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How to Paint a Logo on a Wall

Most still projectors can reproduce a logo on the wall for tracing.
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Painting a logo on a wall may seem like an imposing task -- if the proportions and details are not correct, the logo won't look right and you'll have to start over. A projector simplifies the process so your wall logo turns out looking just like the original only enlarged. No serious art skills are required when using a projector -- if you can trace a line, you can paint a logo on the wall.

Preparing for the Project

Dust the wall completely from top to bottom so any dust that falls won't fall atop areas you've recently cleaned. If you want the logo on a specific area of the wall, such as the center of a wall with the top of the logo 3 feet down from the ceiling, measure and mark the location using strips of painter's tape to outline a basic box or target area for the projected logo. This way you won't have to guess when aiming the projector. Move furniture out of the way from the project wall to the opposite or side wall so the projector's image reaches the wall without obstruction. Cover the floor with a tarp or newspaper and cover the baseboards with paper and tape to protect them from paint drips.

Selecting the Projector

While almost any projector can be used to recreate the logo on the wall, not all projectors function in the same manner. An overhead projector -- the type once used in schools -- require a transparent plastic sheet with the desired image printed upon it. This type of projector will work if you can trace your logo onto a transparency with a grease pencil, or have the image printed professionally at a print shop. A transparency cannot accurately show layered colors, so it will only work for a simple, non-layered designs. Opaque projectors and art projectors can reproduce full color and detail, so you can copy the logo off of just about any flat surface such as a business card, postcard or letterhead.

Projection Perfection

Set the projector up across the room from the wall where you wish to recreate the logo. Place the source image inside the projector. Turn on the projector and adjust it's settings so the logo image is crisp and clear and in a suitable size. You may need to move the projector forward or backward or prop it up on a few books atop a table or chair to get the desired results. Trace the projected image in chalk, or lightly in pencil, outlining each area you wish to paint.

Fill It in With Paint

Fill in each area of your logo with the appropriate paint colors. Use a fine artist's brush to create the outer edges or lines, and then fill in larger areas with a wider brush. If major portions of the logo contain straight edges, apply strips of painter's tape along the lines for more accurate line painting. Fill in background paint colors first -- if the logo contains layered colors -- then add the details once the background paint dries. If necessary, re-project the logo image over the background paint and retrace details that may have been covered in paint. Allow each paint color to dry before proceeding to the next.

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