source+three

Paints~ Golden Artist Colors. "Mural Painting." //Just Paint.// Golden Artist Color, Nov. 2002. Web.16 Sep. 2010. http://www
 * 1) “A mural is intended to enhance an environment, not clash with it or degrade it. If improperly done, the “work of art” can quickly become an eyesore. Many mural sponsors are now requesting that artists guarantee their murals for a certain period (usually 10-20 years). These agreements can be legally binding, which means artists will be held liable for problems occurring with the mural during this time.”
 * 2)  “Careful planning, thoughtful preparation, and use of quality materials will help finished murals to have an impact that matches the artist’s good intentions.”
 * 3)  “Acrylics are some of the most durable and accessible paints for exterior application, used by many artists for painting murals due to their lightfastness and weather resistance. They also form an excellent bond to masonry or cementous surfaces.”
 * 4)  "Oil paints are a poor choice for painting on these surfaces since the alkalinity of concrete can destroy alkyd or oil products. Ethyl-silicate paints form an excellent and permanent bond with brick or concrete; however this system can be time-consuming and costly, and a good working knowledge of the materials is required as well."
 * 5)  "Solvent-based enamels are a good choice for durability, but manufacturer’s pigment considerations are usually not the same as with a high-quality artist’s acrylic paint."
 * 6)  "The artist must determine if the texture will influence the way he or she paints. For example, if painting on brick, it will be tough to get a smooth line on such a textured surface with the Heavy Body Colors as is. They need to be thinned with GAC 200 (which also increases film hardness and potential durability) or the artist may consider switching to the Fluid Colors. The thinner consistency will allow the paint to flow into the crevices of the brick. Mixing Fluids and Heavy Body Acrylics together will produce a consistency similar to house paint, ideal for covering larger areas on most surfaces."
 * 7)  "Color selection is especially important to minimize fading of acrylic paints. For maximum longevity, we recommend using only colors with a lightfastness rating of I and a permanency rating of Excellent.”
 * 8)  "A final topcoat will give a mural more durability when exposed to environmental factors. The mural artist has a few choices on how to provide additional protection to the finished mural. One option is to apply an artist-quality varnish that is removable with various solvents, allowing for graffiti removal and general maintenance."
 * 9)  "Another choice for protecting the mural is to use some of the various graffiti-resistant finishes that are commercially available. These range from protective wax coatings that are removed with hot water to the 2-component solvent-based polyurethane coatings"
 * 10)  "Choice of isolation coat should depend upon the artist’s application method. Another consideration is the surface texture, as brush-applying the isolation coat and varnish over a highly textured surface can generate foam in the isolation coat."
 * 11)  "Note: Breathability is important to the successful adhesion of acrylic products. If a mural encompasses an entire wall made of a masonry product, it is advisable to apply thin coats of MSA Varnish. This will allow interior condensation and evaporating solvents and out-gassings to escape (some artists recommend leaving an uncoated breathing space near the edge of the mural as well). If this is not done, it may lead to premature adhesion failure between the coatings and the substrate."
 * 12)  "Humidity in the North Carolina climate also affected the methodology of the mural painters. Because it was so humid, acrylic and oil-based products took longer than usual to dry."
 * 13)  "Generally, when working on large murals, Lenna will mix her color choices with GOLDEN Artist Colors, then have these colors matched with house paint. Most of her surfaces will be painted with the house paint, but she uses GOLDEN Acrylics to enhance certain areas when it is appropriate. Lenna has used up to 35 cans of paint plus artist colors on large projects. She uses a lot of AGL as well since she mixes it with most of her colors."
 * 14)  "For indoor murals, Susan has used fourteen 4’ X 8’ panels of MDO plywood, ½’’ thick. For exterior murals, she has used up to twenty-four 4’ X 8’ panels of ¾” MDO. Susan primes the panels with Sherwin Williams Heavy Duty Latex paint. Indoor panels are primed with 2 coats on the front side. On outdoor panels, she primes both the front and the back with 2 coats, and uses additional coats on the edges where the panels are most vulnerable. She also says that building a frame around the edges can increase longevity."
 * 15)  "Planning a mural project can take anywhere from one month to six months, says Susan, depending on the project and how many people are involved. When working with school or community groups she meets with everyone involved, and this can take a while. Each project usually has a unifying theme and she needs to consider how to engage diverse age groups (she works with 3 to 100 year olds). “It is always a challenge,” says Susan, “figuring out how to engage everyone in the project without total chaos. Planning is an important part of that.”"