If your brick is not in clean condition, you must clean it before painting or decorating. Wash it with soap and water; rinse and let it dry thoroughly.

If the brick is to be painted, first paint the brick with Gesso, a white medium that acts as a primer to prepare the surface. It can be found at most art supply stores.

Once the Gesso is dry, (it may need two coats), you can paint your brick.

Depending on your design, you can paint all sides or just one or two.

Check out our website: www.breastcancerbricks.org for ideas to see what has been done in the past. Use your imagination, but most importantly, use your heart.

If you are using oils or other slow drying medium, PLEASE give it enough time to dry.

Once your brick has dried, coat it with polyurethane or a clear acrylic paint to seal it. You might use an Interior /Exterior Latex Semi-Gloss, one that is 100% acrylic and is water clean-up. This can be bought at most paint or hardware stores.

Some artists have found that the paints they use respond better if they do a pre-seal coat or two with a fixitive spray such as Krylon Gloss or Semi-Gloss Clear Finish.  Then do a final coat or two of the acrylic sealer. This is a protective measure so that the painted bricks will not change when applying the sealer.

If you choose to use other medium for your brick art rather than paint, please make sure that any glued on items are very secure. You can also coat these bricks with the polyurethane for a final seal if you feel it is needed or is appropriate.

Please put a pink ribbon on your art brick somewhere, sign your name and include the year.

Please enter the artist biography and the inspiration for each brick using your registered online account at ww.breastcancerbricks.org. To create an account, click on the Artist tab to register.