Jazzing up a plain cornice

[Nigel Watts]

A former bedroom on the first floor of my 1840 house (now a bathroom) has lost its original cornice. It was replaced, possibly in the 1950s, by a bold but simple cove which looked too plain. I have long thought of decorating it in more then one colour - Egyptian style cornices came to mind - but given the wallpaper choice a rather more subdued and classical treatment seemed more appropriate. This is the idea sketched out freehand:

Cornice with background colour applied and dimensions of detailing being firmed up

The lines were masked with tape

Then painted

After the tape was removed, the lines were tidied up and the paint which peeled off with the tape was patched up (zero marks for the quality of my preparation):

The stencil

The result

As I am writing this only half the detailing has been stencilled on. It will take the best part of a day to finish.

The stencil, using waxed stencil card, kept getting badly clogged with paint (F&B Dead Flat) and needed frequent cleaning. Half way through, it is in a bad state and needs replacing. An acetate stencil would have been better I think but these are more difficult to mark out and cut.

 

[Penners]

Nigel - I know nothing about stencilling, and I'm interested to know why the hole (cartouche?) at the left-hand end of the stencil seems to be farther away from its neighbour than the other five. And yet, on your photo of the finished stencilling, this isn't apparent.

Is this some sort of stencil alignment trick?

 

[AMc]

Looks impressive I'm not sure I'd have the patience.

I have promised my 7 year old daughter a mural which I regret has already been on the To Do list since she was 6 - I must do it before she turns 17 and doesn't want it any more

When I use masking tape I always find the paint bleeds underneath - is there a trick to avoiding that?

 

[Nigel Watts]

I'm interested to know why the hole (cartouche?) at the left-hand end of the stencil seems to be farther away from its neighbour than the other five.

Being right handed I worked from right to left, holding the stencil with my left hand and my brush in my right hand. The far left hand hole was used only at the far left hand end of the run where it meets the corner. The final two or three elements were put in with this.

The detail has to start and finish the correct distance from each end to look right but there was no guarantee that the spacing would work exactly. When I was within a couple of feet of the end of each run I began to measure the distance left to cover. My module is three quarters of an inch so I need to get a fairly precise multiple of this by the time I have only three or four more to do. This was achieved by slightly increasing or decreasing the gaps over the last eighteen inches or so. The effect is not noticeable, especially since my stencilling is not terribly precise.

 

[Nigel Watts]

When I use masking tape I always find the paint bleeds underneath - is there a trick to avoiding that?

Make sure the tape is well stuck down, your brushstrokes follow the line of the tape and if there is a tendency for the paint to get under try not to load the brush too much. Some paint inevitably will get under but the odd bit of touching up afterwards is usually not to onerous. For painting window sashes and woodwork in general I prefer not to use tape but try to get a straight edge by eye. For ornamental lines or changes of colour on a flat surface I find tape easier than the alternative recommended by my Victorian decorating manuals, namely using a brush directly against a straight edge.

 

[Moo]

When I use masking tape I always find the paint bleeds underneath - is there a trick to avoiding that?

Yes.

Run the back of your thumbnail along the 'working' edge of the masking tape to create a really paint-proof seal. Then all you have to do is allow plenty time for touching in where the masking tape has pulled off bits of the background paint as you removed it.

 

[Ixia]

When I use masking tape I always find the paint bleeds underneath - is there a trick to avoiding that?

Am curious to know if anyone has tried this.........

http://www.frogtape.com/

 

[Feltwell]

When I use masking tape I always find the paint bleeds underneath - is there a trick to avoiding that?

Am curious to know if anyone has tried this.........

http://www.frogtape.com/

No, but it's certainly getting pushed hard in the DIY-trade magazines that I still get sent (hangover from an old job). Interesting to see if it does work. Even with the fingernail trick, I find some paint always bleeds under.

Very impressive Nigel - you've more patience than I have! Looks good, not something I would ever have thought of doing.

I have promised my 7 year old daughter a mural which I regret has already been on the To Do list since she was 6 - I must do it before she turns 17 and doesn't want it any more

My daughter wanted a mural, which is well beyond my artistic abilities! There are some great vinyl stickers on the market though that look very convincing - especially ones from this firm, I've used their kits a couple of times and I've been very impressed with the quality of them. Maybe a bit young for your daughter now though.

http://www.funtosee.com/

 

[Penners]

I'm interested to know why the hole (cartouche?) at the left-hand end of the stencil seems to be farther away from its neighbour than the other five.

Being right handed I worked from right to left, holding the stencil with my left hand and my brush in my right hand. The far left hand hole was used only at the far left hand end of the run where it meets the corner. The final two or three elements were put in with this.

The detail has to start and finish the correct distance from each end to look right but there was no guarantee that the spacing would work exactly. When I was within a couple of feet of the end of each run I began to measure the distance left to cover. My module is three quarters of an inch so I need to get a fairly precise multiple of this by the time I have only three or four more to do. This was achieved by slightly increasing or decreasing the gaps over the last eighteen inches or so. The effect is not noticeable, especially since my stencilling is not terribly precise.

Hmmm - as well as demonstrating your skill and patience at such things, you have also summarised very clearly why I know nothing about stencilling!

 

[Penners]

Am curious to know if anyone has tried this.........

http://www.frogtape.com/

Frog Tape, eh... French, is it?

The video looks very impressive (but then sales videos always do!). However, they repeatedly use the words "latex paint" and show a scientific demonstration of how the edges of the tape react with latex.

But does the paint that you normally buy contain latex? If it doesn't, then I wonder whether you're just paying a very high price for ordinary masking tape.

 

[LadyArowana]

The stencil, using waxed stencil card, kept getting badly clogged with paint (F&B Dead Flat) and needed frequent cleaning. Half way through, it is in a bad state and needs replacing. An acetate stencil would have been better I think but these are more difficult to mark out and cut.

For dyeing kimono cloth the Japanese traditionally used a stencil made from Mulberry which was treated with persimmon juice. Even the fine detail on these would survive the rigours of cloth production quite successfully.

Not that you would want fish swimming around your cornice.....

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh my word Nigel! That looks so professional!
Well done - love it.
Fascinating thread. Xxx

 

[Ixia]

An acetate stencil would have been better I think but these are more difficult to mark out and cut.

I used to use OHP film,marked out with an OHP pen and cut with a scalpel, I sprayed the stencil with re-positional photomount adhesive. Although it's about 20yrs since I last stencilled anything.

No, but it's certainly getting pushed hard in the DIY-trade magazines that I still get sent

Yep, that's where I heard about it.

However, they repeatedly use the words "latex paint" and show a scientific demonstration of how the edges of the tape react with latex.

But does the paint that you normally buy contain latex? If it doesn't, then I wonder whether you're just paying a very high price for ordinary masking tape

Don't the Americans call emulsion paint, latex paint? Wonder if that's why they keep harping on about latex?

 

[Penners]

Don't the Americans call emulsion paint, latex paint? Wonder if that's why they keep harping on about latex?

Dunno - do they? Does their emulsion contain latex? Does our emulsion contain latex? Would they sell Frog Tape in the UK if it wasn't going to work?

So many questions...

Time for another glass of wine.

 

[Feltwell]

Time for another glass of wine.

Another??? At 9:49 on a Saturday morning?

Have you ran out of teabags again Penners? :lol:

 

[Penners]

Well, who can face the day on just three?

 

[Ixia]

Dunno - do they? Does their emulsion contain latex? Does our emulsion contain latex? Would they sell Frog Tape in the UK if it wasn't going to work?

A quick Google tells me latex paint doesn't contain latex, presumably emulsion doesn't either :? Anyone want a glass of Merlot?..........

Sorry, meant to say the cornice looks good Nigel, went off at a tangent there.

 

[Penners]

Anyone want a glass of Merlot?

What a damn silly question! :wink:

 

[Schoolmarm]

That looks amazing and the shades are perfect.

 

[Nigel Watts]

Recut the stencil using acetate. It was easier than I expected. I taped a drawing onto the the back and cut through both layers:

Cleaning the acetate stencil is quicker and easier so it gets less clogged. Progress has been faster as a result.