Where you charge more.

Standard painting pays well. Specialty finishes pay better. These techniques set you apart from the $20/hour helper who only knows how to roll walls — and open the door to higher-end clients and bigger margins.

You don't need these on day one. Learn them after you're employed and comfortable with the basics.

Spray painting — the production tool

• Hold the sprayer 10–12" from the surface at all times
• Move in smooth, overlapping strokes — overlap each pass by 50%
• Keep the gun perpendicular to the surface — tilting creates uneven coverage
• Trigger before reaching the surface, release after passing it — prevents heavy spots
• Multiple thin coats always beat one heavy coat
• Mask everything nearby — overspray travels further than you think

Cabinet and furniture painting

• Remove all doors and hardware — never paint cabinets in place
• Clean thoroughly with degreaser — kitchen grease prevents adhesion
• Sand all surfaces to 150 grit, then 220 grit
• Apply a bonding primer — Stix or BIN are professional standards
• Spray with HVLP for the smoothest finish
• 2–3 thin coats of waterborne alkyd enamel
• Sand lightly between coats with 320 grit

Decorative and faux finishes

• Color washing: Diluted glaze applied over base coat creates soft, layered depth
• Sponging: Natural sea sponge applied to or removed from wet glaze creates organic texture
• Ragging: Crumpled rag creates patterns in wet glaze
• Stenciling: Secure stencil firmly, use a nearly dry brush in dabbing motions — never stroke

Texture coatings

• Knockdown: Joint compound applied by roller or sprayer, then partially smoothed
• Orange peel: Thin compound sprayed to create bumpy texture
• Skip trowel: Compound applied by hand with a trowel in irregular passes
• Skim coating: Smoothing over textured walls — a high-value skill almost no beginners have

Watch — sprayer tips before you start