Textured Paint for Scenery
Rosco scenic texture · Australia & New Zealand
Textured paint for scenery
Stone, bark, plaster, raised patterns, hard-wearing foam. Rosco FoamCoat, CrystalGel and FlexBond are the three products scenic shops use to build texture, harden it and hold it together. Here is what each one does and how theatres use them.
Which one do I need?
Harden, texture or bond
Each product does a different job. Many builds use two or all three.
FoamCoat
A hard protective coating for foam scenery and props, especially pieces that get handled or toured.
- Also a texturing agent, tougher and less brittle than plaster or joint compound
- About 14 m² per 3.79 L, roughly 1.5–5 mm per application
- Undiluted for the toughest coat; thin with water for flow
CrystalGel
A clear coating and texture medium that sticks to foam, fabric, metal, glass, plastic and wood.
- Pipe, comb or trowel it for raised texture; mix in sand, sawdust or pigment
- Paint, carve or roll it once dry
- About 23 m² per 3.79 L; thin no more than about 10%
FlexBond
A flexible adhesive and coating that bonds fabric, wood and foam, and laminates foam blocks.
- Coats Ethafoam so it takes paint
- Adds flexibility to plaster or clay coatings
- About 23 m² per 3.79 L; sets in 30–45 min, full cure in 7 days
Product information from Rosco: FoamCoat, CrystalGel, FlexBond. Images: Rosco. Coverage depends on surface and film thickness. Test first.
Shop
Texture and coatings range
Not sure which suits your build? Start with a 2oz sample pot.
FoamCoat (7100)
Hard protective coating and texturing agent for foam scenery and props.
CrystalGel (7400)
Clear coating and texture medium for foam, fabric, wood and more.
FlexBond (7500)
Flexible adhesive, sealer and primer for fabric, wood and foam.
Clear Acrylic Flat (5581)
Clear flat coat to knock back gloss after CrystalGel.
FoamCoat Sample Pot
2oz FoamCoat sample for testing on your foam.
FlexBond Sample Pot
2oz FlexBond sample for testing on your materials.
From working theatres
How scenic shops use them
Case studies from Rosco Spectrum, Rosco's own publication for scenic artists.
FoamCoat · Alley Theatre, Houston
A full-size mastodon skeleton
For the Alley Theatre's 2011 production of Ether Dome, props artisan Haley Polak carved the leg bones, skull and vertebrae of a mastodon from rigid urethane foam.
The first coat of FoamCoat was heavily diluted with water; the second went on straight from the bucket. The coating kept the carved detail while toughening the surface for paint.
Read the full story on Rosco Spectrum →Images: Rosco / Alley Theatre. Source: Bone Up on FoamCoat, Rosco.
CrystalGel · Actors Theatre of Louisville
Three problems solved with one product
Charge scenic artist Rachael Claxton sprayed thinned CrystalGel on the back of a duvetyne cut drop to stiffen it instead of netting it.
Two thick passes over OSB scenery stopped splinters for the whole run. Glitter mixed into CrystalGel stopped it flaking in transit. A clear flat acrylic topcoat brought back a matte look.
Read the full story on Rosco Spectrum →Images: Rosco / Actors Theatre of Louisville. Source: 3 Useful Scenic Solutions Using Rosco CrystalGel, Rosco.
FlexBond · Alliance Theatre, Atlanta
Large-scale papier-mâché mountains and trees
For the world premiere of Darlin' Cory, the scenic team built papier-mâché mountain backdrops and 19–24 ft tree trunks from kraft and bogus paper bonded with FlexBond mixed 1:1 with water.
The build used 41 US gallons of FlexBond. It was painted mainly with Rosco Supersaturated.
Read the full story on Rosco Spectrum →Images: Rosco / Alliance Theatre. Source: How To Create Large-Scale Papier-Mâché Scenery, Rosco.
Specs at a glance
Coverage and drying
| FoamCoat | CrystalGel | FlexBond | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | Hard coat and texture for foam | Clear coating and texture medium | Flexible adhesive and coating |
| Coverage | About 14 m² per 3.79 L | About 23 m² per 3.79 L | About 23 m² per 3.79 L |
| Thinning | Undiluted for the toughest coat | Up to about 10% | Usually undiluted; water improves flow |
| Drying | 2–8 h by thickness; 24 h fully dry | Touch-dry 1–8 h; full cure 24 h; not below 10°C | Sets 30–45 min; full cure 7 days |
Specs from Rosco product pages linked above. Test on your own materials first.
More reading: How to apply scenic coatings · Rosco scenic coatings guide · FlexBond & CrystalGel · Theatre backdrop paint
Building something textured?
Tell us the material, the finish and how long it has to last. We will recommend the coating, quantities and a sample to test first. Trade accounts available for theatres, schools, studios and fabricators.
Case-study images and project information courtesy of Rosco, with each source linked above. Rosco, FoamCoat, CrystalGel and FlexBond are Rosco trademarks. CFATS is the exclusive Rosco distributor for Australia and New Zealand.