Interior Wall Texture

[mikewarner]

An upcoming play I'm working on has a set designed to represent the interior of a suburban house.
We've decided on plywood for the walls, and polystyrene for what would normally be the plaster work, around the ceiling

Obviously, in real life, the walls would be covered with plaster. In theatrical and film set construction, what material(s) are usually used over plywood to give a similar look to an interior plaster wall? I've used Idenden for brick work and it came out pretty well. Maybe it would work here as well...?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[MarshallPope]

Generally, plaster texture is accomplished with paint. If you want a rougher texture, though, drywall compound (mixed with paint or not) troweled on works well.

 

[mikewarner]

Generally, plaster texture is accomplished with paint. If you want a rougher texture, though, drywall compound (mixed with paint or not) troweled on works well.

So, what kind of techniques (in terms of brushes, etc) would I use to emulate plaster with paint?
Thanks,

Mike

 

[MarshallPope]

My first choice would be a scumble - two similar colors painted on with a brush of each color in each hand in little arc-like strokes, sqooshing the colors together as you go. Another option would be to mount a piece of high-pile carpet to a square of plywood or something. You can then paint the surface with your base color, get the carpet wet with the second color and stamp it on while the base coat is still wet, maybe squooshing it around some while you press. Another method would be to, again, paint your base color, and then either use a garden sprayer to spray a watered-down version of your second color or just spatter it on with a brush held a few feet away. This may not look exactly plaster-like up close, but from the audience it will read as a similar texture.

 

[mikewarner]

My first choice would be a scumble - two similar colors painted on with a brush of each color in each hand in little arc-like strokes, sqooshing the colors together as you go. Another option would be to mount a piece of high-pile carpet to a square of plywood or something. You can then paint the surface with your base color, get the carpet wet with the second color and stamp it on while the base coat is still wet, maybe squooshing it around some while you press. Another method would be to, again, paint your base color, and then either use a garden sprayer to spray a watered-down version of your second color or just spatter it on with a brush held a few feet away. This may not look exactly plaster-like up close, but from the audience it will read as a similar texture.

Cool, I'll give it a try. Which wood would you recommend? I imagine the smoother, the better.
Do you think a very thin coating of VSSD would help the effect?

 

[MarshallPope]

Most hard (Hollywood) flats are faced in 1/4 ply, but I'm not sure what you guys have available in the UK. I've never personally used VSSSD, but it wouldn't hurt to try! I've heard great things about it.

 

[kicknargel]

Most hard (Hollywood) flats are faced in 1/4 ply, but I'm not sure what you guys have available in the UK. I've never personally used VSSSD, but it wouldn't hurt to try! I've heard great things about it.

Er, I disagree, unless you're using a very general definition of "ply." Most typically, "ply" refers to softwood plywoods, which have enough grain to show through paint. I'd say the vast majority of flats are skinned in lauan, which is a lightweight veneer-core plywood with a mahogany surface.

However, this is a rain forest product with bad implications in Malaysia and the Philippines. I use a 1/4" veneer-core birch, which has the same properties, is a temperate forest product, and about $5-$10 more expensive. Worth it for my night's sleep.

 

[MarshallPope]

Er, I disagree, unless you're using a very general definition of "ply." Most typically, "ply" refers to softwood plywoods, which have enough grain to show through paint. I'd say the vast majority of flats are skinned in lauan, which is a lightweight veneer-core plywood with a mahogany surface.

Well, yes, I was referring to lauan. At the university for which i work, 1/4 ply has long been the accepted term for it, so I've gotten into the habit of referring to it as such. Whenever I use the proper term, I will invariably get a "What's that?"

 

[Sam Wesley]

It seems like Mike and I are both looking for an answer to a similar question!
Would drywall between luan flats and a simple layer of paint be indistinguishable from a plaster wall?
What I find particularly confusing is that in most cases, a painted flat looks like just that - paint on a wood panel.
Whereas, film sets and high budget theatrical productions seem to be able to come very close to the real thing. Surely it can't just be down to the painting technique...? After all, for a simple interior wall, there's only one colour anyway. They must be using specific materials to achieve this elusive 'look'.

 

[kicknargel]

You'd be surprised. The paint techniques (blending several similar colors) make what is just a flat piece of lauan appear to have depth and texture. I could make you believe that a flat was built of bricks, with recessed mortar lines, etc. Better painters than me could make you believe it's a curtain, or all manner of things. What you're really doing is painting onto a flat surface the way light would behave on a textured surface.

A scenic artist almost never paints a solid color.

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