Bucket chemistry

My sister is an artist who has been involved in some work in Manchester related to to the University's research into graphene.  The result of this is that she is helping a colleague cover a large expanse of wall in graphite.  To cover this area they'd like a kind of paint (either that or they have to colour the whole thing with a pencil).  I said I'd try a bit of messing about in the lab to see if I could help.  Graphite and water do not like to mix at all, but if you add a few soapy molecules they seem to do a good job of bringing the water and carbon together.