FRESCOE #1: 

1.  Base coat wall in white flat latex paint.
2.  Apply a water-based paint thinned slightly in drifts over the base 
    with a sponge or bristle brush.  Using a damp sponge and a ball of
    cheesecloth texture and move the paint around the wall.  Let dry.  
    Suggestion:  deep terracotta color.
3.  Apply a second thinned water-base paint in the same manner as 
    above.  Suggestion: a medium pink.
4.  Apply a coat of thinned oil-based paint/glaze in an ochre (yellow)
    tone.  Wash a light coat onto most of the wall area and texture 
    using a ball of cheesecloth or soft heavy absorbant cloth. This 
    will tone down the previous colors and blend them together nicely.


FRESCOE #2: 

1.  In three separate containers mix each color of latex paint with 
    water in equal proportions.  You may have to use more water than 
    this so experiment.   Use terracotta, medium pink and  yellow.
2.  First apply the thinned pink to the wall using a fairly wide 
    brush.  Work in small sections brushing on the paint and covering 
    about 3/4 of the surface in that area.  There will be darker and 
    lighter areas quite evident.   Some won’t have any paint at all.
3.  Fill in the background un-covered area with the diluted yellow 
    paint.  It should look quite patchy and bold at this point.  Leave 
    to dry.
4.  Apply the diluted terracotta color over the entire surface with a 
    wide brush starting at the top.  Keep the brush quite dry so that 
    only a thin coating covers the surface.  As the terracotta dries, 
    the pink and yellow colors will shine softly through, creating a 
    weathered effect.   Hint:  You may find the paint goes on better 
    if you add abit of glazing liquid or Floetrol.  
    Colors can be changed to suit your taste but keep them related.


This technique will resemble old crumbling walls:

1.  Brush orange shellac sealer over a primed and base-coated surface.  
    Using almost a dry brush randomly brush on leaving some areas 
    without color.  Take out brush strokes as you work by stippling. 
2.  Using a teak colored tint mixed with acrylic glaze, roll or brush 
    on then rub and dab off with a cloth, rubbing some areas more than 
    others to mottle the surface.  Let dry well.
3.  Apply a grey or taupe colored glaze over top in the same way and 
    again rag off.  Use a very sparing application as most of the 
    glaze will be removed by dabbing with a cloth.
    Note:  These colors can be changed somewhat to suit your taste.



 

These can resemble leather:

Tear brown kraft paper or tissue paper into irregular sized pieces and
crumple.  Straighten them slightly and apply to the surface of the 
wall or object.  Work in areas about 3 feet square by applying wheat 
paste or water based wallpaper paste to the surface then laying on the
paper.  Slightly overlap edges and press down well.  I don’t suggest 
you use white glue thinned with water because of the impossible task 
of removing once you are tired of it.  Once it has dried well you can 
do several paint treatments to it:
1.  Apply a wood colored water-based glaze all over then dab with a 
    cloth to mottle slightly.
2.  Dry brush almost any color on for a weathered look.
3.  Apply a paint color all over, let dry then shellac to seal the 
    color.  Then apply another color of glaze on top and rag it to 
    remove some of the coloring.  Suggest two tones of brown for a 
    leather look (med/dark brown and lighter brown - for example).
4.  For tissue paper, they are nice finished in a very translucent 
    glaze.

REFERENCE BOOKS:

Professional Painted Finishes - by Ina, Allen and Robert Marx
Master Strokes and Master Works  -  by Jennifer Bennell
Classic Paints and Faux Finishes   -  by Annie Sloan and Katie Gwynn
The Complete Book of Decorative Paint Techniques  -  by Annie Sloan 
             and Kate Gwynn
Decorative Style  -  by Kevin McCloud
Paint Magic  -  by Jocasta Innes
Paintability  -  by Jocasta Innes
Paint Recipes  -  by Liz Wagstaff
Recipes for Surfaces Vol. II  -  by Mindy Drucker and Nancy Rosen
Encyclopedia of Decorative Paint Techniques   -  by Simon Cavelle
Decorative Magic  -  by John Sutcliffe
Decorative Painting For The Home  -  by Lee Andre and David Lipe
Complete Book of Decorative Techniques  -  by Linda Gray with 
         Jocasta Innes

Color - Natural Pallets for Painted Rooms  -  by Donald Kaufman 
        & Taffy Dahl  (excellent book on color useage)


SUPPLIES I HAVE TRIED AND USE REGULARLY:

Acrylic (Water-based) Glazing Liquid:
1.  Zinsser Blend & Glaze - directions for use on can. 
2.  Zinsser Blen & Glaze Extender and Thinner - extends working time.
3.  Polyvine Acrylic Scumble - transparent glaze you can color with 
    colorants or tube acrylics but not with latex paint.
4.  Minwax Glaze Effects.  Available in clear, light and dark.  Nice 
    because the dark glaze does not change the color of dark paint. 
5.  Pratt & Lambert Acrylic Glazing liquid.  

Oil Based Glazing Liquids:
1.  Pratt & Lambert Oil Glazing Liquid.  
2.  Benjamin Moore's Oil Glazing Liquid.  Quite thick consistency.
    This one I usually thin with paint thinner.