POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints each of Cynthia A. Iwasaki and Javier Solis, signing singly, his true
and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

     (1)  execute for and on behalf of the undersigned Forms 3, 4 or 5 and in
          accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
          and the rules thereunder;

     (2)  do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned
          which may be necessary or desirable to complete the execution of any
          such Form 3, 4 or 5 and the timely filing of such form with the United
          States Securities and Exchange Commission and any other authority; and

     (3)  take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
          foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of
          benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the
          undersigned, it being understood that the documents executed by such
          attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power
          of Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and
          conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in his discretion.

     The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform all and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary and proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as such attorney-in-fact
might or could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or
revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or
his substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein granted. The
undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in serving in
such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are not assuming, nor is Ameron
International Corporation a Delaware corporation, (the "Company") assuming, any
of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 with respect to the
undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the Company,
unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of this 1st day of April 2005.

                           Signature:    /s/ James S. Marlen
                                         -------------------
                                         James S. Marlen