Good supplies are worth their weight in gold.
A couple of weeks ago my good friend Paul asked me to paint a mural for him. He wanted something with a beach theme to go along with a giant wall mounted photo he had taken. Paul had recently sold his beach house and wanted something to remind him of the old place. The 6 foot beach photo would be the center piece of the design.
The Sketch
I worked up a few sketches and ran them by Paul and his wife. They liked what I had done so we set up a date and I made up my supply list. It had been quite a few years since I had done a mural so I jumped on twitter to see what advice I could find. With in a few minutes I was talking to fellow artist and mural painter Emma Knowles. I visited her amazingly helpful website and jotted down a few notes. After reading through her site I still had a few questions so I emailed her. She was tremendously helpful (thanks Emma) and wished me luck.
This was going to be a big project so I knew it was time for a shopping trip. For my larger areas I planned on using latex interior wall paint but for the smaller areas Liquitex acrylic artists paints seemed like a better idea. Some of the supplies on my list were a little pricey but if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years though, it’s not to skimp. Cheap materials not only give cheap results but they mean extra work too. I filled my cart and headed for the check out line. The grand total came to around 100 bucks (about what I had expected). I forked over the cash and headed over to Paul’s.
Sharing Ideas
As I was setting up Paul and I discussed the project. This is always my favorite part of any project… I really enjoy having the opportunity to share my ideas. Paul had used Fathead for the wall photo. It was actually a giant removable wall sticker and that gave me an idea. I thought it would be a lot of fun if, instead of painting the characters in my design, we made them into removable wall stickers. Paul has two little girls and making the characters into removable stickers would allow the girls to put them wherever they wanted and even move them around if they liked
The Artwork
I draw everything freehand when I work. I know some muralists like to use a projector but I find that sometimes my sketch needs to be altered to fit the environment. A projector just doesn’t allow for that kind of flexibility. In my original sketch I had a surfboard leaning in the corner. Observing the room and the layout of the furniture I realized a good part of it was going to end up hidden behind a lamp and a chair. I mentioned to Paul it might be more fun if we were to find a real surfboard. Paul dug the idea and jumped on line. He quickly discovered a company in Florida that specialized in custom built wall mounted boards. The boards were super cool looking and we decided a 6 footer would be the way to go. I mentioned to Paul that it would be cool if we put a surf logo on the board. I grabbed my sketch pad and drew up a rough sketch. The rest of the mural painting went pretty smoothly and I really enjoyed my time painting and hanging out with Paul.
Advice for anyone interested in painting a mural.
- Preparation is the key. Cutting corners means more work later.
- Visit your paint and or art store before you begin to make sure you’ll have what you need and know how much to budget for your project.
- Make sure you work with quality supplies. Don’t skimp. Cheap supplies = poor results.
- Protect your floors with a layer of plastic and a roll or painter’s paper. Tape everything in place to make sure it stays put (masking tape works best).
- Thin sheet plastic is excellent for protecting surrounding furniture.
- Keep a damp cloth near by to clean up small drips and spills
- Windex is your best friend when it comes to cleaning up acrylic paints.
Check out these excellent blog posts and websites for more great information on mural painting.
http://mariabrophy.com/business-of-art/painting-a-wall-mural-ten-ways-to-please-your-client.html
http://www.cartoonillustration.co.uk/greenjellymurals.html
