Wall collage--clear coating??

[Kathleen04]

Hi everyone. This is a cool group over here. :)

I have a full wall collage that I made myself out of small pictures..I would like to paint some type of clear coating over it in order to make the collage stay up there "permanently". Does anyone have any suggestions for something like this..something that won't cause the ink in the pictures to run? Most of the pictures are xeroxed b&w w/ some glossier color.

TIA,

Kathleen

[AlCzervik]

1. you could try a matte finish clear poly.

[Kathleen04]

5. Thanks!

I'll definately look into that..

[amerikat]

2. What's holding them up now?

There is a product known as fixative for spraying on charcoal and pastel drawings that keep them from getting smudged. Hair spray will also do the same thing. If your looking for some kind of spray adhesive to bind them all together I'd have to think about that one.

[Kathleen04]

3. They're held up now

mostly by rubber cement..I was thinking something along the lines of something that I could brush (or spray) on to keep them flat and protected..

[amerikat]

4. I think chimpsrsmarter is on the right track.

Latex polyurethane can be brushed of rolled on. Check to see that it doesn't make the xerox run or bleed.http://www.minwax.com/products/protective/polycrylic.cfm

[Kathleen04]

6. Thanks for the link..

:) I'll definately try it on a small test area first..

[Dora]

7. Decoupage

That's what it sounds like you're doing, albeit on a rather grand scale. I used a product called "Mod Podge" for some decoupage work I did a few years so.

How big is your wall?

[Kathleen04]

8. The wall is large..

8 ft by 17 feet..minus a door..

[Kathleen04]

9. I googled mod podge

That looks like something that might work well..but I don't know if I should be looking into the kind labeled "paper" or just their regular gloss?

They have a special kind for walls but it looks like they're discontinuing it..and I'm not worried about damaging the wall..it was PINK before I started. ;)

[Dora]

10. Go to an art supply store, if there's one in your town.

Not Michael's or Hobby Lobby: I think an art supply store could give you some good suggestions. Or a painter (artist), if you know one.

http://www.dickblick.com/categories/acrylicmediums/

That link is for an online art supply with a large inventory. That might give you some better ideas. I'd hesitate to just slap on a coat of varnish, but I guess that's what decoupage essentially is.