The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 3 letter word SPRAY CAN
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
P
R
A
Y
C
A
N
More clues leading to the result SPRAY CAN
- Means of painting bridge, covering beam roughly
- Container I ask you to fill in medical examination
- Plead during hospital investigation for aerosol
- Witness is able to put across artist — producer of graffiti?
- Look to accommodate petition for one of graffiti artist’s needs
- Internal petition to inspect aerosol
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Means of painting" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case means of painting = spray can.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.