I painted an 8' x 12' canvas dropcloth to use as a backdrop for photos. So far this is the biggest thing I've painted. It took about 5 hours in real time to do. Here it is condensed into 2 minutes. Enjoy!
I’ve never done a drop cloth painting before and I’m doing my research, so far this is the only video I’ve come across that’s using it the way I intend to. I want to paint a large picture for my bedroom on drop cloth and somehow frame it and put it behind my bed but I want it to be huge…any advice? I’m crafty but not an expert painter
Hello, I would say clay, milk or chalk based paints work the best for drop cloth painting because they "stain" the fabric easier. Thinning them down with water quite alot is what works best for me--these types of paints thin nicely and still hold plenty of color. You can use acrylic or latex (I did use some in this vid) but be warned they have more of a tendency to clump and leave behind bits and pieces when water thinning, so if you do use them I'd recommend straining your thinned paint before applying to your drop cloth. Try to spread the paint directly with a brush, rather than pour it onto the fabric and then brush because it can leave "Soak lines" that are super concentrated and hard to disguise. Keep a bucket of extra water on hand to dip into to help presoak some areas if needed--a spray bottle of water is helpful too. If you're working on a really big piece like this one, working from top to bottom is probably easiest so you're not walking on wet paint. Since this one was so big that I had to walk on it, I kept my room near and would sweep away debris as I moved down (hair and dust on the painting is a bummer). Another option to avoid this would be to roll it up from the bottom and unroll it as you move down. I like to see where I'm at scale-wise so I'd probably have a hard time doing it that way. I used a drop cloth that had a leakproof plastic backing so it contained all the paint and didn't make a big mess, but it did take longer to dry. You can buy drop cloths without the plastic backing too, just keep in mind if you're using lots of water you're still going to want to let it lay flat to dry so the paint doesn't run. I like to wash my drop cloth fabric before I use it because it can sometimes have a bit of a factory smell. They're tough, so I wash and dry like normal and iron out all the creases before painting. You could always do a test run on a small piece of drop cloth to get the idea of how the paint takes to it before attempting your big project. It would definitely help ease you into it. Hope all of this helps! I'm not an expert painter either, just wanted to try it and it ended up being really cool. Enjoy the process and try not to stress about it otherwise it takes away from the joy of art :) Have fun with your project!
I’ve been looking for info about this. Im looking at painting a mural but want to take it with me during moves and be able to roll it up and store it. Will there be a problem with rolling it with the dried paint?
In my experience no, because if you're watering your paint down enough (I used lots of water) it really dyes it more than simply painting, because it seeps into the fabric rather than just sit on top. Hope this helps!
So I’m really struggling to paint a drop cloth, I’m using acrylic but the cloth is absorbing all the paint and leaves it pretty sheer. I’ve diluted it with some water but it just leaves it patchy. Do you have any tips? I love how yours came out
I would recommend using a clay or mineral based paint. They are highly pigmented and work really great when diluted with water and maintain vivid color. Look up Debi's Design Diary DIY paint. I'm not sure where you're located but there are stockists/retailers all over and if not in your town you can always get some shipped.
@@roseberryworkshop7134 absolutely wonderful! I never thought of that but of course. I got roped into doing a backdrop for a small local play at the last second and this will absolutely save the day!! Thank you so much for the inspiration and the quick response, much appreciated!
@@xatz8527 you're very welcome. Keep in mind the plastic backing will take longer to dry and depending on how watery your paint is..I used alot of water so mine took about a week to dry if I remember correctly. And you could always place a thin plastic drop cloth underneath if you opted not to use one with an attached plastic backing.
Thank you! I used a big ol mish mash of paint, anything I had on hand. Some latex, some dollar store acrylic, some DIY...anything that would give it color. Lots of water to help stretch the paint 💗
That was awesome!
Thank you!
I’ve never done a drop cloth painting before and I’m doing my research, so far this is the only video I’ve come across that’s using it the way I intend to. I want to paint a large picture for my bedroom on drop cloth and somehow frame it and put it behind my bed but I want it to be huge…any advice? I’m crafty but not an expert painter
Hello, I would say clay, milk or chalk based paints work the best for drop cloth painting because they "stain" the fabric easier. Thinning them down with water quite alot is what works best for me--these types of paints thin nicely and still hold plenty of color.
You can use acrylic or latex (I did use some in this vid) but be warned they have more of a tendency to clump and leave behind bits and pieces when water thinning, so if you do use them I'd recommend straining your thinned paint before applying to your drop cloth.
Try to spread the paint directly with a brush, rather than pour it onto the fabric and then brush because it can leave "Soak lines" that are super concentrated and hard to disguise.
Keep a bucket of extra water on hand to dip into to help presoak some areas if needed--a spray bottle of water is helpful too.
If you're working on a really big piece like this one, working from top to bottom is probably easiest so you're not walking on wet paint.
Since this one was so big that I had to walk on it, I kept my room near and would sweep away debris as I moved down (hair and dust on the painting is a bummer). Another option to avoid this would be to roll it up from the bottom and unroll it as you move down. I like to see where I'm at scale-wise so I'd probably have a hard time doing it that way.
I used a drop cloth that had a leakproof plastic backing so it contained all the paint and didn't make a big mess, but it did take longer to dry. You can buy drop cloths without the plastic backing too, just keep in mind if you're using lots of water you're still going to want to let it lay flat to dry so the paint doesn't run.
I like to wash my drop cloth fabric before I use it because it can sometimes have a bit of a factory smell. They're tough, so I wash and dry like normal and iron out all the creases before painting.
You could always do a test run on a small piece of drop cloth to get the idea of how the paint takes to it before attempting your big project. It would definitely help ease you into it.
Hope all of this helps! I'm not an expert painter either, just wanted to try it and it ended up being really cool. Enjoy the process and try not to stress about it otherwise it takes away from the joy of art :) Have fun with your project!
I’ve been looking for info about this. Im looking at painting a mural but want to take it with me during moves and be able to roll it up and store it. Will there be a problem with rolling it with the dried paint?
In my experience no, because if you're watering your paint down enough (I used lots of water) it really dyes it more than simply painting, because it seeps into the fabric rather than just sit on top. Hope this helps!
@@roseberryworkshop7134 Thats great! Thank you so much!
@@roseberryworkshop7134this is great. Looks like u didn’t gesso it?
@@Katehikes14 no, I didn't.
So I’m really struggling to paint a drop cloth, I’m using acrylic but the cloth is absorbing all the paint and leaves it pretty sheer. I’ve diluted it with some water but it just leaves it patchy. Do you have any tips? I love how yours came out
I would recommend using a clay or mineral based paint. They are highly pigmented and work really great when diluted with water and maintain vivid color. Look up Debi's Design Diary DIY paint. I'm not sure where you're located but there are stockists/retailers all over and if not in your town you can always get some shipped.
Beautiful!
Can I ask.. did the paint bleed through onto the floor? Did you have to put protection under the cloth? Thanks a million!
Hello! Thank you. This one had a protective plastic backing on it (you can buy with or without) so nothing went through onto the floor.
@@roseberryworkshop7134 absolutely wonderful! I never thought of that but of course. I got roped into doing a backdrop for a small local play at the last second and this will absolutely save the day!!
Thank you so much for the inspiration and the quick response, much appreciated!
@@xatz8527 you're very welcome. Keep in mind the plastic backing will take longer to dry and depending on how watery your paint is..I used alot of water so mine took about a week to dry if I remember correctly. And you could always place a thin plastic drop cloth underneath if you opted not to use one with an attached plastic backing.
What type of paint did you use? Its beautiful...
Thank you! I used a big ol mish mash of paint, anything I had on hand. Some latex, some dollar store acrylic, some DIY...anything that would give it color. Lots of water to help stretch the paint 💗
Did you prime it with gesso first ??
Nope I didnt prime with anything :)