BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Painting whitewash vs glaze

I want to paint a base coat then apply a thinned down coat (with water, whitewash)& use the rag off technique. I am looking for the Tuscany look for backsplash. What is the difference between glaze & whitewash. I am not understanding all the mixing needed to create glaze.

I'm probably way too late, but whitewash dries rather quickly, whereas glaze retards the drying of the paint. Whitewash will begin to dry when you apply it to the wall and you won't have time to rag it all off.

Ragging off will require glazing, which is a transparent, slippery medium that you add paint to according to the directions on the container. Oil-based is easier, but toxic and requires solvents to clean up.

Glazes are pretty easy to make for yourself. I have used prepared ones a time or two and by far prefer to mix my own. When you mix the glaze, you can control the consistency and tone. You just buy the glaze base at the paint store. And remember, a little goes a long way when glazing. You can mix less than you think you will need.

I prefer to work with latex or acrylic paints for most finishes because they dry in a much shorter time and if it is necessary, I can get another layer on much sooner than with alkyd (pronounced al [as in a man's first name] - kid) glazing base.

Alkyd is a type of glazing base or paint which mixes with oil paint but has a shorter drying time than plain oil. It still requires solvents for cleanup.

Thanks for asking!