Whether you own a business or hospitality venue, you’re a local artist commissioned to give your area some culture, or you’ve got big plans for your own home, a wall mural is a brilliant way to take a boring surface and transform it into so much more. Of course, with all that planning, effort and time spent executing your big idea, you want to make sure the artistic statement lasts.
Finding the best paint for a wall mural is a huge part of nailing that lasting legacy, and the type of paint you choose will need to stand up to the elements, adhere to the surface of your wall and maintain its colour and vibrancy after being scorched and lashed by the weather.
In order to make sure you’re picking up the best option for your needs, allow us to run through the best paints for murals on walls, according to some key categories.
The best paint for a wall mural
So, you’ve decided to create a mural. Nice! There are a few factors to consider when choosing the best paint for murals on walls, and the product you choose will depend on your planned surface and desired final result.
To help you make the right decision, we’ve laid out our best in show for uneven surfaces, interior and outdoor murals, maximum colour payoff, added texture and the best products to protect your artistry for the long term.
Best for uneven surfaces
Viponds Low Sheen Acrylic for interior and exterior use clears the competition when it comes to laying down coverage on uneven surfaces like concrete, brick and textured timber. It’s incredibly versatile and paint thinned for easy laying down of colour in large areas.
The low sheen finish helps to smooth out imperfections in the surface and provide a great, professional result. Best of all, it can be intermixed and tinted to create almost any shade within the Pantone, RAL and AS2700 colour range, so you can create your desired palette with ease.
Best for interior murals
If you’ve got a cafe wall screaming out for a bit of visual interest, you’re creating a unique atmosphere in a retail space or you’re wanting to some fresco-like details in your own house a la Jean Cocteau, Viponds Acrylic Flat is the option for you.
Its low light reflection makes it a great option for interior feature walls and murals, and it’s also great for photography and theatre spaces. Acrylic Flat comes in a rainbow of shades and can also be mixed to a custom hue to fit your needs.
The best outdoor mural paint
Especially in Australia, the sun can quickly leave its mark on outdoor murals that are exposed to direct rays. Viponds Artist's Acrylic Paint Matt contains light fast pigments that resist fading, to give you vibrant and lasting colour payoff that will last for years to come.
The Acrylic Matt Paint comes in 4 litre bottles that are great for large areas and big details, as well as 1 litre and 200 millilitre sizes so you can grab all the pre-mixed shades in the exact quantities you need. If you want a mural that will continue to look as fresh as the day it was painted long into the future, this is your best option.
Best texture for bold pieces
If you’re an artist who likes to work with a medium that has more body and viscosity, you’ll love the Artist’s Impasto Gel by Viponds. Simply mix this mural medium into your water based paints, and you’ve got one of the best paints for mural walls with varied textures and porosities. Whether you want your wall mural to have more dimensionality, you like to create structure within your paintings, or just give things a more textural feel, you’ll love this gel which can be added to a wide range of wall paints.
Best protection for maintaining your mural
Once the concept, sketching, planning, approval and painting of your mural are finished, the last thing you want to happen is to see it covered up with graffiti and tags. The best paints for mural walls don’t just last in the face of the passive ravages of time, they also resist defacement and vandalism.
If you’re creating an outdoor mural for a public space or signage for a business, this can be a particular concern. The solution? Vipond’s Graffiti Coat. This innovative clear coat creates a surface that helps you easily remove graffiti and preserve the integrity of the work.
Simply apply the clear coat over a painted (or unpainted) surface, and you’re left with a hard UV protectant layer that provides a barrier between the artwork and any ‘aftermarket’ additions that may find their way on there. Viponds Graffiti Coat is available in a gloss or satin finish to suit your preference.
And there you have it! Our definitive list of the best paints for murals on walls, both indoor and outdoor, for a range of applications and results. Now you know which product will suit your purposes, all that’s left to do is choose your subject and start painting!