My ceiling is sheetrock or something similar covered with a thick layer of spackling like material that has a wavy design in it. What is this procedure called? (The design isn’t elaborate, it’s just waves and shapes.)
I need to find some materials to repair some damage to this part of my ceiling, but I’m not even sure what to ask for or what the procedure of making the design is called and I don’t want to pantomime. 
I’m assuming there are little tools just for this.
We have a special paint here in Colombia that can be applied with wavy lines and a pattern of whatever you want. It is called Stucco here and can be polished after it is dried to a very nice shiny surface. I don’t know what you call that paint in the US.
I think what your looking for is a plastering techneque.
For the repair you can use drywall joint compound (aka mud) and a trowel. A convient trowel for this porpose is the ones you’d find with the flooring adhesives like a 1/8 or whatnot depending on the pattern. I once used a dvd case for the purpose by cutting little notches in it.
The generic collective term for this is “texturing” - without seeing your ceiling, I can only guess that you have one of the old classics that’s done by dragging a broad brush (like what you’d put up wallpaper with) in arcs through wet joint compound or plaster.
They are texturing our offices as I type, so I concur with this terminology having been under constant texturing bombardment for weeks.
Thanks to all.
Does this stuff tend to drip much as it’s being applied?
Drop cloths are recommended. Also, you will need to determine what type of applicator was used, as there are several that are common. After figuring out the applicator, then you can properly determine exactly what technique was used, as each applicator can be used in a variety of ways.
Joint compound sticks pretty well and weighs very little. It doesn’t really drip. It’s more like the consistency of toothpaste. It is water soluble and cleans up easy while it’s still wet. If the room is carpeted and you want to be safe a plastic sheet directly under the area you are working is enough.
Thinned out for most texturing techniques, it certainly will.
Interesting. Could you post a link to the paint manufacturer or a supplier? In the US, “stucco” refers to a layering of cement and sand onto the surface of a wall. Basically it’s like concrete applied to walls. It is often applied smooth, but it can also be textured like plaster or concrete.
In midstate PA, residential dwellings are frequently finished with a layer of veneer plater atop the gypsum drywall, and ceilings most often get the fan pattern. Although I’ve never seen a plasterer finishing it, the appearance makes me envision a wallpaper smoothing brush applied in 180 degree swirls.
Matching an existing pattern is a bugger-it took half a day to get the knockdown splatter look of my brother’s stucco house finish to blend.