I thought gesso was just fancy paint but it saved my mural job in Austin

Last month I got a commission to paint a big outdoor mural on a brick wall in Austin. I figured I'd just throw some primer on it and go, like I always do with interior walls. But the owner of the studio I was working out of insisted I use gesso, not regular primer. I was skeptical because gesso is like twice the price and I thought it was just for canvas. After the first coat the brick soaked it up so unevenly I almost gave up. But after three coats the surface was this perfect, even, slightly toothy finish that grabbed every brushstroke. The paint went on smooth and it's been through two rainstorms now with zero peeling. Has anyone else found a weird material that totally changed their approach to a specific surface?

2 comments

2 Comments

dixon.anthony8d ago

Fought with a cheap spray gun for three hours before realizing a paint roller works better. Guess I like doing things the hard way first.

willow_anderson858d ago

Actually, rollers are faster than sprayers for most walls (especially with textured surfaces).