How to Apply Metallic Venetian Colors

Cover the floor with drop cloths or plastic sheets to keep floors or carpet from being splattered with paint or plaster. Don a pair of safety glasses before you start working. Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to your exposed skin so hard-to-remove metallic paint drops or plaster flakes are easier to remove when you’re done.

Prepare your walls by stripping off wallpaper or sanding walls -- particularly if the walls are painted a dark color or they are covered with several coats of enamel. Lavish the wall with a primer specifically formulated to prepare the wall for metallic paints, using a brush or roller to apply the medium. Allow the primer to dry completely.

Practice laying in paint or plaster strokes on a sample piece of drywall or plywood so you become accustomed to working with either medium. This step is extremely important if you’re using metallic Venetian plaster and a trowel for the first time.

Apply the first coat of color uniformly with a brush, roller or sprayer if you’re working with Venetian metallic paint. Start at one end of the room and work quickly across the expanse as the properties used to mix metallic paints can dry quickly.

Allow the first coat of Venetian metallic paint to cure for two hours before applying a second coat of paint. Add more luminescence and additional protection to the finish by using a topcoat formulated exclusively for metallic paints.

Opt for a plaster application of metallic Venetian color by eschewing the paint route and going for a textured buildup. Mix small batches of commercial metallic plaster compound per package instructions. Scoop up the plaster with a trowel and apply it randomly in 3- to 6-foot sections.

Move the trowel at 20- to 30-degree angles to obtain the texture and feel of ancient walls. Achieve a multitonal finish using up to three metallic colors. Allow four hours of dry time between applications if you seek a dense plaster buildup. Apply a topcoat or glaze for more shine.