How to Paint an Underwater Scene in a Bathroom
Murals are the perfect way to transform a room completely. Marine and aquatic scenes are popular themes for bathrooms. Aquatic scenes can be serene and peaceful for more adult tastes or bright and cheery for children. Regular house paint is the least expensive choice for the base of the wall color; acrylic paint (purchased from an art store) is best for fish and details. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Blue house paint for the base
- Roller and roller tray
- Wooden stir stick
- 2-inch cut-in brush
- Painter's tape
- Plastic tarp
- Variety of acrylic artist brushes
- Acrylic paint
- Enlarged photocopies of sea creatures
- Chalk
- Palette
- Palette knife
- Spray bottle
Instructions
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1
Find images of marine life on the Internet and print them out. Have the printouts enlarged at a photocopy shop to the actual size you want them to be on your walls.
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2
Tape out the edges of the walls. Remove electrical plates, and tape over the sockets. Place the plastic tarp over anything you do not want paint on. Remove lighting on the wall if necessary, or cover it with cloth.
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3
With the blue paint, cut in along the edges of the walls using the 2-inch cut-in brush.
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4
Use the roller to apply paint to the wall in even vertical lines, keeping the roller moving in one direction (either all up or all down).
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5
Allow paint to dry and repeat.
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6
Rub chalk all over the back side of the photocopy. (The chalk is what will be transferred to the wall.) Tape the photocopy onto the wall where you want the image.
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7
Using a pencil, draw on the outline of the photocopy. This will leave a chalk line on the wall once you remove the photocopy.
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8
Remove the photocopy. Refer to the original printout from the Internet as a guide for the colors you will be using. Squeeze out a small amount of acrylic paint onto the palette. If you are using multiple colors, start with the shadows or the darkest colors. Keep the acrylic paint wet by using the spray bottle and mixing the water into the paint with a palette knife.
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9
Paint in shadow areas using the acrylic artist brushes. Allow about 5 to 10 minutes for the paint to dry completely; then paint in the medium tones and finally the highlights. Repeat steps 6 through 9 for all of your images.
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10
Allow everything to dry. Moisten a clean rag and wipe the wall to take off any remaining chalk.
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Tips & Warnings
Create a three-part fade for a base color if you are a more experienced painter. Use the darkest color at the bottom of the painting and blend toward lighter colors at the top.
Paint sea creatures as silhouettes in a single solid color if you wish and are less experienced; any color will do.
Use complementary colors to brighten the room; orange is complementary to blue. This will give the painting a vivid, pop art feel.
To create a more subtle scene, stick to monochromatic colors, or all colors from the same family.
Paint a white prime coat (like Gesso) before adding color if you are using a cheaper brand of acrylic paints.
