Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: How to Clean a Concrete Statue
• Part 2 of 3: How to Apply the First Coat
• Part 3 of 3: How to paint a statue and apply a protective coat
• Warnings

Concrete statues are often used as courtyard decorations or interior decor items. Concrete is a porous material, therefore, for the durability of the painting, you should clean the surface, apply a primer, paint and waterproofing.With the right approach, your statue can turn into an unusual and spectacular piece of furniture.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: How to Clean a Concrete Statue

1. 1 Place the statue in a bucket of clean water and scrub with a large brush. Do not add soap, as it can adversely affect the concrete and the painting process. Brush to keep the surface clean. Small crevices and gaps can be cleaned with an old toothbrush.
2. 2 Remove the statue from the bucket and dry in the sun. This will take a few minutes, depending on the air temperature. Air dry the statue to remove any remaining moss. A concrete statue will have its original appearance if it is dried in the sun and does not leave traces of moss on the surface.
   • It is not necessary to dry the concrete statue outdoors in winter, as moisture will enter the pores and expand when frozen, causing cracks.
3. 3 Fill cracks with epoxy filler. Choose a putty to match the color of the statue or a similar shade. For a white or gray statue, use a silver or gray putty. Add the required amount of the substance to each gap and smooth with a damp spatula or knife, and then leave to dry for 3-4 hours.
   • You can find epoxy putty at hardware stores.
   • Wear gloves to protect your skin from irritation.
   • Use a hair dryer to harden the putty faster.
   • You can also use a putty to replace broken parts of a concrete statue like toes. After hardening, the putty will become hard as stone and no one will notice the repair.

Part 2 of 3: How to Apply the First Coat

1. 1 Moisten the statue with water to allow the paint to penetrate the concrete. The statue should be moistened before applying the primer so that the paint can penetrate inside and not just cover the concrete. The concrete is porous, so water will help the paint penetrate deeper into the material.
   • Prepare a container of clean water to soak the statue. There is no recommended amount of water for the statue. The main thing is to impregnate the concrete.
2. 2 Mix water with acrylic paint so it absorbs well. It will not hurt to add water to the paint so that it penetrates deeper into the concrete. This will help the material absorb and hold the first layer better.
   • The amount of water must be determined independently.
   • Choose white paint for the first coat if you plan to use the antique finishing method or paint details.
3. 3 First, apply the first coat to the bottom of the concrete statue. The first step is to paint the bottom of the statue. If you paint the top first, then when you paint the bottom, fingerprints will remain on the surface at the top of the statue. Lay the statue on its side to allow the bottom to dry.
   • Use the same paint as for the rest of the statue.
4. 4 Apply the first coat all over the statue using a flat brush 5 cm wide. It is best to use an outdoor acrylic latex paint. It can be of any color, although most often black, gray and brown are used for the first coat.
5. 5 Examine the statue 5 minutes after completing the first layer. Try to see if paint picks up on contact. If the coat is completely dry, the top coat can be applied. On a warm day, the paint can dry in 5 minutes. Wet weather may take longer.
   • Place the statue where small children and pets cannot reach it.

Part 3 of 3: How to paint a statue and apply a protective coat

1. 1 Use acrylic latex paint for concrete statues. For concrete sculptures, water-based acrylic latex paint is best because it can soak into concrete and paint more than just the surface. Also, acrylic latex paint does not crack over time like oil paints.
   • If you need to paint a statue of an animal, then choose realistic colors such as white or brown for a rabbit.
   • Always use a paintbrush to paint the statue, not a spray gun.The coating will look worse when sprayed and deteriorate quickly.
   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   

   Kelly medford

   
   
   Professional artist Kelly Medford is an American artist living in Rome, Italy. She studied classical painting, drawing and graphics in the USA and Italy. He works mainly in the open air on the streets of Rome, and also travels for private collectors. Since 2012, he has been conducting art tours around Rome Sketching Rome Tours, during which he teaches guests of the Eternal City to create travel sketches. Graduated from the Florentine Academy of Arts.

   Kelly medford
   Professional artist

   Try different types of paint. Plein air artist Kelly Medford says: “You can always use spray paint as well as enamel paints... Graffiti and Mural Artists use a lot of spray paint on concrete surfaces, but enamel paint is also suitable for this purpose.

   
   
2. 2 Apply top coat using dry brush method. Dip a 5 cm wide flat brush into the paint of your choice. Remove most of the paint from the brush with a piece of cardboard so that there is almost no paint left on the bristles. With an almost dry brush, apply paint to the embossed parts with light back and forth strokes.
   • To make the furry animal statues more attractive, they can be first coated with a first coat and then a solid color can be applied using a dry brush method. For example, dry-brush brown paint over the black first coat. Lightly sprinkle the statue with white paint to soften the brown color.
3. 3 Decorate the statue with an antique look to give it a weathered effect. Apply top coat and scoop up excess paint with a paper towel. Apply and collect paint until you get the desired effect. At the same time, a small amount of the first layer of paint should show through so that the color of the statue has a faded appearance.
   • Concrete leaf stones for paved paths are a great example of shapes that are suitable for antique finishing.
4. 4 Leave the top coat to dry for 24 hours. Proceed to the next step only 24 hours after finishing painting so that the layer has time to dry. In warm, dry weather, leave the statue outside.
5. 5 Use the detailing method to emphasize the elements of the statue. When detailing, use small brushes to manually paint the colored details over the last coat of paint. Use this method to accentuate the eyes, nose, and clothing on the statue. Also, this method will be appropriate when painting statues in the form of animals with feathers and beaks or gnomes in bright costumes.
   • An example would be a statue of a manatee and give the cheeks a pink tint. To do this, you need a small brush and pink paint.
6. 6 Cover the statue with waterproofing or UV-resistant compound to protect the paint from the weather. Place the concrete statue on a well-ventilated surface such as rubble or stone and apply an insulating compound. Then leave to dry for 24 hours. Thanks to this, the paint will remain in its original form longer and will not begin to flake off. The insulating composition is in the form of a spray or paint. It will protect the color of the paint from fading and exposure to destructive moisture.
   • You can also purchase a can of clear enamel to give the statue a glossy sheen.

Warnings

• Do not use spray paint to paint concrete statues, as this will look bad and quickly deteriorate.