Can i paint a mural

Have you ever painted a mural? If you have, you know that choosing the right paint is crucial. Choosing the right color, the right texture, and how it feels to your touch can all make a difference in the final product.

They are famous for their quick-drying and flexibility, which are desirable traits for creating wall art. There is no staining or discoloration of the wall with acrylic, and you can use acrylic paints for indoor and outdoor painting. Besides, they give almost the same effect as oil paintings do, but they are less expensive. Acrylic paints come in different colors, are opaque, and provide a long-lasting finish like watercolors. They are also very durable and remain vibrant without fading or cracking over time.

We offer a vast and stunning palette of acrylic colors that you can use to create endless combinations for your mural art applications and everyday use. When working on an indoor mural, you will encounter two different phases of painting that are precisely similar to the ones you go through when painting on a canvas.

Firstly, you will create a primary underpainting for blocking central spaces of color and outline a basic composition. Second, you will be thoroughly painting all the details. While painting huge spaces of color like hills, sky, or water bodies, you can start with latex paint. Latex paint is cost-effective, and so it is usually used to paint walls.

This paint also has an excellent coverage compared to other high-quality acrylic paints, so it saves a ton of money while preparing the first stage of indoor mural art. Priming — Inspect knots for staining, sand and spot-prime as needed.

Apply primer coat suitable for latex. Let dry thoroughly at least 48 hours. Apply water-based latex primer. Previously Painted Masonry Cleaning — Remove any loose material, power-wash clean. Priming — Apply Masonry Conditioner.

Bare Metal Cleaning — Remove any grease, dirt, solvents. Abrade surface. Priming — Apply alkyd or latex-based primer. Previously Painted Metal Cleaning — Remove any loose material, rust, grease, dirt. Although GOLDEN uses only the most permanent pigments available within each chemical classification, we have compiled this list of the best pigment choices for use on an exterior mural.

Application of isolation coats and MSA Varnish layers is highly recommended. Subscribe to the newsletter today! Hi Marika — Usually with outdoor brick we recommend first making sure the surface is solid, and any missing mortar or crumbling surface be repaired using the proper commercial products.

After that use a masonry sealer to help reduce the absorbency of the brick and prepare it for painting. On top of that apply a compatible high quality exterior latex primer. Once all of that is done, you are ready to paint! On a textural surface like brick we typically recommend Fluid Acrylics and would strongly suggest you read and follow our guidelines covered in this Tech Sheet on Exterior Murals — especially the recommended color list:.

Those are touched on in the Mural tech Sheet and you can find more information in the following Mural Resource Guide:. We hope this helps and if you need anything else or have further questions, give us a call at or email help goldenpaints.

I will be using acrylics. Should I power wash and primer it first? Hello Alicia. Thank you for your questions. To answer your question: YES! Their instructions will guide you as to their best practices for surface prep. You might also want to consult with local professional house painters that have worked on similar building surfaces. Depending on the project size and importance, you may wish to ask them to check the site for you and possibly do the prep work.

This can be extremely valuable for a muralist because it 1 allows you to not have to deal with surface prep and priming 2 allows you to focus on creating the artwork instead of preparatory work, and 3 gives you access to their scaffolding or cherry picker equipment. On a larger project, these companies can make sure the surface is sound and are more aware of local codes for painting in public spaces safely.

If this project warrants this level of service, work with them to learn what products they are using and the process, as it can serve you greatly for future projects. Two art teachers working for a non prifit art school would like to create a mural on the ground.

Our Bike Rack Mural will have heavy foot traffic. How do we set up the area to keep any rain and wind from getting on it? What extra measures should be taken to keep our mural from being damaged by foot traffic and bikes. Hello Julie! Sorry for the delay in response to your questions. Ground murals are difficult to take care of, and protective coatings do not offer much extra durability than the paint already would have built into it.

That said, there are a couple of things you may be able to do. First, the surface needs to be power-washed to remove as much dirt, grime, oil and salts. There are commercial acid-etching coatings to further prepare the surface of masonry materials such as concrete and brick. Masonry conditioners are then applied to prime the surface for painting.

Ideally, use a product that is made from the manufacturer of the exterior housepaint you plan to use. It is possible they can advise a paint to use between their products, or possibly they can add colorant into their product to use as the primer and paint in one coat, and then a flat clear product to finish it.

I doubt this a standard application for them. I would think your best chance for success is to appreciate you are asking the paints to be used in a very demanding application, and plan for regular repainting and touch up. After all, even road stripe traffic line paints need repainting every few years. This makes keeping excellent records and paint swatches on hand for this maintenance. Keep leftover paints in tightly sealed containers in an indoor temperature-stable location.

If you have further questions, please contact us at help goldenpaints. What recommendation would you have for painting an outdoor mural on Granite. Would a leathered granite surface or a honed granite work better?

Great, helpful article! I am going to be painting a mural in an indoor heated poolhouse above a saltwater pool. The walls are drywall and have already been primed and painted, but should I re-prime them for the mural?

I was planning on using acrylic paints, any type you recommend? Thank you for your comments. Otherwise, a good wipedown with a sponge and water with just a touch of mild dish detergent to help the water remove any grime or fingerprint oils, etc. Paint with acrylics as desired. I would suggest Heavy Body Acrylics extended with our Glazing Liquid which adds a little working time for painting details and blending.

Afterwards, apply a good sealing coat to reduce moisture from getting in once the pool gets refilled. They are water based and easy to apply. What recommendations do u have from prep to seal for a mural project of concrete floor in a 2 car garage of a residential home indoor with bay door opening to outside.

Hello Raymond. Thank you for contacting us with your questions. A commercial clear sealer is your best bet for long wear. In this they state that you can use the product over decorative applications, probably an initial base coat, then the mural, then a final coat. After this cures, floor waxes serve to further product the mural. The waxes should be removed and reapplied as needed to reduce the wear of the decorative mural layer. Brilliant article!

I was wondering if you knew a technique for me to paint the inside of a plastic perspects bike shed at my school. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you for your kind words and questions. This surface should accept acrylic paints well, with a couple of caveats.

Paint the interior of the plastic, as heavy rains or standing water are very likely to compromise the paint layer and it will likely peel from the surface given enough time under these conditions. Prepare the plastic before painting. This alcohol should not cause any damage to the plastic. There are some good waterbased topcoats available but test to assure it is very clear and not just untinted.

Some of these clears are more of an amber tint, so make sure before using them on a project. When using Golden fluids for an exterior mural on new plywood, How many square feet per oz will the fluid acrylic cover?

Can the Golden acrylic heavy body be thinned for mural application? If so, what is the coverage area for this paint? Hi Sally. As a general rule, most products will achieve in the neighborhood of to square feet per gallon. That works out to an average of 2. This would also be a good estimation for the wood primer commercial, acrylic based housepaint primers from companies such as Sherwin Williams, Valspar, and Ben Moore.

If you extend the paint with a medium, you can factor this addition as well. I was surprised that there would be a big paint selection for mural paintings. It makes sense that it would vary depending on the metal you put it on! It would be nice to hire a professional to do a commission for you because they would know all of this information.

Hello Kate. I would not assume that every artist, even those that have done some murals, know the best pigments for use in exterior murals. Our research is ongoing and before starting a new mural, it is a good idea to review the recommended colors first. Is the varnish clear and does it turn yellow with time? Thanks for all and any advice. Great article! We would suggest doing a bit of practice using it — thinning it with the MSA Solvent as needed, trying different brushes, etc — to minimize any potential issues.

This is a great picture varnish for acrylics, oils and other media. My questions are: 1. And 3. Hi Cally. O plywood is a great option for exterior murals. Please let us know if you have any other questions! Would primer be totally necessary, or would latex paint be sufficient? Hello Ellen. Thanks for your questions. Wipe the sanding dust with isopropyl rubbing alcohol and then re-tape.

Alcohol will eat at the masking tape adhesive so remove the tape first, then clean and let evaporate, and retape the design. That should be all that you need to do but be sure to read the labels carefully on the cans and follow their prep recommendations. If you are able to do a smaller test piece that would be a great idea!

We hold a yearly mural making event, using clean wood panels that are primed. Unfortunately, it misted throughout the day and while we did our best to allow the murals to dry before glossing, some moisture was trapped. Additionally, the murals stay outdoors for several weeks before being brought into storage. We are taking them out of storage to hang indoors, however, sections of the paint have separated from the wood in various areas, mainly where the two attached sections of wood meet.

Most murals are done in acrylic paint, some in spray paint, the latter having the most damage. The paint is all in one piece, the image is clear, just separated from the panel.

We have been recommend to use some type of adhesive and put clamps on the wood but nothing specific. Thank you! Hello Jessica. Several questions come to mind: What was the primer used on the wood? What type s of spray paints were used? Did the paint layers separate from the primer, or did the paint AND primer lift from the surface of the bare wood? If we need to take this offline, that would allow some images to be sent to us for review. Hi, This article has helped me a lot. I have a few questions….

Would you still suggest that I use GAC mixed in the heavy body acrylic paints? What size of MSA varnish would be enough to cover both of these areas? Adding the GAC is a great way to extend and also strengthen the paint layers. You have about 75 square feet total, and many layers will require 2 layers, so use sq.

You can use a grid system of a small maquette — with 1 square inch equalling 1 square foot — and then tally up the number of squares for each color. If you blend the GAC in, that also counts towards the total amount. Same with the varnish. The MSA Varnish amounts are also 2 quarts, but you need to thin it. Draw a grid on the mural wall in chalk.

Do a little math in order to transfer the grid properly from your paper to the wall. The template grid and the wall grid need to be at a 1 to 1 ratio, having an equal number of lines spaced a proportionate distance apart.

Every 1 in 2. Part 3. Choose a quality woodworking pencil, then place details like trees, clouds, and characters on the wall. Follow the grid system to transfer your design to the wall.

Look at your drawing to find out what cell the detail is in, then transfer it to the corresponding cell on the wall. Draw it again in the upper left corner of the grid on the wall. Another way to do this is by projecting an image onto the wall. Use a digital projector to transfer images from your computer or another device. Then, sketch your outline over the projected image.

Draw fine details onto your sketch with an art pencil. Purchase a relatively dark pencil so your outlines show up on the wall. Choose a pencil based on its lead rating. Continue filling in the mural grid according to the template you drew. Pick an acrylic paint to resist tough outdoor weather.

Basic outdoor wall paint with an eggshell finish is a great choice for most projects. Oil-based paints produce richer, darker colors, but tend to yellow as they age.

Choose latex paints for an inexpensive way to cover indoor wall space. Latex paints offer easier cleanup, lower costs, and less odor. They also tend to mix well with acrylic paints to give you unique shades for your wall.

Choose paint with an eggshell finish to avoid glare. If you like acrylic paint, consider switching to acrylics for detailed work. Be aware of the ventilation in your home. Open up nearby windows and turn on fans to blow out paint fumes. Wear a dust mask as you work.

Mix your paint colors as needed while you paint. To avoid wasted paint, focus on a single color at a time. Mix enough paint for the area you need to cover. Bowls and even baking trays are great for mixing paint for brush painting. Use palettes, trays, or paper plates to mix multiple colors on a single surface. Paint over the largest areas in your design with a paint roller or sprayer.

Lay down the base colors in your design first, taking care to keep clean transition edges from one color to the next. Always allow each color to dry before proceeding to the adjacent color unless you need to blend them together. Blending creates shading and intermediate colors for your design. Wait at least 30 minutes before adding a fresh layer of paint. You probably will need to go over each layer of paint 2 to 3 more times to get it to look perfect.

Quality acrylic and latex house paints dry within about an hour. Set aside extra time for the paint to dry in cold or humid environments. Some oil paints require as long as 24 hours to cure before you are able to touch them up. Paint in the remaining details with different brush sizes. Get a few different brushes to tackle all of the detail work your design calls for. Any brush you use to paint on paper or canvas will work. Synthetic brushes are usually a good choice if you need something that will last a while.

Save the largest brush for coloring open spaces and the smallest brush for the most intricate details. Switch to a smaller brush for tiny branches and twigs. Remember to wait at least 30 minutes for the previous paint layer to dry or else the colors will blend together. Add outlines, shadows, and other details with black paint. Choose an appropriate paintbrush, usually the smallest one. These details are usually fine, so they are tough to add on a large scale without mistakes.

If you do make a mistake, wipe up the paint carefully with soap and water or paint over it again when it dries. Part 4. Clean up your work by painting over mistakes.

Step back and take a look at your work. Most mistakes are pretty simple to fix. Let the mural dry, then go over the damaged spots with another layer of paint. Mixing an exact match is very difficult. Blend the new paint in with the old as much as possible. Wait about a week for the paint to dry completely.

Moisture may still be underneath the top layer. As a rule of thumb, wait at least a week. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile.

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