Instructions for Marble Technique
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  • Preparation:  Prepare surface, i.e.; patch walls, prime, etc... Next, apply a base coat that you want to do the marble effect over.

  • Prior to using the Whizz Sea Wool Sponge Roller, moisten the roller to soften it.  Then dry the roller with a rag to make it slightly damp (If you leave the roller too wet, the water will cause your effect to drip).

  • Dip roller into glaze mixture.  Then, roll back and forth on ruff part of tray to make sure that there is not too much glaze in the roller.  (You want to apply just a light amount of glaze onto the surface).  With a very light touch, apply the glaze in continental shapes or drifts.  Do not make it look like stripes.  Immediately soften with the red flock roller.  Note: You want to soften the first coat in both directions and push a little harder on the roller to make it look like it is deep within the surface.

  • Next step: do a little darker glaze over the first color (follow your pattern or drifts) and now use the china bristle brush to soften very lightly across the vein or drift in one direction.  If you get scratch marks, brush both directions up and down with the direction of the vein or drift.  (Make sure that you use a light touch and only let the bottom of the brush touch the board.  Try not to bend your wrist).

  • Then, whatever color you choose to add to enhance the veins, apply a light touch using the edge or tip of the roller to make veins along the drifts previously made.  Remember, you should always stay in a diagonal direction to make the drifts and veins.  Immediately after making the veins soften them with the red flock roller followed by the china bristle brush following the previous instructions for the china bristle softening brush.  Then you can use the thin veining brush to make very thin veins in the marble.  Do not make very many of the thin veins before softening because they will dry very fast.  The more layering that you do the more depth you get and the more real it will look.

Note: Always use a paper rag to wipe flock rollers after each time use so that you will not have a build up of glaze on the roller, thus, you will not redeposit it onto the surface.

Suggestion:  For best results use a light base with dark glaze.  To get a real feel of the marble, get a piece of real marble and follow the veining in it.  Remember, practice makes perfect.  To make it look more like a polished marble, coat with a layer of high gloss poly acrylic or poly acrylic clear finish.