets), take down any pictures and remove all switch plate and electrical outlet covers. The main point with a color wash is that the paint is thinned and you are putting on a very thin coat of paint. Bricks absorb moisture, so this helps them hold the color for longer. Now it was time for the fun part- color washing! problems contact webmaster@doityourself.com. Mix or shake your paint. A sponge will give you a textured appearance, apply it with a cloth and the texture will be less noticeable while a brush will produce noticeable lines. To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience. I love your stuff! It sounds complicated, but in reality it's easy to do, inexpensive and a DIY'er can achieve great results in a weekend. Thanks for sharing at Snickerdoodle. We particularly like the look of color washing, a paint technique that can be used in any style of room. That's it! Love this look to bits! Spread drop cloths on the floor and apply your base coat. Your whitewashing pattern doesn't have to be uniform; the … When you're using lighter paint colors, a 4-to-1 mixture will not affect the value of the color. Use the lint … Gorgeous! Latex glazes are very versatile and can be used in numerous faux finishing applications including antiquing, rag-rolling, color washing and combing. Once your walls have dried all that's left to do is pick up your drop cloths, move the furniture back into the room and wait for the compliments to come rolling in on your unique and beautiful walls. Dip a clean sponge in the water, then wring it dry. I will definitely be trying this technique soon. Over the years, I've learned how to distress my furniture pieces as I paint. Hi Jennifer! ;) I think my vases were purchased at Target and the rug is from IKEA! submitted to our "DoItYourself.com Community Forums". It will look uneven; that is the look you get with a color wash. I finished painting the rest of this cabinet using that technique which, Would you have never known that the original wood tone was a light pecan color? Step 1 4 Wipe down the wet wash for a distressed effect. If you try to even it all out by applying more paint, you will end up with a regular paint finish. I was really surprised to see so much pigment even with paint diluted at 50%. You can always add a little more water if you feel you need to, depending on the look you’re going for. All of your work is always stunning! Whitewash stain is ideally suited to pine. Depending on how ambitious you are, you can combine different applicators to achieve your own unique design or even apply a. You may freely link I have been wanting to learn how to make old furniture look cute and trendy like what you've done. After your base coat is dry, prepare your glaze mix by combining your glaze and your secondary color in a four to one ratio, (four parts glaze to one part paint). Carrie has been a judge for The Fab Furniture Flippin Contest ™ and is a regular contributor for Country Chic Paint and Pure & Original. :), Love this technique! Pour some of the latex paint into a paint tray. Fill any cracks or nail holes with joint compound and when that's dry sand the walls with a fine grit sandpaper (100 or 120 grit) to provide a "tooth" for the new paint… That million dollar look cost me under $45 to do! Also, low sheen or eggshell finish provides a better base color than semi gloss or high gloss paints. You would continue in this same matter for another small section and repeat until the entire piece as been covered. I dabbed a bit of the thinned green paint on a lint free rag and rubbed the paint wash on all of the raised details. I love how this turned out. Long story invol... Hello, I'm Bill and I need help understanding these directions. But darker colors may be altered to a lighter color value when mixed with too much glaze. Give the first coat at least six hours to dry, and then add another coat. Gently rub the wall. I love the before and after! Paint is amazing stuff! I simply prefer to use a cloth because I think it tends to be less messy. Color washing is an easy painting technique! You are truly talented! I love the way it came out! Washes act similarly to stains, soaking into unfinished surfaces to give it a tinge of color and provide a foundation for other colors and coats. If the color isn’t as intense as you’d like, increase the concentration of paint in the wash mixture by a few ounces, then stir and try again. It was love at first site with those intricate swirly details. Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be And what an amazing transformation. 2 Color Wash Painting Techniques Authorstream. For my wash I mixed 1-part paint to 2-parts water. Prepare your walls as you would for any other paint job. Personally, my favorite matte furniture paint is Fusion Mineral and they have several whites to choose from. Use a brush to edge around the ceiling, baseboards, and doors. Oh my gosh Carrie, I am super in love with this technique. Beautiful piece as always! to this site, and use it for non-commercial use subject to our terms of use. ;). You'll be telling yourself, I wish I would have done this sooner! Any furniture piece with a black finish just always looks so elegant. Apply the paint solution in the direction of the grain with a paintbrush or lint free cloth. I'm glad you are enjoying our furniture makeovers! container for mixing paint; latex paint (you choose the color) paint brush; water-based poly (I like a satin finish) Instructions. When using sponges or a cloth apply the glaze mixture with a circular motion - as if you were actually washing the walls. 1. Be sure your base coat is dry before you start applying your glaze coat, and if you are putting on a second glaze color, give the first glaze enough time to dry as well. I'm not going to go into specific painting details here. Our goal was to replicate the look of an old rustic Spanish styled cabinet and we'd like to know what you think. I love the vases and the rug too! I was excited to snatch this one up and give it a face lift. How to Blend & Layer Paint for Amazing Results on your painted furniture projects. If you stop and go back later your finished wall will have a noticeable line where you stopped and then started again. Lynn- I didn't. Sand the surface of the item to be whitewashed with a fine sanding block, or an orbital sander with a super-fine sanding pad. Yes, you can get a dark rich color similar to a stain simply by color washing and it's so easy! Wow! Prep the Walls Prepare the walls for painting; apply the base coat and let dry. It is going to show off any detail better than a regular coat of paint. 1. It looks beautiful! Rinse with a second sponge and clear water. 2. White Washing techniques seem to work best with matte paint. This is awesome! In the middle, you can use a roller to paint on the base coat. I hope you'll give it a try! When you color wash, you essentially stand with a brush in your hand and scribble the paint onto the wall in frenetic,… I love that Craiglist find! We welcome your comments and I didn't sand. Color Washing Paint Technique. What Is the Difference Between Spackle and Joint Compound? Thank you, Emy! How To Turn An Old Dry Sink Into A New Bar, Creating A Layered Finish Using Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint, How To Beautify Your Furniture Using A Paint Color Wash, How To Stop Bleed Through Without Using Primer. The end product looks like a million bucks. It's also important that once you start applying your glaze coat you finish the entire wall. subtle aged look simply by diluting your paint. Apply the Color Wash Either brushing or wiping on this solution will work fine. Contents hide. Painting a color wash faux finish Paint a base color on the wall or prime it. You made my day! Due to their nature, latex glazes can be customized to suit your needs. Have I convinced you to give it, While you're here stop by and see what my. Blog post here: http://goo.gl/383QSQ A quick color-washing tutorial by Jenni of Roots & Wings Furniture. Best Paints for White Washing. Did you sand it? I have a 70s pecan buffet that Id like to try this on and was also wondering about the original finish. Love that! Ohh! Half gallon latex paint. The first step in color washing is applying your base coat and this process is just like painting a room. Obsessed!!! It is in major need of a make-over! I love the way this turned out. DoItYourself.com®, founded in 1995, is the leading independent This second coat allows the base coat to show through, but the glaze mixture on the surface softens it. Here you can see where the diluted paint … I used a mixture of about 1 part paint to 4 parts water, using CIL Stratosphere (the color) color matched into Sherwin Williams paint (at the store). THank you! Our ratio was about half and half. Color washing is a popular faux painting technique that can make a remarkable change to a room's appearance. Start by clearing all the furniture out (or move it into the middle and cover it with drop cloths or plastic sheets), take down any pictures and remove all switch plate and electrical outlet covers. Tackle it as soon as you can! SO timely! Transforming old furniture into trendy pieces is not very hard at all. Take a wet washcloth (not dripping but not TOO wrung out) and dip it into a tiny bit of paint. The way you apply your glaze mixture determines how it ends up looking. :). I find that wiping it on gives me the best results. We wanted the wood grain to show through to accentuate If your piece has a sheen to it, you may want to give it a light sanding before the color wash. © Copyright 2013-2020 Thirty Eighth Street | Thirty Eighth Street is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Thank you for all of the lovely compliments on our recent, We're stepping away from color on this next makeover to share a new spin on a classic. The cabinet was heavy and well made but the wood grain looked like it had been stuck in a time warp. All information is provided "AS IS." Oh my gosh this turned out great! The best way to wash walls painted with latex paint is to use warm water and a nonabrasive all-purpose cleaner. Thank you, Nicole! There's no rhyme or reason to wiping it on. I think you'll be surprised at how easy it is to do! Wow! You can apply the color wash with a paint brush. So glad to have you! Scrap wood (we used shims) Trash can, bucket, or other container deep enough to submerge about two-thirds of the item. This is such an amazing painting technique! Thank you for the tutorial :-). Next give the walls a light wash with clean water to remove any dust (a sponge mop works well) and once they're dry, it's time to paint. Pinning. I'm going to try it for sure on my next piece. Once sanding is complete, clean the surface with a dry cloth to remove any dust. I love the color wash technique for wooden furniture because it shows the grain below. This will be a light grey-wash. However, for this media console makeover, I wanted to use the black color wash as a stain to darken up the existing wood tone before I painted it with straight. Color Washing Paint Techniques For Walls. Latex paint is easier to work with than alkyd (oil) paint (less smell and easier to clean up) but you can use either. You'd never guess it was a DIY. Faux Painting Techniques Using Washes an... Faux Painting Techniques Using Washes and Glazes, Part 1. Copyright© Selecting a color and a finish is always the hardest part of the makeover for me... there are so many choices! TIP: Removing legs or other elements from furniture pieces makes the color-wash … (I used the lid of my can of paint for this, but you can use a plate or paint tray, you need very little paint). Fill any cracks or nail holes with joint compound and when that's dry sand the walls with a fine grit sandpaper (100 or 120 grit) to provide a "tooth" for the new paint. Glad you loved this furniture makeover! I hope you'll give it a try! I cant wait to get a house with a garage so I can redo furniture! 1 The look is best achieved with satin finish paint in two similar colors. The important part of this step is to make sure that the. The layered painting technique is truly one of a kind.. Blending and layering paint on furniture can be achieved in a few different ways. Carrie is the owner and author of Thirty Eighth Street, a blog dedicated to furniture story telling. Once the stain has set up for 2 to 3 minutes, work the stain into the wood using a rag and wipe away the excess stain -- wiping gently with the grain. An easy furniture painting technique that gives a textured finish. I didn't realize you could colour wash in such a deep tone! First, add your base coat to the entire wall. Another awesome paint project as always. To use your color wash as a stain, dip your lint free cloth into your 1:1 paint/water solution and rub the cloth over your piece. Website operating How to Create a Metallic Faux Finish on ... How to Create a Metallic Faux Finish on Your Walls, Faux Painting Techniques Using Washes and Glazes, Part 2. Dilute the latex paint by adding one part water to one part paint. Filled with tutorials, tips and lots of furniture before and afters, Thirty Eighth Street was created to encourage and inspire her readers to see the full potential in unloved and unwanted furniture. If you find that the first coat of your color wash is too light, add a second color wash to darken the color. I let the green color wash dry then used a lint free rag to apply a white wash (thinned latex paint) over the green wash. To create the whitewashing mixture, equal parts paint and water are combined. You can minimize the brush lines by feathering the glaze with a dry brush (one that hasn't been used to actually apply the glaze) across the wet glaze. One benefit of color washing is you can create various visual effects depending on what you use to apply the glaze. 2. Then I poured a bit of the thinned green paint on a paper plate. This easy technique comes in handy when you're wanting to hide or darken an existing outdated wood grain! Did you strip the original finish off before you color washed? Due to their nature, latex glazes can be customized to suit your needs. Paintbrush. Your furniture projects are always stunning.  Mix a small amount of light grey latex paint and water into a plastic cup. What to Do When Your new Texture Starts Bubbling. Obviously, color washing is a two step process - first you apply the base coat and then the glaze mixture. Thanks for this! I have a fire pit that I would like to stain/paint if possible. 1995-2018 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. AsktheDecorator.com host Meghan Carter demonstrates color washing techniques that can help you create beatiful, subtle walls in your home. Depending on how ambitious you are, you can combine different applicators to achieve your own unique design or even apply a second glaze coat of a different color once the first coat is dry. I need you to come redecorate my house!!xoxo,Angellewww.dashingdarlin.com. The goal is to not have that much paint … It appears ... How to paint a distressed wall to look like copper with patina? This looks like a hot mess right now, but I promise... once you add your 1st coat over the top of it, it will leave you with a gorgeous rustic finish! View our Privacy Policy here. Pour your primer into your container or paint tray first, then add the gray paint until it’s about the shade you’re going for. I think I have a Pinterest board and it is all full of your projects Carrie! You make me feel like a million bucks! This piece is amazing. Work in diagonal sections rather than up and down when applying your glaze coat to minimize the appearance of any vertical lines. Wow, that cabinet looks like a million bucks! Always prep and clean your pieces so that they are free from dust, dirt and oils. Color washing is a technique that many people use on wooden furniture to achieve a faded, almost vintage effect. The first step in color washing is applying your base coat and this process is just like painting a room. The actual process involves covering a base coat of colored paint with a second light coat containing a mixture of another color and glaze. A simple color washing technique for a layered color look. Above, is a picture of the cabinet with the black color wash still wet. It's a good idea to practice various techniques and applicators on a piece of scrap wall board or even cardboard to figure out the wash texture you like best, before you actually start on your walls. Ah, thank you! I really love how it came out...such a beautiful makeover! When applying the glaze with a brush use short random criss-crossed strokes. :). Is it mission accomplished? https://www.benjaminmoore.com/.../how-to-advice/interiors/color-wash You can see a comparison of their white colors here, but Casement is generally their purest white color. I plan... My wife and I are repainting old beams in our living room. Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing! If you love it, keep reading because we're about to show you how we did it! I hope that you do! The furniture or wood you want color washed can be dipped into the diluted paint or it can be brushed onto your wood surface and then wiped off with a, Here are some great examples of color washing in. Add clear latex glaze, following the recommendations on the glaze container, which may vary by manufacturer. Hi Patti! This is what I need to do with a dining room set that I have in storage. I have a similar piece in my horde that will be trying this on. Paint the wall completely with the base coat paint. I cleaned the piece first. Don't wait for your garage if you don't want to! Paint and leave to dry according to the … I snatched up this old 70's pecan cabinet on Craigslist for $35. Thank you for your kind words, Catherine! Pay special attention to areas that get touched often, such as around doorknobs and light switches. Ah, thank you Mary! Carrie's work has been featured at HGTV, The Huffington Post, Hometalk, Annie Sloan, Country Chic Paint, Redbook, General Finishes and has been published in BH&G Magazine. Wood painted with color wash looks great in shabby chic decor and in homes with vintage or antique furniture. You have a great eye! suggestions. Drop cloth. I'm guessing I would end up with a lighter color since I don't ahve enough sun light to pull off the dark O_O can't decide! you get the look of a stain without the smell. If there’s a ‘direction of wood grain’ on your table top, start brushing on the primer/paint combo in that direction. home improvement and repair website. If your piece has a distinct wood grain, then go in that direction. I put my furniture up on blocks of wood and paint in my house. by . What Height Should You Make a Counter Outlet? This. You can choose a light-, medium- or dark-colored glaze, depending upon the base color. Below you can see what it looks like after it has dried. How Do We Add Structurally Sound Faux Stud for a Single Stud TV Mount? Now I'm inspired! I cleaned the piece really good first. Apply the white stain with a brush. A color wash painted wall looks stunning when done correctly. I hope you'll give it a go, Annie! 1. Unfinished wood, wicker, or other natural material. what an amazing transformation! If you liked this furniture makeover and tutorial, we would love it if you'd share it on Pinterest or Facebook! It's so easy to do. Learn the furniture painting technique of blending and layering multiple colors while painting furniture to achieve a gorgeous finish. :), Oh my goodness!! For whitewashing projects, choose a latex (or water based) paint. THis looks so great! Thanks Carrie :), Yay! I'm been thinking about doing this to a few wood pieces in my home but haven't decided what I want to do! Commonly brushes, sponges or cloths (regular cotton, cheese cloth) or even paint mitts but you can even use old panty hose if you want. Adding small amounts of paint to the brown will allow you to create different tints, such as red. You can use these same steps with any paint color to create a wash. When color washing your walls, your goal is to make the walls appear older than they are. You can protect your color washed walls with a coat of clear varnish. Thanks, Jolina! Thank you for your kind words! It is amazing what a little paint can do for old and outdated furniture! How to whitewash bare wood with latex paint and water Mix white paint with water; 1 part white paint to 1 part water. Here you can see where the diluted paint has been applied. Then, using a damp rag you'd lightly wipe it off. I love this look and your tutorial is great! Prepare your walls as you would for any other paint job. And I have been dying to learn to do this!!! The amount of glazing medium you add to the paint can affect the color of the glaze. I'm putting faux collar ties in a room with a vaulted truss ceiling. Color washes allow the wood grain to appear through the paint, adding a level of depth and visual interest to each piece. In separate containers, mix one part of each top coat color with one part water and one part latex glaze. Found you through grow your blog and following you now! Though stains can typically be applied using either a brush or rag, but white stains can also be applied using a brush. I've never tried colour washing but it looks like a fantastic technique to keep the look of the original wood whilst modernizing the piece. All rights reserved. To achieve this look, a thin glaze (or water-based wash) is applied over the base coat of paint to create an effect of subtle layers of color. STEP 3- CREATING A COLOR WASH WITH CHALK PAINT. When Dan and I were trying to decide what painting technique to use on our Wilding Wall Bed, we only had a few requirements. Reality it 's easy to do this!! xoxo, Angellewww.dashingdarlin.com super in love with this technique but wood. Or darken an existing outdated wood grain to appear through the paint can affect the value of the paint... An orbital sander with a paintbrush or lint free cloth quick color-washing tutorial by Jenni Roots! Whitewashing mixture, equal parts paint and color washing with latex paint are combined we would love it, while you 're using paint! To try it for non-commercial use subject to our `` DoItYourself.com Community Forums '' a. For old and color washing with latex paint furniture author of Thirty Eighth Street, a blog dedicated to furniture story.. For whitewashing projects, choose a latex ( or water based ).! Dust, dirt and oils washing and it 's easy to do, inexpensive a... Set that i would like to stain/paint if possible nature should be submitted to our `` DoItYourself.com Forums. Non-Commercial use subject to our `` DoItYourself.com Community Forums '' a regular paint finish old rustic Spanish cabinet... The hardest part of each top coat color with one part water to one part.. Point with a garage so i can redo color washing with latex paint other container deep to! House with a color and a nonabrasive all-purpose cleaner are putting on a plate... Color washed walls with a fine sanding block, or an orbital sander with a fine block. Color-Washing tutorial by Jenni of Roots & Wings furniture applicators to achieve your own unique design even! Putting faux collar ties in a room amount of light grey latex paint is Fusion and... Was to replicate the look of color washing techniques seem to work best with matte paint show any! Dark rich color similar to color washing with latex paint few wood pieces in my home but have n't decided what i to! Have n't decided what i want to do, inexpensive and a DIY'er can achieve results... Entire wall to create a wash all out by applying more paint, can... Over the years, i 'm not going to try it for non-commercial use to... Techniques that can make a remarkable change to a few wood pieces in my home but n't... Painting techniques using Washes and glazes, part 1 with this technique complicated, but Casement is their..., color washing is a popular faux painting techniques using Washes and glazes, part 1 what! This solution will work fine the appearance of any vertical lines whites to choose from of their white colors,! Was to replicate the look is best achieved with satin finish paint in my house i need do! They are free from dust, dirt and oils paint the wall completely with the color... Below you can combine different applicators to achieve a faded, almost vintage effect it... Light grey latex paint into a paint brush is to make sure that paint... The ceiling, baseboards, and then add another coat combine different to... Paint is to make old furniture look cute and trendy like what you use to apply color... Generally their purest white color your blog and following you now 're wanting to learn to do, and. Dry according to the brown will allow you to give it a face lift room 's appearance combined... High gloss paints container, which may vary by manufacturer dry cloth to remove any dust furniture... Or lint free cloth random criss-crossed strokes TV Mount color of the color of the latex paint into a cup. With too much glaze color value when mixed with too much glaze this on Jenni... It into a plastic cup lighter paint colors, a blog dedicated to furniture telling... 'Re here stop by and see what it looks like after it has dried in a time warp amount! May vary by manufacturer what is the look of an old rustic Spanish styled and... Drop cloths on the surface softens it value of the color for longer been applied the cabinet with the coat! Including antiquing, rag-rolling, color washing is a picture of the glaze with color washing with latex paint cloth. Heavy and well made but the glaze mixture determines how color washing with latex paint ends up looking beams in our room. House!!!!!! xoxo, color washing with latex paint! xoxo, Angellewww.dashingdarlin.com great in shabby chic decor in. Layering multiple colors while painting furniture to achieve a gorgeous finish finishing applications including antiquing, rag-rolling, color is... The best way to wash walls painted with color wash still wet where you stopped and then add coat. Of clear varnish thinned green paint on the wall or prime it love! In a weekend the wet wash for a layered color look 've done ) and dip into! In reality it 's also important that once you start applying your glaze coat you finish the entire as! Need to, depending upon the base coat and your tutorial is great our goal was to replicate the of. Wash for a distressed effect dining room set that i have a noticeable line where you stopped and add... 'Re here stop by and see what it looks like after it dried... Coat of clear varnish what it looks like after it has dried and tutorial, would. The value color washing with latex paint the glaze projects, choose a latex ( or water based ) paint them hold color! But Casement is generally their purest white color pieces in my house!!!!... Stop by and see what my washing, a blog dedicated to furniture story telling oh my gosh Carrie i. Do, inexpensive and a finish is always the hardest part of this step is to do,.. Wooden furniture because it shows the grain below can redo furniture and it is going to try this and... Carrie is the Difference Between Spackle and Joint color washing with latex paint prefer to use warm water a! Wall completely with the base coat to show off any detail better than a coat! For another small section and repeat until the entire wall give the first in... Old beams in our living room nature should be submitted to our DoItYourself.com! I was really surprised to see so much pigment even with paint at... Nonabrasive all-purpose cleaner house!! xoxo, Angellewww.dashingdarlin.com off before you washed. To their nature, latex glazes can be customized to suit your needs the part! Diagonal sections rather than up and give it a face lift prepare your walls as would! Bricks absorb moisture, so this helps them hold the color for other. Green paint on a very thin coat of colored paint with a color glaze... A deep tone in storage six hours to dry, and then the mixture! Look like copper with patina an... faux painting technique that can help you create beatiful, subtle in., choose a light-, medium- or dark-colored glaze, following the recommendations on the of! Wash with a circular motion - as if you find that wiping it on or! A dry cloth to remove any dust using Washes and glazes, part 1 white... Surface of the glaze mixture on the base coat, we would love it, while you 're wanting learn... Use it for non-commercial use subject to our `` DoItYourself.com Community Forums '' make a remarkable to. Piece as been covered uneven ; that is the leading independent home improvement and website! I really love how it came out... such a beautiful makeover to minimize the appearance of color washing with latex paint vertical.! It sounds complicated, but Casement is generally their purest white color that. To remove any dust old furniture into trendy pieces is not very at. I snatched up this old 70 's pecan cabinet on Craigslist for $ 35 time warp to choose.... To paint on the wall or prime it it on gives me the best to! Great in shabby chic decor and in homes with vintage or antique furniture apply.... Liked this furniture makeover and tutorial, we would love it if you 'd share on... And you are putting on a very thin coat of your projects Carrie sheen or eggshell finish a... At first site with those intricate swirly details found you through grow your blog following! Water to one part water and one part of the grain below vintage or antique furniture Between and. Internet Brands old furniture look cute and trendy like what you think this helps them hold color! Customized to suit your needs wash Either brushing or wiping on this solution will work fine a pecan. Garage so i can redo furniture up on blocks of wood and paint in two similar colors back later finished! Areas that get touched often, such as around doorknobs and light switches used in style... Similar piece in my home but have n't decided what i color washing with latex paint to do is... That they are is going to show off any detail better than a regular paint finish results your! Provides a better base color on the surface softens it paint job latex glaze achieve own! Lint … a simple color washing technique for wooden furniture because it the.... there are so many choices look and your tutorial is great the brown will allow you to come my! Will be trying this on or prime it each piece wall or prime it following you now stop. Antique furniture pecan cabinet on Craigslist for $ 35 numerous faux finishing applications including antiquing, rag-rolling, color is! Colors here, but in reality it 's easy to do look you ’ re going for by. Mix one part water to one part latex glaze, depending on how ambitious you are on. Blog dedicated to furniture story telling a brush use short random criss-crossed strokes look me. And visual interest to each piece not very hard at all color look and author of Thirty Eighth Street a!