How to increase the permanence of outdoor paintings

All exterior paint or art work is subject to weathering and unfortunately, will not last forever. However the use of correct techniques and materials can certainly improve the longevity of your painting. Here are a few recommendations which may help.

Firstly you should consider that region and location have an effect on longevity, for instance if you are living in a coastal area or the outback of Australia, longevity will decrease due to the tougher weather conditions. It is also advisable to paint your mural in a sheltered spot if possible.

If you are painting on wood, marine ply is recommended and when painting on masonry you should make sure that your surface is in a good condition and free from excess dust or residue. You could also pre-seal porous masonry and plaster using a bonding solution.

It is best to prime your surface before painting it, Artists’ Acrylic Gesso is ideal for this or you can use a good primer for wood masonry. Don’t forget to allow sufficient drying time between each coat.

We would recommend that you use either Galeria Acrylic Colour, Artists’ Acrylic or Griffin Alkyd Fast Drying Oil Colour for exterior murals. You shouldn’t paint during rainy conditions and should allow 48hours for Acrylic and 7 days for Griffin Alkyd to dry before varnishing. It is also best to avoid certain colours which do not weather well, this is mainly due to the effects of acid rain. Pigments to avoid would be anything containing Ultramarine Blue P.B.29 or Genuine Cadmium colours.

Finally, when your work is completed, coat the finished mural with a permanent exterior varnish or a good quality yacht varnish that can be purchased in hardware stores. If you’ve taken care in preparing your mural, it should last a long time but unfortunately, it won’t exist forever.