What paints should I use on a wall mural?

To a certain degree, the type of paint you choose to use in your mural is down to preference and artistic style. Whilst some artists are a whizz with a can of spray paint, others opt for paint and a brush so there is no ultimate right or wrong answer. There are, however, recommended paint types that will help your artwork stand the test of time and last through cleaning and harsh weather.

Having completed a wide range of murals, I know my own personal preferences and have 10 year old murals that are still standing strong on external walls. One of the earliest lessons I learned in my mural painting career, was that household emulsion paints often dry at different shades to how they look when you first apply them. Dark colours tend to dry a little darker and light colours go a little lighter. Whilst this isn't an issue in general, you can account for this when choosing your colours, it makes it incredibly difficult to match existing colour mixes. If you use two emulsions to mix and create a colour, it will also dry at a different shade. If you then need to mix more of this colour, you will have to mix them a little lighter or darker than the shade on the wall and this is a complication you really don't need in the middle of your project.

Water based acrylics are perfect for mural painting. They dry the colour they are when you apply them, they have no smell, are weather resistant and can also stand up to a little cleaning when needed. I personally use Daler Rowney System 3 acrylics as they are a little better quality than the Daler Rowney Graduate acrylics, although the difference in quality is obviously then reflected in the price. If you are starting out and on a budget, you can give the Graduate acrylics a go, they are just little less hard wearing but would be great for practice.

I have always purchased my System 3 acrylics from Art Discount online. I have never found a better price, their customer service is awesome and delivery time is nice and speedy. They also have large pots which last really well when you're doing a lot of murals. My gallery below are all murals created with the Daler Rowney System 3 acrylic paints.

One last note, if the surface you are painting is too smooth then you acrylics are at risk of peeling off as they dry. A matt base layer of emulsion is perfect, whereas silk or vinyl bases can cause issues with adherence so wall prep is vital! I will follow up on this subject in a later blog.