How to paint a plaster figurine. How and how to paint plaster figurines for the garden How to paint a plaster figurine with gouache

Gypsum, as a material, has a fairly large range of colors, from completely white to soft pink shades. But do not limit yourself - gypsum paint can transform the material into bronze or ivory, so why not do it!

Gypsum painting - what paints do gypsum like?

Gypsum is present both in plaster mixtures and as an independent material for the same modeling with which we decorate our houses. And not always its natural whiteness can suit you in terms of combination with other interior elements or simply not suit you - it's too easy to mess up such details during cleaning. It is much easier and more interesting to paint gypsum surfaces or elements! Of course, it will not work to take watercolor paints and give the desired color to gypsum products, there are secrets in this process. It's time to lift the veil of mystery!

In principle, gypsum, as well as almost any natural material, can be easily applied with all kinds of paints and varnishes, gilding and other simulators of silver, bronze, and at least ivory! Acrylic paints adhere well to the gypsum surface, however, adhesion with this material is high in almost all compositions. For better preservation of the paint layer, it does not hurt to apply an additional layer of colorless varnish, the paint should be completely dry by this time.

How to make plaster stronger - the secrets of reliable modeling!

Gypsum itself is a fairly strong material, but it will not be superfluous to make it even stronger, that way 10 times! This can be done both at the stage of mixing the solution, and after the product is ready. In the first case, for all the manipulations, you will only need knowledge and a little lime and PVA construction glue, but in the second case, you will have to go to a hardware store for iron sulfate or zinc sulfate. The easiest way to increase the strength is to reduce the proportion of water in the solution. If the usual solution is mixed at the rate of seven parts of water per ten gypsum, then a stronger one is made from six servings of water for all the same ten gypsum.

Overdoing it with a decrease in the amount of liquid, you risk getting a plaster crumb. The risk can be reduced by adding PVA glue to the solution.

It takes only a couple of tablespoons for an average batch, so that the finished structure acquires greater strength - the glue binds the individual particles of gypsum. A mixture of gypsum and slaked lime demonstrates a stunning effect, and all that is needed is to add one part of calcium hydroxide to the standard ratio. Of course, the product or surface will not become invulnerable, but falling to the floor from the table or being hit by a blunt object can survive. If you have a finished product on hand, you can soak it with a concentrated solution of zinc sulfate or iron sulfate. Zinc salt will not change the color of the product, but vitriol will turn it yellow-brown.

Paint for gypsum - how and how to process gypsum?

It is best not to delay painting gypsum products, because over time the material loses its ability to absorb substances, which in turn impairs the adhesion of paints and varnishes to the surface. The product should dry properly, and even better, subject it to heat treatment - warm up for several hours at a temperature of 250-500 degrees, gradually raising the degree to the upper mark. True, for this you need to have special equipment, in the absence of which you can do with ordinary drying in heat for 2-3 days.

If you notice that the gypsum has lost its ability to absorb moisture, cover the surface of the product with shellac varnish or hot drying oil and dry at room temperature. By the way, after these actions, the figure can not be painted - over time, it will take on the appearance of aged marble. To make a plaster product similar to wax, it can be treated with a solution with wax in the composition, often these are made on the basis of turpentine or gasoline. For greater naturalness, oily yellow paint can be added to the solution. When the product dries (it may take him only a few hours), the surface should be polished with a soft cloth to give the characteristic shine of the wax.

When creating, the most practical way is coloring at the stage of mixing the solution, when, thanks to the powder pigment, the desired color is given to the entire mass. The advantage of this method is that even inside the gypsum will be painted, and if a corner is chipped or the material is cracked, the defects will be less noticeable. True, it will be difficult to achieve such a resemblance to natural materials as is possible when painting with a brush, although nothing prevents you from combining the color when making a mortar with a surface paint.

What gypsum is good for is its ability to absorb moisture, and with different intensity, forming veins on the surface that approximate the resemblance to natural stone. There is nothing complicated in the process of painting itself - you will need tinting paste for water-based paints, water and a brush. All that needs to be done is to dilute the color or several shades in water and paint or rather blot the surface with a brush. From 30 to 50% acrylic primer can be added to water, which will give additional strength to gypsum products.

After applying the first layer, you can go over some places with a darker paint or with a more concentrated content of coloring pigment. In addition to the brush, you can use the most common sprayers, even from household detergents, or an airbrush. It will be even more convenient to make several different solutions at once, which will be at hand, so the coloring process will be even faster and better.

Do-it-yourself painting of gypsum products has many more advantages over buying finished products. Firstly, you can paint, for example, after installation, which allows you to make the pattern more uniform. Secondly, manufacturers on a large scale will not fiddle with each tile the way you do for yourself. After the paint dries, the surface will lose its brightness, so it is recommended to cover it with a matte or silky-matt varnish. In addition, it will give greater strength to products, protect it from moisture. It is recommended to use water-based varnishes - they do not have such a toxic smell and dry quickly.

How to paint bronze gypsum - the subtleties of the process

Painting gypsum reliefs under metal is a very popular way to ennoble products. To do this, you will need oil paints, matched by color, a brush, fine sandpaper and acetone. Paint is applied in 3 layers, while the convex parts of the relief are covered with a more liquid paint, and the recesses with a thicker one. The first layer should always be light, when it dries, it must be artificially aged - treated with sandpaper, wiped with a cloth dipped in acetone.

The second layer should be applied thick paint with the addition of bronze powder. After it dries, a third is applied, thinned with turpentine, containing beeswax, to give a matte sheen. When the last layer dries, it is lightly removed with sandpaper on the convex parts, after which the surface is wiped with a flannel cloth powdered with talc. To shade some places, you can still add chromium oxide to the talc, or to achieve a greater effect, treat it with a mixture of bronze powder and graphite powder.

Gypsum is used in medicine, construction, architecture, is an ornamental material, is used to create objects of decorative and applied art. Gypsum paint will protect the product and help to realize any color solutions in interior design.

The process of painting a gypsum product.

What are the advantages of gypsum products

Being a material of natural origin, gypsum has properties that give it advantages: safety, favorable price. It does not burn, with its help you can fashion decorative elements of various shapes, paint in any color, and also give the object the desired texture. Decorative elements from it do not crack and do not require complex maintenance.

How can you paint gypsum

By painting a plaster product, you can achieve the desired look, stylize natural aging, and perform other effects that make the thing extraordinary.

On sale there are special paints for water-based gypsum, which can be used without special skills:

• acrylic;
• emulsion;
• dispersed.

They create a protective film on the surface and can be used inside the house, because. non-toxic and dry quickly.

To achieve the effects, semi-professional means are used:

1. Surik. Natural pigment red-orange or red-brown.
2. Varnish. It can be applied over paint or impregnated with it on an unpainted product. When using varnish, it is possible to obtain the appearance of aged marble.
3. Potal. It is used if the surface needs to be given the effect of gilding or old bronze.
4. Coloring pigments. They are added to the gypsum mortar to obtain even staining throughout the mass. They are used in the manufacture of decorative bricks.

It is better to apply paint on a fresh product. If time has passed, then it is necessary to use a primer, which will increase the strength of staining.

How and how to process gypsum

Gypsum surface treatment.

Over time, this material loses its ability to retain moisture. Paint does not adhere well to such surfaces, so it is better to paint gypsum immediately.

When working with a product that has lost its water-retaining properties, before painting it is necessary:

1. Clean the surface and coat with a primer. This can be a ready-made solution bought at a store, or prepared independently from PVA glue and water in a ratio of 1: 4.
2. Protect the product and give it strength by varnishing or painting the figurine with paints in accordance with the plan. If the image consists of a large number of details, it is recommended to first draw them with a simple pencil.
3. Cover the painted gypsum with a double layer of any varnish suitable for such work.
4. It is necessary to paint in a room with good ventilation, where the finished product remains for a day until completely dry.

For the convenience of painting gypsum products, you can use:

• airbrush for large surfaces;
• brushes for drawing details;
• cotton swabs or sponge to get a stone texture on the surface.

How to make plaster stronger

With all its advantages, this material has one, but a significant drawback - low strength.

To eliminate this defect, various additives and substances are used. It is possible to give gypsum strength in industrial conditions with the help of plasticizer additives and gypsum hardening activators.

At home, PVA glue can be used for these purposes. For 1 kg of dry gypsum mix, 50 g of glue and 0.5 liters of water will be required. Dissolve the glue in water and add gypsum powder to the solution. To give additional hardness, cover the finished figure with an acrylic primer.

Gypsum products must be painted, because. over time, moisture evaporates from the surface and the gypsum becomes yellow, stains remain on it after touching.

To paint the gypsum mass during kneading, a coloring pigment is added to it. It must be added slowly, stirring the composition until a uniform color is obtained.

After drying, the product will have a lighter shade. In order to achieve a bright color, use an additional coating.

To paint a frozen product you will need:

• brushes of different diameters and shapes;
• sponge or cotton swab;
• skin to give the effect of aging;
• paints and other means to obtain the intended result;
• acrylic primer;
• a solution of wax with gasoline or turpentine so that the surface is glossy.

The paint is applied in several layers. The more of them, the more intense the shade of the surface will be. It can be primed before painting. After painting, apply varnish and give the desired texture using artistic techniques.

How to paint gypsum bronze

To give a gypsum object the effect of gilding, various methods are used:

1. Paint the plaster figurine with a water-based emulsion. After 24 hours, when the paint is dry, apply a gold acrylic coat over it.
2. Use silver or gold in powder, which is diluted with nitro-lacquer. Apply this mixture to a piece of gypsum surface to determine the proportions. When you get the desired shade, cover the product in two layers.
3. Buy decorative paint for plaster. To obtain a smooth, well-painted surface, things are primed and painted in several layers.

To create the effect of aged bronze you will need:

• acrylic primer or varnish;
• brushes;
• patina;
• bronze acrylic paint;
• White Spirit.

The product is primed in 2 layers and covered with bronze paint, dries for about a day. After that, the surface is painted with a bituminous patina, and immediately its excess must be removed with a rag soaked in white spirit or other solvent. The patina will remain in the recesses and recesses of the figurine. In the end, all this is covered with acrylic glossy varnish.

What varnish to use for gypsum products

The minimum coating for gypsum is a layer of varnish. It will fix the natural color of the material, prevent moisture from evaporating, protect the item from damage and help achieve an attractive look. Various types of varnishes can be used.

shellac

Shellac varnish.

Alcohol based. Can be applied to any paint. It is transparent and colored. With its help, the effect of aged marble is obtained. The melting point of the varnish is 80-120ºC.

Acrylic

This varnish is matte, glossy, pearlescent. Safe to use, easy to apply, dries quickly. Creates a water-repellent film on the surface that protects against fading.

Resistant to high temperatures: changes color at 180ºC, begins to melt at 260ºC. After drying, does not change the shade.

Oil

With the help of the artificial resins and plant substances included in the composition, it protects the surface. It comes in matte and glossy. Requires dilution with a solvent before use. After drying, it makes the surface darker than before application.

Glossy lacquer brings solemnity to the interior. Supporters of naturalness will suit matte varnish.

Rules for the care of garden plaster figures

Garden figures and gypsum figurines are an affordable option for decorating a site. With proper care, they will last for a long time. If the product is painted, then it is enough just to remove dust and dirt from it with a damp cloth or vacuum cleaner. Treatment with antifungal drugs is recommended. The paint will protect against fading and precipitation.

If the figure is not colored, then:

1. First you need to clean the pores of dirt. For this, special preparations are suitable that you can buy or make yourself. For example, a mixture of starch: dissolve 70 g of powder in 100 ml of cold water. Then pour all this into hot water (930 ml). The pre-cleaned decorative element is covered with a mixture cooled to 45 ° C and covered with cotton wool for 7-10 hours.
2. After cleaning, the item should be protected from moisture. To do this, use a special varnish or a mixture of wax with any solvent in a ratio of 10-15%. Moisture-resistant coatings for gypsum are also produced.

Chips or cracks on the surface of the product can be repaired by yourself by taking gypsum and adding a 15% PVAD solution. Prime the area around the damage with PVA glue, and then apply plaster.

If there is a lot of damage, then the figure must be given for restoration.

For the winter, it is better to remove the products indoors.

Gypsum decorative stone is painted not only if its color does not quite match the interior elements, but also when defects appear on the material over time that worsen its appearance. Thanks to the protective properties of the applied paint and varnish coatings, it is possible to provide the tiles with resistance to erosion damage and give the finish an attractive appearance.

For painting artificial stone from gypsum, acrylic, silicate and silicone paints and varnishes (LKM) are used. Most often they are made on a water basis. For painting products intended for finishing external walls, paintwork materials that are resistant to external influences are used. Gypsum tiles can be painted in mass, i.e. the coloring pigment is added to the solution before pouring the molds. The main shade receives the whole product. This method is used when installing in places where mechanical damage to the coating is possible.

For surface application of color, acrylic paint for gypsum is most often used. Ready-made solutions can be purchased at the store or made independently using colored pigments. The combined use of these methods allows you to get the effect of natural materials used for decoration.

In order for the paint to better adhere to the surface, it is treated with penetrating primers, and to protect the material from fungi and moisture, gypsum products are impregnated with water repellents. Their use reduces water absorption by 20-25 times. These solutions are applied after varnishing or painting tiles.

Silicate and silicone paints are mostly used for outdoor work. The binder is liquid glass and silicone resins. The service life of such a coating is about 20 years.

To create a matte or glossy surface of the material, water-soluble varnishes are used. In addition, they protect the surface of the gypsum stone from abrasion during operation. To create a durable coating, the varnish is applied in several layers. It should be remembered that after such processing, the main color of the gypsum product darkens.

Advantages and disadvantages of self-coverage

It is not difficult to paint a decorative gypsum stone with your own hands. The main advantage of such works is the choice of color and materials. Paint for decorative stone should be in harmony with the elements of the interior. Gypsum products can be stone-colored or imitate brick and wood. A tile can have several colors with a smooth transition from one to another.

Indoors, water-based tinted varnishes are used for painting. For this, paintwork materials for gypsum and stone are suitable, and in case of absence - colorless for wood. You can first collect the drawing on a horizontal plane and, if necessary, correct the defects.

For work, brushes of various sizes and shapes are used. Do not use rollers or paint brushes (maklovitsy) for applying decorative paint, because the consumption of paintwork materials increases greatly, and smudges remain on the tile. A spray gun with a compressor is well suited for work. The use of such a tool reduces the consumption of paintwork materials and allows you to cover the tile with an even thin layer of paint.

To darken the relief areas of gypsum stone and eliminate defects, a brush or airbrush is used. The last one can shade the main color and make smooth transitions between tones. However, not everyone has such electric tools, and with large areas, this work takes a lot of time. At the same time, quality always suffers, which is a disadvantage of self-painting.

DIY painting method

Gypsum stone can be colored in several ways. Most often, manual painting is used with a brush. Each tile is painted with a base color, and then a few fragments are highlighted with a darker shade. During the application of paint, it is necessary to ensure that smudges do not form and that there are no unpainted fragments left. This method is laborious and time consuming, so it is used to paint a small amount of tiles and eliminate defects.

Facilitates the use of electric and pneumatic tools. Professional craftsmen are popular for painting gypsum products with an airbrush. To do this, the tiles are laid on a horizontal surface measuring 1x1 m and a base layer is applied with a sprayer. The technology for applying shades is simple: after the tiles have dried with an airbrush or spray gun with a thin nozzle, a layer of paint of a darker color is applied to certain areas.

Some experts believe that it is best to paint the tiles laid on the wall. This makes it possible to arrange darker stones over the entire treated surface. The paint applied to the plaster dries quickly, which helps to immediately identify and eliminate defects. After that, the tiles are varnished. With this surface treatment, the care of the product is simplified, since you can wipe the gypsum stone with a damp cloth without fear of smearing the paint.

Mixing pigments to produce color

Gypsum painting can be carried out both during the manufacture of the product and after. In the first case, the pigment is added to the mixture or directly to the mold, and in the second case, to the paint. It is difficult to pick up the same color of a gypsum mixture in large volumes. Therefore, this method is used in the piece production of a small amount of tiles.

It is easier to prepare paint using dry pigment or liquid color. It is not recommended to mix several colors to obtain the desired shade, because when mixed with paint, color stains may come out. With a large amount of work to get the same color is simply impossible.

If a dry dye is used, then it must first be dissolved in water and then the composition should be added to the paint. Different containers are used to prepare the background and shading mixtures. If the tile is painted like a brick, then the shading color is most often made lighter than the base one. Before applying the next layer, each time it is checked whether the previous one has dried. It must be remembered that after drying the product, its color becomes lighter.

The interior of any room is made up of little things. Sometimes, in order to create the right atmosphere, craftsmen have to use artistic materials, such as plaster. This material is used for both finishing and decorative work. Gypsum powder diluted in water quickly hardens, accepts any firm, which is why it is so highly valued by all builders.

They try to color it when its naturalness cannot blend harmoniously into the overall concept. To get rich light, it is necessary to apply acrylic paint in several layers, at least three. But this is not the only way to change its color.

Gypsum varnish will also help to give the desired shade or make the surface glossy, it lays down evenly and dries quickly, evenly colors the surface, does not drip, does not create stains. If a person needs to shade a plaster relief, varnish is exactly the tool that will help you quickly achieve the desired effect.

The material perfectly perceives gold and silver pigment, if you want to make the room more festive, bright, you can use gold powders that are diluted in water.

Painting gypsum with acrylic paints is also popular, they mix well with the composition, subject to all the rules of work, they get a thick, evenly colored mass that can be worked with without adding additional color fixers.

To accurately answer the question of how to paint gypsum, you need to look at the purpose of the material. If, as planned, you want to make a bas-relief, it is best to work with acrylic paint, which will be applied to the frozen composition.

Preparatory work with materials

To prepare for work, you need to make sure that the condition of the paint is normal, for this it is enough to open the can and mix the composition. Clots that float to the surface will indicate that it was not stored correctly, or that it has expired.

Quality plaster paint is not too thin, it should mix well with the base material. If the pigment is added directly to the composition, you need to find a large container and a long stick for constant stirring. Only in this way will it be possible to carry out the procedure correctly and get a good effect.

All dyes for gypsum can be found in the art salon, often the paints of the desired shades are sold there, because by mixing colors, you can get an incredible option that fits perfectly into the interior.

How to paint plaster correctly?

To have a good idea of ​​the process of painting gypsum, you need to follow the sequence of actions. The first step is to prepare the composition, pour the dry powder with water strictly according to the instructions, otherwise the person risks getting too liquid or, conversely, a pasty composition with which it will be impossible to work.

If you plan to add pigments for gypsum immediately, you need to do this carefully, gradually adding paint to the mass, stirring the resulting mass and evaluating the brightness of the color. It should be noted that the hardened gypsum becomes somewhat paler, if you want to get a bright effect, you may need an additional coating.

To understand how to paint gypsum after hardening, you can remember the lessons of drawing or labor. Spreading thick paint and working with brushes of different sizes, a person paints over all the elements one by one, trying not to go beyond the border and not to touch unnecessary details.

In some cases, you can try gypsum patination - aging is done in several ways, one of the most popular is working with paint and sandpaper. The surface of the gypsum is covered with paint of a dark or light shade, depending on the desired result, after which the dried layers begin to gently rub with sandpaper. Such effects of antiquity make the relief more interesting, and the idea - original.

How to make the appearance of the garden interesting, unusual, memorable? One of the easiest, most economical solutions is to install pretty, brightly colored plaster figurines. This material is quite simple to process, even a non-specialist can paint a small figure. A few simple recommendations will help create an unusual and durable decoration of the site.

Painting a plaster figurine

The work includes the following steps:

• surface preparation. Do you want the paint to lay down on the figure in a neat, even layer? To achieve this effect, it is necessary to pre-treat the surface with a primer. Hardware stores offer a large selection of such compounds. If desired, you can make a similar tool at home. To do this, mix PVA building glue with water in a ratio of 1: 2. The primer is applied to the figure with a brush, it is necessary to carefully “paint over” each area of ​​the surface;
• painting. Neither gypsum “lays down” well with almost any composition. To decorate garden figurines, it is advisable to use paints intended for outdoor use, for finishing facades. If you want the figurine to acquire a “bronze” or “woody” texture, you can use an oil composition, having previously treated the plaster with an alcohol solution of rosin. Before applying a complex pattern with a lot of details, it is advisable to outline all the lines with a simple pencil. To paint the figure, you can use a brush or spray gun. When the surface is dry, it is worth applying one or two more coats of paint;
• applying varnish. The transparent composition makes the figurine bright and shiny, protecting the paint from the influence of harmful external factors. The surface does not fade in the sun, does not crack, the pattern is not blurred. You can use a silicone or polyurethane based varnish. It is advisable to apply several layers of the composition. Before each application of varnish, make sure that the surface of the figurine is dry.