How to confidently (and joyfully!) paint a free-form shape

Dulux Colour of the Year 2025, True Joy™ works perfectly as bold accent colour and contrasts beautifully with neutral shades.

Want to create a free-form shape to personalise and energise any space? Let’s go for it!

1. Materials
Gather your materials, such as your sketch design, paint tins, stirrers, 1 big roller and tray plus 3 small rollers and tray and 3 small paint brushes. Don’t forget the tape measure, chalk, masking tape, paint tin opener and gloves.

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2. Sketch your idea on paper
Sketch your idea on paper first. Make sure you indicate the dimensions on the drawing where the horizontal and vertical lines should go. Then choose your colours to give it an interesting composition. 

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3. Prep time
Stick masking tape around the sides of the wall so you don’t go over the edges. Now you can put your base colour down. Choose a neutral tone and cut in the edges with a small brush, while using a roller for the rest. 

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4. Measure & draw your free-form shape
With your tape measure and chalk, carefully mark the points on the wall for the horizontal and vertical lines, dividing your shape into squares by drawing lines by hand from top to bottom and from left to right to your desired layout and composition.

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5. Apply your second colour
Use a smaller brush to do the outline first, then a roller to complete the middle sections. 

6. Apply your third and fourth colours
Ensure that the colours do not touch (or wait for them to dry between each colour). This way, you'll get a tighter design. Watch the final colour, True Joy™, pop the energy into your design. 

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Embrace the “True Joy” of Dulux

This year, there’s a growing sense across the world that life must be better elsewhere. In times like these, there’s a desire to break free, press reset and welcome in the new.

This was the feeling that came out of the Dulux Trend Forecast meeting. The conversations lead to the theme “Just Leap” and the shade of 2025.

This uplifting yellow was created to fill your home with creative energy, optimism and pride. It is the cherry on top! A pop of colour that helps you move forward. It works brilliantly on its own as a statement colour or as a striking accent colour to complement other shades.

So come on, if you can dream it, you can create it. You just have to believe it.