Material to paint on

[MNicolai]

For a project of mine, I had planned to use black lights in a large room, then paint the walls with UV paint. However, I've just found out that I cannot paint on the walls. The artwork would be very much like graffiti, not one large mural. The artwork would also be dispersed throughout the room, not all in one corner or on the same wall.

I'm purchasing enough paint to cover about 1000 sq. ft., and need a material I can paint on that will not require much structure to keep up, be it that it's taped to the walls, secured with poster putty, or leaned against the walls. Nailing, screwing, and hanging are not options for securing the material.

My first thought was to buy about 200 black poster boards, 22"x28" from Office Depot, but I don't know how well they would hold the UV (Wildfire) paint. Also, I don't want to have to join all of those together. Would it be better to go with something in the form of 4'x8' sheets from Home Depot? That is, something that doesn't cost more than $350 total. However, I also don't want to have to waste a bunch of time building structures to support these flats, so poster board may be one of the only options.

[Footer]

1/4" Luan is running about 11 dollars a sheet right now. That would give you roughly 30 sheets, enough to cover 120' of wall. That would probably be the best/cheapest option that will actually work. 60" Muslin runs about 4 dollars a yard. That could be another option but you would have to support it. There is a 4x8 paper product out there called easy curve, but I don't know what it runs.

[beachcombah15]

I would agree with Fotter, Luan is probably your best bet.

[Van]

I m not sure I get the picture exactly, but if you're just looking for something to put on the walls that you can then paint on, and it doesn't matter what the product looks like you might consider using rosin paper. which available at Homedepot and is real cheap. paint won't soak through it so your real walls would be safe. Or you could try Tyvek, although since you're using UV lights and Tyvek tends to be white... That migh hurt the eyes a bit too much

[Garfunky]

I agree with Footer, and Beachcombat, but if you can find it, 1/8" Luan is lighter, and could be easier for you depending on how they will let you attach it to the walls. it is a lot more flexible!
If you are looking for a really cheap and dirty solution though, i would start testing your wildfire paint on black 6mil plastic. you can cover a lot of square footage fast and easy (gaff tape), and clean up is sweet(no ladder) if you are careful. Woolite is pretty effective under powerful UV lights as well. (I have had more than one dorm room covered in woolite graffiti.

[FatherMurphy]

Another option would be to talk to your local newspaper printer about end rolls of newsprint. It's usually about 3' wide, lightweight enough to tape up, and might be had for a pittance. It would probably bubble some under the wet paint, and the paint might bleed through in places onto your working surface, but it wouldn't flake off like it might on the plastic mentioned above.

[SHARYNF]

Black Plastic is hard to work with you would have to paint it all on a flat surface and then have it dry before hanging, and it is likely to flake off. The Wildfire paint is pretty thick so it takes a while to dry. Are you brushing or spraying? Rolling does NOT work well at all

I typically use two things for this, If I am using the invisible white, I use a roll of Upholstery Canvas about 10 oz version it is very similar to art canvas and a whole lit cheaper. If I need black that I get a roll of black art paper and paint on that (problem is it is in 36 inch width so you would have to seam it.Typically I just roll out one layer about 8 feet off the floor and then another about 5 feet off the floor, this way I get a 6 foot work surface that is about 2 feet off the floor.

Sharyn