Creating Bold Drama on Your Accent Wall

Adele Kurtz
by Adele Kurtz
3 Materials
$25
4 Hours
Medium
Now that we're all trying to be oh-so-good taste -- lightening, whitening and neutralizing our palettes... It's time for some dramatic flair!

I like to add bold drama to at least one wall in each room.
Here's how I took my little Creative Space and spiced it up!

The horrible beginning...
The walls had previously been sponged with orange and brown glazes over a base coat of Macadamia. I had spackled over the walls with many patches.
Quite a mess.


I mixed various paints into glaze onto my paint tray. I was ready to experiment with soft green and purpley metallics...
Being an artist, I mix my own colors from whatever I have lying around.



It became quite a mix of exploration! I'm not sure I knew quite where I was headed. I let inspiration lead the way.
I played with layers of various colors. I brushed the metallic greens and purples over top of macadamia and oranges which gave a shimmer I liked.
By using a glaze, your layers underneath pop through so much better than if you tried to paint over with diluted paint or rag techniques. You can also keep going over it again and again, like artists tend to do...
Use a rag if you like to blend it in and keep at it until you like what you are getting. There IS NO Right or Wrong.


If you want more detailed inspiration check out this post:


https://www.hometalk.com/diy/basement/jazzy-quick-faux-effects-on-walls-in-artist-s-studio-29972829?r=2


Light under metallic shadows.
The bravery in this particular application, for me, was using the metallics overtop.
The rest of the room was painted with a soft almond white and whitewashes and pickling stains over wood.
Soft and stark. A blank canvas.
See other posts.
I added a two dramatic artworks I made to the corner.
These are super-realism, not abstracts!
They are blowup magnifications of Nature studies.


One is a 12X photograph of translucent lacy quartz agate on super reflective photo paper. A pendant I made--I'll stick it in the next frame.


The other, above the couch, is a blowup of efflorescence on canvas, painted over in acrylic.


If you use a good photo editing program, you can try these yourself.
I use Photoshop, a tight crop and their standard enlargement and sharpening settings.


If you have painting skills, and the resolution is inadequate, you can have them printed onto canvas and paint them over with acrylic paint in photo-realistic detail.



Pendant made from lace quartz agate
See my other post if you want to know how I make these.


https://www.hometalk.com/diy/decorate/rooms/diy-nature-jewelry-30314204?r=2
When you turn the corner, you also see a blowup acrylic painting of rushing waters over rocks at the Golden Hour.
There is a certain time of day where you can catch rainbow prisms in the water that I wanted to capture in this piece.


The painting selected itself based on the wall color. When I used to direct an art center, I used bold colors on the walls behind the paintings -- not common white. I borrowed the color choices from the National Portrait Museum in Washington D.C.


For my own home, I'm pleased that this small room boasts a lot of drama now.
Sweet surprises boldy stated on every wall.
Designed to change, as I will.


Suggested materials:
  • Mixed artists paints   (repurposed from studio)
  • True Value SACG1-QT Simply Glaze Acrylic Clear Glaze for Faux Finishing   (Amazon)
  • McCloskey Macadamia base coat   (Valspar paint)
Frequently asked questions
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  1 question
  • Kelli Kelli on May 02, 2018

    Nice project. I love your doors though. Could you possibly do a tutorial on them?

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