Mural Technique: The Quick Lowdown

Included among my artistic and muralistic blog-explorations will be the mechanics of mural-making. An awesome mural is often preceded by an involved and constructive case of pre-mural madness – from architectural considerations to artistic technique. For the first in this series, here is the gloss-over – a quick outline of steps as to how to get a mural on a wall:

• Assess the wall – determine its condition. What type of paint is on it? What is the history of paints used on it? Investigate. Is there mold and mildew? Where is that coming from? Address this issue before painting a mural on the wall.
• Clean the wall – remove dust and oils. The cleaning product you use depends on just how dirty your wall is – anything from water and dish soap to degreaser. Allow to dry completely before applying any paint.
• Apply a primer – This will allow paint to adhere to the wall. I use gesso, which allows for a white surface. If a different color background is necessary, there are plenty of color gessoes available.
• Paint! Best bet is to use good quality acrylic paints. Oils stay wet, and need ventilation to use to maintain a healthy environment. Cheap acrylics do not belnd well, don’t have the pith that good quality ones do. I’ve used Winsor Newton and Golden.
• Seal it up. Make that paint shiny, vibrant and able to stand the years looking polished and sweet. Considerations for type of sealant depend on location of the mural (indoor or outdoor? Moisture-rich area? Etc)

The details of assessing, cleaning, priming, painting and sealing will all be delved into in subsequent blog posts. Till then… happy muraling!