I want to paint a mural, but, uh, not actually on the wall
March 3, 2018 3:14 PM Subscribe
I love art and I've always thought that if I had a kid, I would paint a mural on the wall of their room. Now there is in fact a kid on the way, and a room waiting to be decorated. The problem is that we're renting our place, and don't expect to be there a lot longer.
What I would like to do is paint on some large surface that will cover the better part of the wall, to give a mural-like effect. I wouldn't have to paint over it when we move, and we could take it with us. However, I'm not sure what to use as a canvas that will be large, durable, and safe.
I plan to paint with acrylic paint, because that's what I'm most experienced with. I thought about just using a big piece of wood, but I have never bought wood in my life and wouldn't know what to take into consideration in picking it out, where best to buy it, or how best to mount it. I could just go with a giant stretched canvas, but most prepared canvases I see for sale are relatively small, and the larger ones seem very expensive. I even thought about painting on a plain wooden folding screen, but I don't feel like things that can fall over easily and babies mix very well. Any ideas about what to use and where to buy it?
What I would like to do is paint on some large surface that will cover the better part of the wall, to give a mural-like effect. I wouldn't have to paint over it when we move, and we could take it with us. However, I'm not sure what to use as a canvas that will be large, durable, and safe.
I plan to paint with acrylic paint, because that's what I'm most experienced with. I thought about just using a big piece of wood, but I have never bought wood in my life and wouldn't know what to take into consideration in picking it out, where best to buy it, or how best to mount it. I could just go with a giant stretched canvas, but most prepared canvases I see for sale are relatively small, and the larger ones seem very expensive. I even thought about painting on a plain wooden folding screen, but I don't feel like things that can fall over easily and babies mix very well. Any ideas about what to use and where to buy it?
I've painted on insulating wall panels before (which were then nailed to a wall). They're fairly inexpensive, lightweight, and can be moved, although they tend to need touchups. The edges don't stay nice and the panels can develop dents, but the downsides didn't outweigh the convenience, in my opinion. The surface of mine were pretty smooth, so I prepped them with several coats of gesso (no sanding).
posted by notquitemaryann at 3:24 PM on March 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by notquitemaryann at 3:24 PM on March 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
In my home and school (including art school), masonite (specially-treated fibreboard, basically) slabs were preferred by this. Use the shiny side only after priming it well (if you search 'priming masonite', you'll find guides--the slick side starts quite slick). Acrylic works well on it.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 3:25 PM on March 3, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by flibbertigibbet at 3:25 PM on March 3, 2018 [5 favorites]
There's removable, paintable wallpaper, but I doubt you could keep it. I've never removed wallpaper that didn't tear and disintegrate, even the "removable" kind.
You can also custom order pre-stretched canvas on very large frames, but this is quite costly.
Masonite is a good solution, with the caveat that it is fairly easily damaged and chipped with mishandling. (I use masonite as a painting surface and as a palette on occasion.)
posted by xyzzy at 3:27 PM on March 3, 2018
You can also custom order pre-stretched canvas on very large frames, but this is quite costly.
Masonite is a good solution, with the caveat that it is fairly easily damaged and chipped with mishandling. (I use masonite as a painting surface and as a palette on occasion.)
posted by xyzzy at 3:27 PM on March 3, 2018
Also, if you do go with foam, be sure not to select an oil-based paint.
posted by notquitemaryann at 3:27 PM on March 3, 2018
posted by notquitemaryann at 3:27 PM on March 3, 2018
If you have a Home Goods or other discount home decorations store nearby, check to see if they have any giant stretched canvases that already have some sort of art (or more likely, kitschy phrases about drinking wine) screen printed on them. These are usually super cheap and in my experience not hard to paint over. Plus, all the hanging hardware is already built in.
posted by mjcon at 3:28 PM on March 3, 2018 [15 favorites]
posted by mjcon at 3:28 PM on March 3, 2018 [15 favorites]
It's not very hard to stretch a canvas yourself, if you can handle making a simple frame. The fabric is pretty cheap. (I also see art students sometimes give away giant canvases on Craigslist, but it would be easier to make one yourself).
posted by pinochiette at 3:32 PM on March 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by pinochiette at 3:32 PM on March 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
Paint it on a big piece of fabric (a white sheet would totally work) and then hang it on the wall with starch. Doesn't damage the wall, and you can remove it and hang it again when you move.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 4:06 PM on March 3, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 4:06 PM on March 3, 2018 [3 favorites]
I'm not sure I'd want a giant piece of foam or masonite in a baby's room...
What about designing a mural that's essentially objects that relate to each other, on a plain-ish background? Then you could paint the individual objects and mount those on the wall. It would also be very cool.
posted by amtho at 4:12 PM on March 3, 2018
What about designing a mural that's essentially objects that relate to each other, on a plain-ish background? Then you could paint the individual objects and mount those on the wall. It would also be very cool.
posted by amtho at 4:12 PM on March 3, 2018
Why not buy a large painter’s drop cloth, and then either stretch it or hang it?
posted by Ideefixe at 4:14 PM on March 3, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Ideefixe at 4:14 PM on March 3, 2018 [3 favorites]
You can paint on unstretched canvas, no problem (happens all the time at art school cause stretcher bars are expensive). And your mural will be easy to transport afterwords. I would get proper canvas rather than a drop cloth or sheet, it will handle being painted well and hang flat against the wall. If you like, you could hem the edges like a banner.
posted by velebita at 4:40 PM on March 3, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by velebita at 4:40 PM on March 3, 2018 [4 favorites]
Watch your edges and the thickness of your paint - acrylic can peel and you don’t want your kid to eat it. I would think twice about materials with the potential to offgas, like some foamboards - and masonite is really heavy in addition to being a compound material that seems somewhat toxic.
What about a fabric or paper banner that you can hang high enough to stay out of eating range? Easy enough to take with you when you move.
I am also a renting parent! I wish I could mark heights in the doorway and plant trees with my kid, so I feel this question!
posted by Lawn Beaver at 4:52 PM on March 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
What about a fabric or paper banner that you can hang high enough to stay out of eating range? Easy enough to take with you when you move.
I am also a renting parent! I wish I could mark heights in the doorway and plant trees with my kid, so I feel this question!
posted by Lawn Beaver at 4:52 PM on March 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
flibbertigibbet: "In my home and school (including art school), masonite (specially-treated fibreboard, basically) slabs were preferred by this. Use the shiny side only after priming it well (if you search 'priming masonite', you'll find guides--the slick side starts quite slick). Acrylic works well on it."
Yep. Use an 1/8" Masonite (generic name: Tempered Hardboard). You can get it at any home improvement Borg in 2x4, 4x4 or 4x8 sheets. Prime with a shellac based primer like Killz. If you go 4x8 you could get it cut to slightly smaller than the ceiling height in the room and then just use 1 screw in each top corner to screw it to the wall (assuming gyproc). Two little holes like that are easy to Spackle when you move out.
Foam is a real hazard in a fire. Even the sorts that don't support combustion will dump a ton of really nasty toxins into the air in a fire. It is also easily dented and pieces can be broken off by hand or mouth.
Lawn Beaver: "I am also a renting parent! I wish I could mark heights in the doorway"
Similar to the above a 1X4 cut to the interior height of your door jam and secured with either a couple finishing nails or 3m command strips is just as durable as a regular door frame yet portable with minor, easily repairable damage at worst.
Lawn Beaver: "masonite is really heavy in addition to being a compound material that seems somewhat toxic."
A 4x8x1/8 sheet is 23 lbs. Heavier than a light weight canvas but quite manageable. And Masonite is constructed wholly from ground up wood subjected to steam and pressure; it is no more toxic than a 2x4 or a tree. It is also food safe.
posted by Mitheral at 7:58 PM on March 3, 2018 [6 favorites]
Yep. Use an 1/8" Masonite (generic name: Tempered Hardboard). You can get it at any home improvement Borg in 2x4, 4x4 or 4x8 sheets. Prime with a shellac based primer like Killz. If you go 4x8 you could get it cut to slightly smaller than the ceiling height in the room and then just use 1 screw in each top corner to screw it to the wall (assuming gyproc). Two little holes like that are easy to Spackle when you move out.
Foam is a real hazard in a fire. Even the sorts that don't support combustion will dump a ton of really nasty toxins into the air in a fire. It is also easily dented and pieces can be broken off by hand or mouth.
Lawn Beaver: "I am also a renting parent! I wish I could mark heights in the doorway"
Similar to the above a 1X4 cut to the interior height of your door jam and secured with either a couple finishing nails or 3m command strips is just as durable as a regular door frame yet portable with minor, easily repairable damage at worst.
Lawn Beaver: "masonite is really heavy in addition to being a compound material that seems somewhat toxic."
A 4x8x1/8 sheet is 23 lbs. Heavier than a light weight canvas but quite manageable. And Masonite is constructed wholly from ground up wood subjected to steam and pressure; it is no more toxic than a 2x4 or a tree. It is also food safe.
posted by Mitheral at 7:58 PM on March 3, 2018 [6 favorites]
Butcher paper?
posted by Gneisskate at 9:06 PM on March 3, 2018
posted by Gneisskate at 9:06 PM on March 3, 2018
If you want to go for wood, look into prices for baltic birch plywood. It's a fancier type of plywood with a finer grain and usually has a smoother cleaner surface and nicer looking cut edges. It's pretty affordable especially the thinner sheets. It takes paint very well, and you could have the hardware store folks cut sheets up into more manageable sizes that you could then tile together later. Plywood is nice also because it takes hanging hardware really securely - consider nailing some thin strips of plywood along the top and bottom and then nailing similar ones into the wall so it rests fully from side to side along a support, and doesn't tip because there's a bottom bumper in place too.
posted by Mizu at 2:28 AM on March 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Mizu at 2:28 AM on March 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
My first thought was hardboard/Masonite panels too. You could cover the entire wall and move it when you do.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 5:37 AM on March 4, 2018
posted by PorcineWithMe at 5:37 AM on March 4, 2018
Canvas is paintable and can be rolled up, or can be painted in movable sections, if acrylic is likely to crack.
Or, get sonotubes and have a different perspective.
posted by theora55 at 6:59 AM on March 4, 2018
Or, get sonotubes and have a different perspective.
posted by theora55 at 6:59 AM on March 4, 2018
Here are my questions:
How much longer is the "not a lot longer" that you plan to be in your place?
How much time do you have before the kid arrives, and how well prepared are you? How much of a commitment to this project can you take on? What are your other commitments in the time remaining? Because, do not tell yourself you're going to have time in the first year or so after the baby is born, you are not.
Have you already lost your security deposit?
Could you reasonably repaint before leaving?
Are you going to own your new place, or be renting?
Once you get to your new place, are you going to want to do a new mural?
posted by bile and syntax at 11:45 AM on March 4, 2018
How much longer is the "not a lot longer" that you plan to be in your place?
How much time do you have before the kid arrives, and how well prepared are you? How much of a commitment to this project can you take on? What are your other commitments in the time remaining? Because, do not tell yourself you're going to have time in the first year or so after the baby is born, you are not.
Have you already lost your security deposit?
Could you reasonably repaint before leaving?
Are you going to own your new place, or be renting?
Once you get to your new place, are you going to want to do a new mural?
posted by bile and syntax at 11:45 AM on March 4, 2018
If you use fabric, mix your acrylic paint with a fabric medium so it won't crack as the fabric flexes. You can then also heat set it with an iron, or in the dryer, making it washable in the future.
A painter's dropcloth sounds like a good option. Otherwise, undyed calico (often called muslin in the US) is cheap and often comes in an extra-wide width.
posted by Pallas Athena at 3:24 PM on March 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
A painter's dropcloth sounds like a good option. Otherwise, undyed calico (often called muslin in the US) is cheap and often comes in an extra-wide width.
posted by Pallas Athena at 3:24 PM on March 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
Oh, and to be on the safe side, have some cardboard or plastic sheeting under your fabric as you paint, in case it soaks through.
posted by Pallas Athena at 3:25 PM on March 4, 2018
posted by Pallas Athena at 3:25 PM on March 4, 2018
Just a warning - acrylics do not do well on fabric, unless mixed with a fabric medium. And "don't do well" i mean will not work, will crack, will peel, and will eventually fade. It will also be unwashable.
posted by FirstMateKate at 12:18 PM on March 5, 2018
posted by FirstMateKate at 12:18 PM on March 5, 2018
re: the 'toxicity' of masonite:
The only ingredients in masonite are wood chips/pulp, water vapor (steam), paraffin wax (like in candles or in the wax the orthodontist gives you to put in your mouth to ease braces cankers, and inevitably swallow), linseed oil (which is edible, although likely not using food-grade linseed oil), and 0-1% of a polymer containing formaldehyde. Almost every plywood I found has more of this formaldehyde-containing polymer, ranging between 1 and 15%. (Did I spend time looking at MSDSes? Yes.)
Masonite is remarkably safe as pressed wood goes, including much of the wood used in your home already (cabinets, bookshelves, etc.)
posted by flibbertigibbet at 4:33 AM on March 12, 2018
The only ingredients in masonite are wood chips/pulp, water vapor (steam), paraffin wax (like in candles or in the wax the orthodontist gives you to put in your mouth to ease braces cankers, and inevitably swallow), linseed oil (which is edible, although likely not using food-grade linseed oil), and 0-1% of a polymer containing formaldehyde. Almost every plywood I found has more of this formaldehyde-containing polymer, ranging between 1 and 15%. (Did I spend time looking at MSDSes? Yes.)
Masonite is remarkably safe as pressed wood goes, including much of the wood used in your home already (cabinets, bookshelves, etc.)
posted by flibbertigibbet at 4:33 AM on March 12, 2018
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posted by staraling at 3:24 PM on March 3, 2018 [1 favorite]