Create painted skyline using basic stenciling technique
Q. I live in the country but am a city girl at heart, at least part of the time. I love the bustle, the noise and the sight of buildings that reach high into the sky. I have seen pictures of painted skylines and have wondered if someone with no artistic ability could make one. I’d like to hang it in my bedroom.
A. Why not paint your own headboard? You can either work on an existing flat headboard or use a piece of plywood or MDF (medium-density fiberboard), then frame it.
Here is an imaginative picture that I made for a young child’s bedroom. It was created with the help of two paint effects. The background shows the light leaving the sky at dusk. The graduation of color from light to dark is known as ombre, which is very effective on its own or as a background.
The skyline was reproduced with a stencil, so no talent is required — although I bet you have more talent than you think you do.
To produce the ombre sky, you’ll need white paint and three shades of blue paint (ranging from light to dark).
Apply a coat of the palest blue to the entire surface, and let it dry. Apply the darkest blue in a wide band along the top of the headboard. Using a fresh brush, apply a band of medium blue paint below this, allowing the top part to overlap slightly with the darker color. Next, add a band of white, again overlapping the color above. While the paint is still wet, pull a dry brush through all the bands of color to blend them together.
You can either photocopy or draw your skyline picture to fit the headboard. Trace the picture onto a sheet of Mylar or cardboard, and then cut it out with an X-Acto knife.
The stencil will be positioned along the top of the headboard, with the skyline cut out along the bottom of the Mylar or cardboard. Spray the back of the stencil with repositionable adhesive, and flatten the stencil onto the top of the headboard. Use a paint roller to apply black paint below the stencil cutout. Carefully remove the stencil and let the paint dry.
To finish your masterpiece headboard, stamp on a few gold stars high in the sky.
Q. Our new condo has lovely high ceilings, but bulkheads run around the entire open-plan living area. We want to paint the walls, but aren’t sure if the bulkheads are considered part of the ceiling or wall. How would you treat them?
A. When you want to show off architectural details, such as crown moldings, ceiling pendants, high baseboards or window trim, a contrasting color or paint sheen will draw your attention to these highlights.
I don’t think bulkheads fall into this category. I prefer to incorporate the bulkheads into the walls.
Paint the highest part of the ceiling one color, then paint the walls and the entire bulkhead — bottom and side — the same color. Using this method, you are basically “painting out” the bulkheads. There is only one visual break, and the room won’t feel choppy. The high ceilings will also be accentuated.
Debbie Travis’ House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Email questions to house2home@ debbietravis.com. Follow Debbie on Twitter at www.twitter.com/debbie_travis, or visit her website, www.debbietravis.com.