Go Paint Something!

I will tell you this: concrete is probably one of my most favorite surfaces on which to paint. Concrete block, brick, stucco – it’s all so much fun. A couple of reasons make it so desirable, I guess – first, you don’t have to be as detailed as you do on canvas or drywall. And secondly, hardly anybody does a decent job painting on concrete! If you practice enough, and really hone your skills, you’ll be in a pretty elite club!

First of all, make sure that the surface is clean. The best way is to use a pressure washer. Now, be careful! Use the “medium”, or green tip. You don’t want to etch your name on the side of the wall! Just go over it enough to get all of the surface gunk off the wall, like dirt, dust, cobwebs, ivy, bird nests, spiders, etc. If you’re washing a brick wall, be careful not to wash away the mortar joints. The older the wall, the better chance you’ll have of completely obliterating the mortar! If you do, no worries. Just replace it! If you’re pretty skittish about working with things like that, just employ the services of a tuckpointer, or brick mason. No biggie.

After the wall is clean, you have to determine what kind of paint to use. This has to be done BEFORE you put any type of block filler, primer or base coat on the wall. See, the best product for painting a mural on a concrete wall is silicate paint. Silicate, or mineral paint, is made specifically for concrete walls. UNPAINTED concrete walls!

Same thing goes for brick and stucco. Silicate is environmentally friendly, cleans up with water, goes on like latex, and, if applied properly, will never fade nor chip – ever! You use one coat for your base coat, and the mural acts as the second coat. That’s it! No block filler, no sealant, no topcoat, no waterproofing. Just the silicate. Check out Keim Mineral Systems, or www.keim.com for more info.

Now, if the wall is already painted, then you need to make sure that the existing paint is sound. Is it tight to the wall? Is it adhering properly? Do the pressure washer thing. Does it flake off easily? If so, use the pressure washer and get rid of it. Your mural is only going to last as long as the paint under it, so make sure that you have a good base. If the paint is good and tight, then go over the entire wall with a good primer.

Check your local sources for recommendations. I like to use Porter’s Acri Pro 100. It’s a fabulous interior/exterior primer that adheres to most anything! It will seal the wall and give you a great base on which to paint your masterpiece! Of course, if the wall is leaking water, all bets are off. I have heard that Crystalline waterproofing is the way to go. Environmentally safe, cleans up with water, etc. Kryton and Xypex are a couple of manufacturers that make a good waterproofing system. Simply brush or roll it on and you’re good to go. Check your local sources for availability.

Once the wall is properly prepped, paint away! As far as what kind of paint to use, I guess it depends on what you’re painting. For most projects, I use a top-of-the-line exterior acrylic, like AcriShield from Porter. Sherwin Williams makes their Superpaint, and Benjamin Moore makes a good exterior acrylic as well. Just make sure you use their best. It’s not worth it to save a couple of bucks going to the cheaper contractor version. It doesn’t cover as well, it doesn’t last as long, and it’s more trouble than what it’s worth.

If you’re really wanting some great, vibrant colors, use Golden Artist Acrylics, or even Liquitex Acrylics. Both can be purchased in the heavy-bodied version in quarts and gallons. More expensive, but, hey, if you need the colors, you need the colors. Also great longevity and colorfastness. Very important qualities in the mural business.

Now, on to topcoats. My take on this subject is, if you’re using a good exterior paint, you’re using an exterior paint! Why do you want to cover a paint that is designed specifically to function outside?? Let it do its job! The only reason I’d cover it would be because of a threat of graffiti. But murals themselves are a natural deterrent to graffiti. However, if you really insist, use Golden’s MSA Hard Varnish. Goes on crystal clear, and helps to protect your priceless work of art for many years to come.

So, let’s wrap this up: Bare concrete: use silicate. Painted concrete: prime it, and use acrylic. Oh! And don’t forget to use the correct brushes! That’s a great topic we can get into later. For now, check out my custom mural brushes (I designed them myself just for this kinda stuff - they rock)!

Now, go paint something!
Michael Cooper

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