I have a small (< 1/4" diameter) hole in a drywall wall which has been
already patched and sanded.  I have matching paint for the wall.  How
do I paint over the patched area to ensure that after the paint dries
there are no visible lines between the newly painted area and the rest
of the wall?

I've found lots of information on maintaining a "wet edge" when
repainting an entire room to prevent lines showing after the paint
dries, but nothing on how to repaint a small portion of a wall.

Hi rig913-

The key to making a small patch "disappear" is to make sure the
spackle is totally dry (over night is good) and then apply a coat of
primer (allow primer to dry overnight, then sand lightly with 220-grit
sandpaper)  and a final coat with a technique called "feathering."

To accomplish this, put very little paint on your brush and very, very
lightly apply it from the center of the patch outward using only the
very tips of the brush bristles and lifting the brush with a sort of
flick of the wrist at the end of the stroke. This makes an uneven edge
like the edge of a feather so that the new paint is laid in ever
descresing density away from the center.

Here are several links to sites that give instructions for patching.
However, they simply say "feather the edge."  The instructions above
are based on my experience as a professional painter.

http://homedoctor.net/tipsfaq/9.5.html

http://www.ivillage.com/home/experts/handy/qas/0,9505,167077_188901,00.html

http://www.bobvila.com/wwwboard/messages/21907.html


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Nellie Bly