Painting a Mural: Paints

For painting murals and creating faux finishes on walls, some understanding of paints and their properties and possibilities is essential if you don’t want to make ugly and potentially costly mistakes. If in doubt, you should be able to get good advice from your paint retailer or hardware store.

* Applying your design is only part of the process of creating murals. Remember that your paint finish will only be as good as your surface, so it needs to be prepared well. Fresh concrete or plaster, or areas where cracks and holes have been filled, need sealing with the right kind of sealer. Also, when you’ve finished your design, you may want to seal it with a transparent glaze that will protect it and, in some designs, add a suitable glossy finish.

* Remember to choose your paint according to whether it is for interior or exterior use. Also consider how much wear it will receive and what it will need to withstand. For example, murals in kitchens and bathrooms will need a paint that is water-resistant. It’s never worth skimping and buying cheap paints, so shop wisely.

* Once your wall is prepared, make sure your base coat is the right type, because paint will not ‘take’ well on some paints. So-called ‘flat paint’ is a cheap matte finish often used for interiors. This low gloss paint is to be avoided as a base. It saps color from paint applied on top of it. It also dries too fast, when what you need is a ‘wet edge’ to ensure paint spreads evenly. Pearl or satin paints, which are glossier, make an ideal base layer for your mural.

* For interior murals you can’t go wrong with acrylic or latex paints. These water-based paints are user-friendly and make cleaning brushes and splashes simple. (Latex paints today typical use resins that aren’t rubber and may be labelled ‘acrylic latex’.)

* If you’re using latex paints, don’t mistake them for oil-based paints. Because they are in fact water-based, you can’t mix them with oil paints without creating a curdled mess. Also remember that if your base coat is very glossy then water-based paints may not adhere well.

* Once you’ve chosen the right paint (oil- or water-based) with the right degree of gloss, you will be ready to select your colors. Color can be changeable, so think your choice through. It can look very different in a sunny or shady room, for example. Also, that color on the sample will almost certainly look a lot brighter or deeper in hue when painted onto a much larger expanse of wall. Try it out before you commit yourself to creating your mural. As long as you don’t mix oil and water-based paints you can usually adjust the color by mixing it.

As well as knowing your basic paints and allied materials, you might want to explore some of the novelty paints and glazes on the market: metallic, fluorescent and textured paints are just a few of them. Playing with effects is all part of the fun!