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How to Paint a Poster

Carl Hose

Poster painting is a fun hobby and a great way to express artistic freedom. Whether you are creating an artistic masterpiece or just combining colors on poster to see what kind of designs you can come up with, there are a variety of paints and painting techniques suitable for the job.

Each of these paints and techniques will produce different results, so experimenting is the name of the game. Learn how you can paint a poster worthy of hanging on the wall in any room.

  1. Find a sturdy area to work on. A large table is good. Use an old sheet or drop cloth to protect the area from paint spillage and splatters. If you're creative, you will likely make a mess. Place your posterboard on the sheet or drop cloth.

  2. Use a wide paint brush and apply a coat of paint to a portion, or all, of your posterboard. Any color will do, but consider sticking with a lighter color so the darker colors you add will show up. If you don't want to cover the entire posterboard with paint, consider dipping your brush in various colors and standing above the posterboard as you fling the brush, spattering paint onto the poster to create various artistic patterns. It isn't necessary to buy poster paints from a hobby shop. You can use acrylic, water or oil paints for your poster art. Neon glow-in-the-dark paints are especially artistic.

  3. Add stencil decorations and spray paint to add decorative touches to the poster after you've applied the first coat of paint.

  4. Use a sponge on the painted surface while it is wet, dabbing to create different textured effects on your poster. You can also wipe the sponge across the poster to blend various colors of wet paint together.

  5. Finish your painted poster with a few sprinkles of glitter to give it sparkle.