It really doesn't matter; I've painted with both before and the results were satisfactory. The main difference is the texture of the completed mural - acrylics may leave bumps and ridges from where a clump of paint dried off of the wall (to avoid this, use a very soft brush); wall paint tends to be flatter.
Things to consider though:
1) Your comfort level - Are you very familiar with acrylics? Would you be willing to work with a new medium? Are you going to be using any special techniques, like glazing or sponging? If you have used acrylics and want the mural to turn out like your other work, you may want to keep using what you're familiar with.
2) How big is the mural going to be? If it's covering four walls of a room instead of maybe one wall or a section of a wall, you may want to get wall paint; it'll cover more surface area than a tube of paint might.
3) How many colors are you using? Depending on your budget and the brand you choose, several pints of different colored wall paint can get pricey, but it may be worth it. You won't have to worry about trying to mix the exact shade of a color you used yesterday, and you can recap the paint at the end of the day and pick right back up the next time you paint. [A budget alternative is to get several darker colors, white, and extra containers - then you can mix lighter colors as need.]
4) Location - Is it in a child's room or a room that may get painted over again down the road? If you use acrylics, just know you'll need to sand it down very well before you repaint.
Whichever you decide to use, do be sure to have two coats of either primer (for wall paint) or gesso (for acrylics) before you start. And yes, semi-gloss paint is too slick for a base - you want primer if you're using wall paint. It's a little rougher so the first coat has something to grip to.
Hope this helps and happy painting!I 'm painting a wall mural. Is semi-gloss paint too slick for a base?Shall I use artist acrylic or wall paint
what about gesso?I 'm painting a wall mural. Is semi-gloss paint too slick for a base?Shall I use artist acrylic or wall paint
Use gesso first
Do you remember when your mama use to punish you for painting on the walls? Still there was nothing more fun than that, even when we got in trouble for it. Baby, we've come a long way! (lol)
Anyway, semi gloss paint is good when you are making paint special effects, like ragging, etc. I don't think it works too well for mural painting. You need something that is flat so that the colors adhere to the wall better and are more vibrant. You may want to use craft acrylic paints rather than the artist acrylics that come in a tube. Not just for economy's sake, but also because the colors are more diverse and you would not have to mix so much. I hope that these suggestions help.
Have lots of fun painting your walls! And this time you can brag about it to your mama!
wall paint....flat....at least two coats before starting the mural...coat with matte clear finish when completed.
begin with gesso as your base, then use acrylic mixed with gesso for light colors and regular acrylic for bold and bright. Make sure you coat it when you are finished. Walls settle and you can gain fine cracks if you are not careful.
