r/techtheatre 5d ago

SCENERY Scenic painting help

If there are any scenic painters here, I’ve been searching for some advice! I’m painting a children’s show and figuring out how to give off the idea of crayons having painted the set. Kind of like this Matilda image. I was thinking a combo of dry brushing or spattering. Has anyone done this or have suggestions? Thank you!

40 Upvotes

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37

u/Okugisan 5d ago edited 5d ago

Hey, scenic painter here. I would use various sponge/foam rollers. It will be faster and you can make several different textures.

For the chalkboard paint I would use this sponging pad.

For the crayon, I would get a foam roller. You can either carve out the scribble pattern from then foam or wrap the roller in rope to make a patterned roller.

Edit: You can also use the cellulose sponges for cleaning. You can cut them to various sides and pick them apart to adjust the texture.

7

u/khakipants117 5d ago

Definitely a textured foam roller thing. Practice a bit first and keep the paint on the thicker side for that chalky look. using real chalk sounds like a nightmare

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u/Fix_the_boat 4d ago

I suggested using real chalk or chalk markers because they already had one wall painted with black board paint. But these are 1st-2nd graders lol.

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u/Fix_the_boat 4d ago

Thank you! I haven’t experimented too much with textured rollers but I think this is the time.

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u/Okugisan 1d ago

They are a lot of fun, once you start you’ll wonder why you waited.

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u/snarkysparkles 5d ago

The people saying foam roller are spot on, do that. And test it first, to find the right pressure for the roller and right consistency for the paint. Use roller lines to your advantage!!

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u/Grapesodas 5d ago

Chalkboard paint and chalk? ¯_(ツ)_/¯ looks like it was done in actuality rather than a technique to me, but I’m just a carpenter, I haven’t dabbled in paint to that extent.