Spray paintings on the wall of a house, in an apartment

Hip-hop culture in New York has given rise to a new art form: graffiti. This trend should not be confused with simple inscriptions on a fence. The art of painting with an aerosol can goes far beyond simple wall art. Since last year, designers have taken an extravagant step - they have introduced such drawings into apartment design.

Types and variants of drawings

Spray painting on the wall has many styles. Each of them has its own characteristic features that distinguish it from others.

Images applied with spray paint are usually divided into several groups:

• Graffiti.
• Plant elements.
• Composed drawings that combine many details.
• Abstractions.

Graffiti in turn is divided into:

Graffiti style	Characteristic
Freesyle	The drawings do not have strict limitations in execution. The artist can create a completely arbitrary image, combining several graffiti trends.
FX or Daim style, 3D	The style of the drawings is named after the founder of this trend – Daim. It was he who introduced artistic techniques in the 90s, which are used to decorate walls in various establishments. This style can also be seen in advertising, when it is used to decorate the external surfaces of houses. It is distinguished by the complexity of the drawings and visual volume.
Computer Rock Style	The style is also called turning point. The drawings seem to be divided into different fragments, which are inclined in different directions. Such drawings were first noticed in the birthplace of graffiti in New York.
Character	The drawings depict comic book characters. Often such works of art are supplemented with phrases. To implement the idea, it is often necessary to have artistic abilities.
Camouflage	The images are distinguished by original connections of the details of the drawing, as well as their color. Most often, the palette has 2-5 shades. The style is not as impetuous as the "Messian style", but has the same dynamics. The letters have additional decorative elements, and the shape of the drawing itself is created using curved lines.
Eclectic	The drawings are complex, with a set of different complex elements. In this style, the author can show his skills and come up with a completely new artistic masterpiece.
Messianic Style	The designs consist of letters that create the effect of overlapping each other. This trend appeared in New York.
Wild style	The drawing is carefully thought out, has a clear outline. The colors and lines are well worked out.
Blockbuster	The drawings usually consist of wide and three-dimensional letters. The application technique consists of backlighting, the effect of which is imitated by silver and white paint. An alternative to this is to apply the drawing using an outline. Sometimes, if the creation is of a large volume, 3 or more artists work simultaneously. For example, one of them will paint the inner part of the letters, the second will do the outline, and the third will work on the three-dimensional effect.
Bubble letters	The letters are rounded to resemble bubbles. The design uses 2-3 colors.
Dynamic	Drawings in this style contain all types of graffiti that existed in New York in the 80s. It assumes that art should be viewed in motion, and therefore most often they are applied to cars and other moving objects. Although, there are exceptions. Often drawings can be seen on the walls of houses.
Throw up	There is no emphasis on quality in these drawings. You need to draw quickly, and this is only possible if the art has simple lines that create the letters. Their inner part is filled with silver or white paint.

Not long ago, street drawings migrated into apartment space. Just a couple of years ago, this innovation was not popular. But now designers skillfully combine graffiti with interior design. This innovation not only has a beautiful visual effect, but also helps to hide the flaws of the repair, if any. To apply drawings, you do not need to additionally level the walls or complement them with decorative elements.

The graffiti itself will become a dominant feature in the home's decor. Designers advise using it in an apartment if it is decorated in a high-tech style. It is the living space, decorated minimalistically, but at the same time technologically, that will open up a lot of opportunities for decorating the walls with drawings. An apartment in a high-tech style allows you to use large spaces for creativity. However, you should not use all the walls as a canvas for drawing.

It is enough to apply one small image to diversify the decor and add bright notes to it. At the same time, the lines of the drawing should be thin so as not to weigh it down.

Drawings on the wall will look appropriate in an apartment decorated in an industrial or loft style. In such living spaces, the decor is as close as possible to the brutal atmosphere of factory workshops: high ceilings, no interior partitions, complete or partial lack of wall decoration. If you move away from the classic graffiti trends, then the drawings can be matched to almost any apartment.

When there is a lot of free space on the walls in a living space, it can be diluted with the following types of drawings:

• Abstractions. They go well with modern apartment design styles. Such a pattern can dilute the monochrome decor of a living space. The size of the image should correspond to the area of ​​the room. If the room is small, then the pattern should be small. The best background is a neutral wall color or wallpaper with small abstract elements. Images are most often applied to the living room or hall.
• Plant elements (tropical leaves, flowers). Trees are universal and look beautiful on the wall in the bedroom or living room.
• Sketches with animals (especially relevant when decorating a child's room).

But, unlike graffiti, the wall must be pre-treated for such drawings. The image will look sloppy if the surface is rough and has defects. Drawings on the wall look very beautiful when it is painted, not wallpapered. The image can be large, filling the entire space, or consist of several small elements. What scale and style to choose is up to the owner of the living space.

Drawing tools

Spray painting on a wall requires high-quality art materials.

Considering that the image will be located in a residential area, the paint must meet the following requirements:

• Do not contain toxic compounds. The can may indicate that it can be used indoors.
  
• The enamel should not fade from sunlight. This will ensure a long-lasting result. Such paint is not afraid of ultraviolet radiation, which is especially important for apartments on the sunny side.
• Have good water resistance. This will make wet cleaning calm, because you won’t have to worry that the image on the wall can be removed with the dust. This is especially important when decorating a bathroom.

When buying an aerosol can, you need to look at what surfaces it is suitable for. Walls can be made of metal, plastered or bricked. You can buy a universal paint composition, but preference should be given to the can that will match the wall material. This will contribute to the high quality and durability of the drawing.

But in addition to this, when buying paint, you should pay attention to the decorative paint solvent:

Solvent	Peculiarities	Where can it be used?
Buttery	Not suitable for long-lasting images.	Does not apply well to any surface.
Latex	Suitable for walls in high humidity conditions. Easy to use. Does not contain toxic substances and odor.	Suitable for any walls.
Water-dispersible	The most budget option. Suitable for painting in a room with moderate humidity. Not durable. Finished drawings are recommended to be covered with colorless varnish.	Suitable for any walls + wallpaper.
Silicone	Increased moisture resistance and durability. Can be painted on a balcony or terrace.	Suitable for all types of walls.

In addition, aerosol cans have different bases:

Alkyd	The peculiarity of such a base is that after drying in paint under the influence of atmospheric oxygen, the polymerization process continues. Enamel molecules adhere more tightly to each other, which increases their resistance to solvents. This process takes up to 2 weeks. Advantages: high adhesion to metals, weather resistance and hardness. Enamel fades less. Apply paint layer by layer, without waiting for drying: wet on wet, no later than 2 hours after applying the previous one. If this is not possible, then you should wait for complete polymerization of the enamel and apply the second layer only after 2 weeks. Drawings do not require additional varnish coating.
Acrylic	After spraying the paint, the solvent evaporates, the enamel dries, and the drawing is ready. Advantages: short drying time (1-2 hours), rich color, high adhesion to plastic and elasticity. This paint is best applied to plastic products. Resistance to solvents is moderate. Any primer can be used to prepare surfaces for applying acrylic.
Etherocellulose	They are used to give a glossy effect to a drawing. They are not durable, so they are fixed with varnish.
Organosilicon	Heat-resistant paint that does not require preliminary priming of walls. Enamels can withstand temperatures up to 800°C. The downside of such enamels is that they need to be calcined after application, which is inconvenient indoors.

When purchasing an aerosol can, it is worth paying attention to the effects of the paint.

Paints can be:

• Chameleons – change their shade depending on the lighting.
• Matte – give an even shade.
• Fluorescent – have a glow effect. Such paints are used not as a dominant color, but to highlight a separate element.
  
• Glossy – shimmer in the light.
• Craquelure – create a pattern in the style of antiquity. As a result, the “cracking” effect will be visible even visually.
• Metallized – imitate the shine of metals.

Aerosol paints from the Dutch manufacturer "Maxi Colo" are very popular. The palette contains over 150 RAL shades that can be used to decorate interior spaces.

Master classes

You can paint the wall with a spray can yourself or hire professional artists. In the first case, you can use ready-made master classes to make the work easier.

It is worth considering that if you do the work yourself, in addition to paint, you should purchase personal protective equipment:

• Respirator.
• Gloves.
• Clothes. You can use an old sweater and pants, or buy a protective suit.

Before applying the drawing, it is worth practicing on a rough version. This can be paper or an easel.

3D wallpaper design

Such an image will consist of 2 colors: white and black.

Approximate material consumption for a wall with an area of ​​8 m²:

• 2-3 kilograms of white paint (depending on the number of layers).
• 1.5 cans of black spray paint.
• 1 permanent marker.

Materials required to complete the drawing:

• Cardboard.
• Permanent and simple pencils.
• The paint is white.
• Masking tape.
• Film.

Execution algorithm:

1. All objects, if any, are removed from the wall on which the drawing will be applied.
   
2. If the surface is covered with vinyl wallpaper, then it is not necessary to remove it.
   
3. Use masking tape to cover those areas of the wallpaper where there will be no pattern.
   
4. Prepare the wall for painting. Apply white paint. If one layer is not enough, apply the next one, but after the first one has dried. The tone should be uniform, without spots.
   
5. After each application, allow the paint to dry.
6. A rectangle 23 cm wide and 46 cm long is cut out of thick cardboard. A handle should be made in the middle of the blank - glue a piece of paper that will be comfortable to hold onto.
   
7. By applying the cardboard blank to the wall, trace its outline with a simple pencil, and then with a permanent one. A regular pencil lead can be used to correct errors.
   
8. Start from one of the upper corners of the wall. The rectangles should be located next to each other, but in different positions - sometimes horizontal, sometimes vertical.
   
9. At the junction of the triangles there should be small squares. They are painted over manually with black paint.
   
10. Cover the ceiling with film. Aerosol may get on it. If it does not matter, you can skip this step.
    
11. Using a spray can, paint is applied to the outline of the rectangles. At the same time, cardboard is placed on the border of the line so that the paint is distributed only on one side.
12. The inner part of the rectangle is left unpainted.

You should get a drawing like this:

After applying the design, it is allowed to dry.

Drawing with a stencil

Spray painting on the wall using a stencil is suitable for people who have no artistic experience. You can buy a blank for the image in a store or make it yourself.

If you resort to the second option, you will need the following materials:

• Thick cardboard or large Whatman paper.
• Scissors or a stationery knife.
• Carbon paper.
• Pencil.
• Scotch.

Algorithm for creating a stencil:

1. Choose the desired design on the Internet.
2. Print it out in whole or in parts and redraw it on Whatman paper or cardboard using carbon paper. You can lean the sheet against the monitor and trace the outline with a pencil, but this will take a lot of time.
3. The finished template is covered with tape on both sides, simulating the effect of a laminated blank. This will prevent the stencil from getting wet.
   
4. Cut out the areas of the drawing that will be painted. Use a stationery knife or scissors for this. It is important to cut so that the edges are even, without torn areas. This will make the drawing neat and its outline clear.
5. Cut out the template along the outline.

Three-dimensional drawings most often consist of several stencils. Such images will be composite, like a mosaic. After the theme of the drawing is chosen, the surface is prepared for its application. The wall is cleaned of dust.

After this, the stencil is fixed to the surface. Aerosol glue is used for this. It will prevent the wallpaper or paint from peeling off the wall surface when the template is subsequently removed. The glue is distributed evenly over the entire stencil.

If necessary, additionally cover the walls around the template so as not to stain them with the aerosol mixture. After this, paint over the empty slots in the drawing with a spray can. Repeat the procedure if necessary. If after removing the template the outline of the drawing is blurry, it can be outlined manually with a thin brush.

Drawing using an anti-stencil

This image looks unusual due to the original application to the wall. The drawing algorithm can be different. For example, leaves or another template are glued to the wall. The free space around the template is painted over. When it dries, the template is removed. There will be an unpainted surface of the drawing underneath.

Master class (approximate):

• Templates of flowers with leaves are pasted onto a white wall.
• The space around the images is painted with a spray can. You can use a single-color green or a mixture of its shades. The color saturation can be adjusted by the number of layers of paint.
• After the enamel has been applied and dried, the stencils are removed.
• White patterns of the template remain on the green background.

Colors and images can be adjusted.

Tips and secrets

A spray painting on a wall can divide a room into zones or hide a renovation flaw.

A list of useful tips will help you create not only beautiful decor, but also useful:

• Before using the spray paint, shake it vigorously several times to ensure the mixture is uniform.
• You can adjust the thickness of the lines using the nozzles on the spray can. Thanks to them, you can draw blurred lines or a clear outline.
• The distance from the spray can to the wall should be from 25 to 30 cm. From a closer distance, the paint may flow, and from a farther distance, all the solvent will disappear, and the substance will lie on the wall in the form of colored dust. Such a pattern will be erased from the wall with a simple movement of a dry rag.
• The image should be applied quickly. It should be started and finished outside the outline. In places where the stream stops, a leak is formed, which, thanks to this, remains outside the drawing and does not spoil it.
• If more than one color is used in the drawing, and they will be superimposed on each other, then each subsequent layer should be applied perpendicularly. This will make the image more uniform.
• Don't apply one thick coat of paint. It's better to do 2 intermediate coats with drying between them.
• After use, the can must be blown out. To do this, turn the container upside down and spray the substance until it stops flowing. Its composition is enamel, not a propellant gas.
• For painting on walls, water-based acrylic paints are suitable. They have a deep color, are odorless, and dry quickly after application.
• To do wet cleaning of walls without fear for the quality of the drawing, matte or colorless varnish will help. It is applied to the painting when it dries.
• It is not worth painting all the walls in the apartment. A large number of drawings can visually overload the interior of the room and make its area visually smaller.
• When choosing a painting sketch, you need to focus on the walls on the cardinal points. If there is little sun in the room, then preference is given to a warm palette of shades: red, yellow, orange, brown. For the southern side, cold tones are chosen: turquoise, blue, light blue.
• The pattern on the wall should match the style of the apartment interior. For example, in a classic design, floral, heraldic, checkered patterns or damask will be appropriate. In a loft room, on the contrary - bold graffiti, abstractions. In an apartment with a modern design, prints of geometric shapes and stripes will be relevant.
• The drawing on the wall will be in harmony with the interior if it echoes it. For example, with the carpet, curtains or decorative items.
• Horizontally drawn stripes will help make a narrow room visually wider. However, this trick will make the ceiling lower. Vertical lines, on the contrary, will stretch the walls, but narrow the room.
• The drawing in a small room should not be large. You should also avoid colorful images. Preference should be given to small details in a light design.
  
• A drawing with perspective will help to increase the space in the room. This could be a landscape of a path in the park, going somewhere deep.
• Using images on the wall, the space in the room can be visually divided into zones.
• The drawing does not necessarily have to be on an empty wall. It can be applied above doorways, at the head of the bed, or used to decorate a ledge or niche in the wall.
• To find out how the drawing will look on the wall, you can work out its plan on one of the websites on apartment decor. In the software designer, you can make the interior of your personal home and apply the pattern of the drawing to the wall. This will allow you to evaluate the effect of the painting and, if possible, adjust its size, color and location before applying it to the surface.

Apartment space is decorated in different ways. It is easy to make a drawing on the wall with a spray can yourself. This will give the living space an individual character. And in case of changing the interior, the image can be easily painted over and changed.

Video about spray painting on the wall

How to make graffiti on a wall with a spray can: