Whether you want to bring an old table back to life, jazz up a wall, pick out a cornice or make a staircase look like marble, this handbook sets out to demonstrate how to achieve intriguing and dramatic painting effects on a wide variety of surfaces. Many of the techniques have traditionally been the preserve of professionals, but they are also accessible to the careful amateur. Straightforward instructions are offered on choosing a colour scheme, buying tools and materials, preparing the surface, and a wide range of techniques from basic broken colour methods to advanced representational and fantasy effects. Tricks of the trade and hints on using particular effects to mask problem surfaces are also included.