Find everything you need to create impactful murals and colorful street art with Blick’s wide assortment of contemporary mural and street art supplies. We carry the best selection of high-quality mural paint and spray paint, as well as specialty paint brushes and spray paint accessories for outdoor artwork of any scale. Find beautifully pigmented artist-grade formulations, as well as options designed to help you achieve a range of special effects, from glitter and metallic to chalk. We also offer spray paint primers and varnishes. Paint markers are ideal for adding intricate details to murals and outdoor artwork. Typically filled with either acrylic or solvent-based ink, many markers feature lightfast or waterproof qualities that stand up to environmental factors such as rain and direct sunlight. Explore paint markers designed for outdoor artwork, available individually and in sets for any project. Looking for stencils? Find a wide range of options, as well as project ideas here.
While murals and street art are more visible and popular than ever before, the origins of street art date back to ancient times. In fact, the word “graffiti” is borrowed from the Italian “graffio” (“to scratch”) and was originally used to describe the inscriptions found at ancient Roman sites like Pompeii. Ancient graffiti has been found in Mayan cities, throughout modern-day Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, on an ancient Sri Lankan citadel, and in other locations throughout the world.
Bolstered by the widespread availability of aerosol spray paints, contemporary street art emerged in the late 1960s and 1970s, with close ties to Black youth culture in Philadelphia and New York City. As it continued to evolve, street art became an alternative form of expression associated with underground movements like hip-hop and punk. At the same time, stencils and vivid colors emerged as hallmarks of the medium. In the 1980s, artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring helped push street art into the pop culture mainstream — a trend that continued with the international popularity of artists like Banksy in the early 2000s. While never without controversy, today street art is recognized as a legitimate form of artistic expression. It is celebrated in cities and visible at art museums throughout the world, with dedicated festivals, travel tours, and more.