Painting - PLEASE HELP! Need to paint straight line on textured walls

Hello...

I am trying to get a clean line (edge) painting on an orange-peel textured wall. I'm painting an office that has an arched doorway.

The %!$#@ paint bleeds through even though I pressed very hard on the blue tape prior to painting. When I removed the tape, the line looked terrible.

I read where you can apply a clear glaze or caulk on the edge of the tape, but I don't understand this because it seems to me that you would have to get the glaze or the caulk to be a straight line because the paint would butt up the the caulk or glaze and if the caulk/glaze isn't straight, then the paint won't be either. What am I missing here??

I also saw this:

[[Tape off the inside of the line
Paint your inside color up to and on top of the tape
Let it dry and then peel the tape
Tape off the outside of the line, right on top of the first paint line
Paint the inside color over the top of the outside of this tape line. This will fill in the gaps under the tape from the texture. The gaps will now be filled with the inside color. Lay it one thick to make sure you fill up all the gaps.
Paint the outside color over the paint you just laid down
Peel the tape ]]

... and I don't understand this the way it's explained.

Can someone PLEASE explain a way to accomplish this to a painting amateur?

Thank you very much!
Eric

Seriously, the best way is with quality paint, a quality brush, a steady hand, and some patience

The "line" you are going to "cut" is not straight and never will be due to the texture, drywall, and framing (not being square)

The best thing to do is follow the natural line (left by the combination of these things) by hand

You won't be going for a straight line per say (which won't ever happen), you'll be shooting for "making it look like it was supposed to look that way" if you know what I mean

I agree, I always cut it free hand although sometimes I'll follow a pencil line or even a chalk line. You might could lightly score a line and follow it.

Don't forget you always have the option of going back with the other color and touching up where it doesn't look right.

Just realized you are changing colors at an opening, sometimes a dry roller is enough to make the transision on the edge. A wet rag can be used to wipe any excess the gets on the other color.

"The %!$#@ paint bleeds through even though I pressed very hard on the blue tape prior to painting. When I removed the tape, the line looked terrible." I've had this same problem myself. I used to expect that if you paint along blue masking tape that you firmly (I used the back of a fingernail along the painting edge) you would get a straight line. But I haven't always been successful doing this. Instead, I've gone to doing it by freehand. I have a quality brush and without that it wouldn't work. Also, I go slow. When I mess up I have a couple of ways of dealing with it. One is to have a damp paper towel folded over a putty knife and use it to immediately remove the excess paint. The other is to wait until the paint dries, and touch up the other wall to paint over the goof up. Sometimes I'll use a 6 inch putty knife as a paint shied to help with this.

Like to add (which may be obvious :rolleyes:) is the type of brush. I found using an "angled" one is best.

I agree-free hand is best!:thumbup:

Eric,
I used the tape method and it worked really well for me. I was transitioning from a light color (tan) to a dark (burgundy) and needed a crisp straight line.

I painted the tan area first, gave it a day or so to dry, then applied the painter's tape where I needed it (it was a vertical transition). Then, on the side of the tape that I intended to be burgundy, I first brushed on a coat of the tan, painting over the tape and the section to be painted burgundy. Once that dried, I painted the whole burgundy area, again painting over that edge of the tape I painted tan. The tan filled any gaps in the tape and the wall, and the line was perfect.

Hope that helps!

Brian

Cutting a straight line to "wall to ceiling" or "wall to wall" especially when both are textured can be a bear. Prep and patience is the key. If painting "wall to ceiling" and assuming the ceiling is white is easy. Tape the ceiling pressing firmly to eliminate as much of the void between the texture and tape as possible. The next step is fast, easy and critical. Run a thin bead of caulking preferebly Paintable white on the dge of the tape where the wall meets the ceiling and smooth with your finger to fill in the voids under the tape to prevent bleed. Allow caulking to dry sufficently to attain a decent skin that you can paint. Cut the wall with your desired color and paint. Remove the tape and you should have a clean straight line.

If your painting a corner "wall to Wall" Use the same proceedure but allow the wall your going to tape to dry thoroughly before taping otherwise you will lift the paint off the wall when you remove the tape. Hope this is helpful.