Hi Mike,

I am looking to do a mural on the side of an enclosed utility trailer. It’s already painted white. Not sure if it’s metal or fiberglass.

I am looking for a recommendation of what kind of paint you sell that would work best, and how to best prepare the surface? We’d like the mural to last, but as a small non-profit, we’re also looking for an affordable option.

Thanks,

Rosemary Jones

“life is a workshop”

Answer:

Rosemary,

Thanks so much for writing. Hmmm…”It’s already painted white.” Do you mean that the metal or fiberglas is inherently white, or that the surface has already actually been painted? I’m guessing the former.

Regardless, here’s what I would do. I would make sure that the surface was clean and solid, then paint the trailer with a good oil-based primer, maybe Xim or Kilz. I would paint the mural with regular oil-based house paint. It would be very cost effective, and should hold quite well. In fact, you could probably go to your local paint store and buy some of their “mistake” paint. Usually something like $5 a gallon.

To get the colors you want, you have a couple of options: buy enough primary and secondary colors to mix what you need, or, preferably, get a set of Mixol colorants. That way, you would only have to mix what you need, and tint it to the color that you need, rather than mix paint together to get the right color. It’s such a waste! And make sure you have some decent brushes. That will make all the difference in the world.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Now…Go Paint Something!

Michael Cooper

Mike, I am curious how you get such a straight consistent line even using the Mahl stick. Practice and experience probably? Are you using a liner brush? If so which one? Is a Guide Dog the same thing as a Mahl Stick?

Answer:

A Guide Dog is different from a Mahl Stick, as you can easily paint long, continuous straight lines. A Mahl Stick is great for short lines, or for painting over wet areas. The Guide Dog lays flat on the wall, has a handle to hold it and a sharp edge to guide your brush, but the edges are raised so as not to let paint seep underneath, much like an inking triangle.

Also, I use a fairly stiff brush. That way the width of the lines are very consistent. I have some special signature brushes that I really like to use, but I think I’ve already exceeded the limit on product promotions. But trust me - anyone can do it, if you have the right tools.

Thanks and Keep Your Questions Coming!

Now…Go Paint Something!
Michael

My name is Joe and I live in Southern California. I’m helping to restore a small catholic church in this area and and have just finished re-painting the exterior shrine to “Our Lady of Guadalupe”. It’s a large concrete and plaster statue with many coats of paint.

I’ve just used plain old out of the tube Liquitex artist’s acrylics and  was wondering if there is a better clear finish for exterior wear and UV protection than standard Liquitex clear gloss. The statue is in a semi-covered area but does get a few hours of direct sunlight every day and also lot’s of dirt and dust from a busy nearby street. Any info you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Answer:

Joe,

Great question here is what I would do:

Liquitex is a great acrylic. Long lasting, lightfastness, etc. Wouldn’t hurt to have a little help. Use Golden’s MSA Hard Varnish as a topcoat. Great protection - easily cleaned.

Thanks! Now…Go Paint Something!
Michael

This question is in regards to Mixol tints. Is there a more detailed description and how to use this product somewhere on your site or on the internet. Do you buy a base, and then add the tint? If so, how much base to tint, etc. For a cement wall, would the base be just an acrylic exterior white wall paint?

Answer:

First of all, I think a white base works perfectly. Makes the colors really pop. As far as Mixol is concerned, remember, it’s a paste/tint. It’s not paint. You only add as much as you need to get the desired color, usually not more than about 10% of the paint. I usually just work with 2 and 4 ounce cups, sometimes 8 ounce, and just need to add a few drops to get the color I need, sometimes even a big squirt. Mix it up, and you’re good to go. Be sure and throw a lid on your cups, and mark them for the area of which you are painting (sweater – dark, face – base, tree – dark bark, etc.) That way if you need to touch up, you’ve got the exact color!

Mixol tints work with all kinds of paints. If want to just get basic house paint colors in gallons (white, black, red, green, yellow, red, brown, etc) then you can just mix whatever colors you need from those and the tints. If you want to work with artists’ acrylics, get some Golden Acrylics. Great stuff, fabulous colors, wonderful lightfastness qualities, etc. Will last forever.

Thanks for your questions and keep ‘em coming! Now…Go Paint Something!
Michael

Should the design be projected onto pouncing paper adhered to a wall, or projected on paper first and then put on a wall?

Answer:

If I understand your question correctly, you’re asking if you should project onto paper where you want to paint the object, or project somewhere else, like your home or studio, and then bring it to the job site.

I’m thinking that if you can project it off-site, that would be better, because otherwise you have to leave the projector in place while you’re drawing/painting, and it has to stay there until you’re basically finished. If you project off-site, then you can theoretically set-up a number of different elements that you can work on at the same time.

Let’s say you have to paint 6 people on a wall. If you project them one at a time directly on the wall, it will take you forever. If you project them off-site, and then pounce them, you can work on all of them at the same time. Prime one, and while it’s drying, out a base coat on another.

Thanks and keep ‘em coming!
Michael

Hi Mickey and Mike,

I hope all is well with you both-you always said if I needed some help to ask, I’m asking!  I was asked to salvage and patch up the artwork my brother did at a restaurant. I think that I can just clean-up and sand down the mail and eagle because the wood is pretty solid and then repaint where needed and seal it, Is that right or is there a better way of doing it?

I also wanted to know if there is any way to salvage the postage stamp-it is painted onto concrete and as you can see the paint has totally come off in chunks but is still attached in certain areas. They put a protective frame around it that breathes a little but condensation still builds up.  Should it be left alone? and if yes, is there anything better than the frame to keep it from getting worse?

Thanks for any help you can give me. I will keep in touch!
Heather

Answer:

Heather,

Great to hear from you!

Well dear, you’ve got a mess on your hands. Let’s start with the wood. The paint definitely needs to come off.  Sanding it will take forever, but it might go faster by using an electric belt sander. Or you could strip it with chemicals. (they make green stuff now, so it wouldn’t be toxic). Either way, once it’s clean, put a good primer on it, then you could paint it with acrylic paint. You should be fine.

As far as the concrete goes, I would take a bunch of pictures, then strip the wall, and start over. If you can really get down to bare concrete, then go with silicate paints, and you will never have to worry about peeling or fading. If you can’t do that, then get off as much as you can, prime it with a good exterior primer, then have at it with acrylics. Either artists’ paint, like Liquitex or Golden. Or simply use a good exterior house paint, like Porter’s AcriShield. That’s the best you can do.

Good luck! Now…Go Paint Something!

Michael Cooper

For a cement wall that is 25′ high by 40′ wide, would it be best to put the projector on top of a pick up truck as opposed to a stand to trace off design?

Answer:

Do NOT put the projector on top of a pick-up truck! If you can barely afford one projector, you’re certainly not going to be able to afford a second one, when the first one falls off of the truck!

Use a stand for stability. At the very least, use a sturdy ladder.  In fact, they now make the stands on wheels, to give you more maneuverability. If the design is detailed, you might just have to simply draw it! Sketch it to scale first, then draw it on the wall.

By the way, if you’re going to project, then project images, like people, animals, structures, pictures, etc. Do NOT project drawings! Your pencil line becomes 3” thick on the wall, so it’s hard to stay accurate. That’s why you want to re-draw your sketch directly on the wall.

Thanks for your questions and keep them coming!

Now….Go Paint Something!
Michael

Is it best to project a small drawing directly onto a wall at night, or would it be better to project onto the pouncing paper?

Answer:

A projector works great outside if the area is completely dark. A Super Prism will work outside only if it is pitch black. An MC250 would work better, being that it uses halogen bulbs instead of incandescent.

I don’t know what your design consists of, but I would guess that interior projecting/pouncing would be easier that trying to project on an exterior building at night. This opinion is based solely on the info that I have at hand. Then again, an MC-250 might be your best bet, if you don’t have to back up very far. The reason is, the MC250 works better in semi-darkness, while the Super Prism needs almost complete darkness.

It also depends upon what you’re projecting. If it’s people, then generally you can get close enough to the wall outside to make it work. If you’ve got the facility, I would highly recommend just projecting it onto pounding paper, and take the paper outside to transfer it. You can do that it the daytime, when it would be much easier to paint it.

Thanks for your questions…keep them coming!
Michael

Hey Mike,

How you doing?  I’m happy to say that this year my business has taken off and I’ve been working onsistently since January.  Yay!  I just finished installing my first mountable canvas mural yesterday, and everything looked great, fit great, but I have a slight problem and was hoping that you might have a suggestion.

Everything was smooth on the wall, but as it dried, a few small bubbles have appeared today. They aren’t super noticable, but nevetheless I want it to be perfect. In your many years of doing this, have you ever encountered this problem? If so, is there a solution?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Karen
p.s. Tell your lovely wife that I actually made 5 cold calls today, & on a Monday no less, in honor of her.

Answer:

Karen,

Great to hear from you and glad you’re busy!

I would think that the bubbles were there yesterday, but you just didn’t notice them. When you’re wiping down the surface with a damp sponge, it’s glossy, and sometimes unless the light is right you’ll miss some small bubbles. If they are close to the edge, just peel away the canvas from the wall and re-paste the area, smoothing it down good and tight.

Use a seam roller if you have to, wiping away the excess with a clean damp sponge. If the bubbles are in the center, then use a new and VERY sharp snap blade, slice a line in the mural over or close to the bubble, preferably along a painted edge or line, and insert some paste. Smooth it back out, and you should be good to go. I’ve actually cut a small slice in the canvas and inserted paste with a syringe. That works, too.

Or just paint the whole thing over again.

Just kidding.

Keep up the cold calls!

Mike

Michael,

I have enjoyed reading your articles in the Faux Finisher and postings on Murals+.  I am writing because I have been approached to re-paint a mural on a corrugated steel building that has been previously painted.  The original job is failing after only 7 years, and I believe its due to the coating that the steel has on it. 

I was wondering if you have ever painted on something like this before and if anything will stick.  I have contacted the manufacturer of the coating to see what they say, but just thought a fellow muralist that has more experience on these larger scale murals may have any ideas.

One more artist question: How would you go about laying out a 15′ diameter circle on a 30′ corrugated building?

Thanks so much for your time, and keep the advice and humor coming.

Dee
Deelite Design

Answer:

Dee,

Thanks so much for writing. I’m not familiar with Fluropon, but I have painted on corrugated steel before. In fact, it was one of my first large projects. I simply used an oil-based exterior paint from Porter Paints. It’s still there, after almost 20 years!

When you say “failing”, I am assuming that you mean that it is peeling off, not just fading. If you really want to make sure that the paint adheres, I would probably  prime it first with a top quality exterior primer, then paint it with a top-quality exterior acrylic. Again, I’m very familiar with Porter, and would use their Acri-Pro 100 primer, with their Acri-Shield paint. Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, etc., all have good products as well.

As a matter of fact, just to make sure I’m not giving you any incorrect info, I contacted Jim Sherwood, of Valspar, manufacturer of Fluropon, and he agreed with me, believe it or not! He suggested to do a test area first. Use a good acrylic-based primer, and if the primer holds, you should be good to go. He even suggested scuffing it up a little with a Scotchbrite pad if you feel it is necessary. Sounds like a lot of work to me. I’d charge double.

Of course, if the paint falls off, we’ve never talked.

Regarding your last question above…Go to your local Home Depot and get a 10’ piece of 1×2. Drill the appropriate holes and use it as a big ol’ compass. Use a china marker on the writing end.

Good luck!
Mike