A Quick Guide to Mural Envy

Painting a mural is a process but it doesn't have to be hard. I finally settled on the theme for our nursery and got started right away on the mural. Please note that finding a theme is a completely different story and I'll write about it next month. For now, let's focus on the title of the blog.

After you decide what you want to paint I strongly recommend investing in a projector. Projectors have been used for over a century by artists like Norman Rockwell and Maxfield Parrish (two of my personal heroes). Projectors help you get the image on the wall in the size you need. I've used a projector for many, many, a mural.

First, you need a high contrast image to work with. In this case I drew my plan on paper and passed along to another artist friend - Michelle Lana, to digitize the work and clean it up. She produced a .jpg which I projected on the wall. Thank you Michelle - you're the best. :)

After you project the plan in a very light pencil you'll want to set up the area in the room you plan to work in. You need plenty of lighting, floor covering, and supplies. I also recommend a trusty side-kick and/or apprentice to keep you company during the process.

Tips:

• If you're custom mixing colors, mix more than you need. You'll never be able to create the exact color if you need more, and you will always need more.
• Use synthetic brushes. Period. They're the softest and spread the paint the best. This reduces your work time and saves money because you won't have to repaint as many layers.
• Try to avoid leaving brush strokes and thin out your paint. Paint strokes are hard to remove when you decide to repaint the room. Trust me...

When you're ready to paint work in color blocks. Work on one section at a time using the same color so you don't have to remix it again. I prefer to dilute my paints with a thinner or water to make the paint more pliable and smoother.  I usually have a hair dryer handy for quick drying between layers.

  Layer by layer you'll start adding the details. It takes time. Reminder: if you're painting with several colors you NEED to let it dry before going back in with another color. This is especially true if you're using tape on your edges.

Finishing detals are the most fun! Once you let the walls dry the best part is putting everything together!

The same rules apply for more complicated murals. But if you follow the guidelines above you should be on your way to mural envy. Good luck!