How to Do a Wall Mural

Paint a whimsical wall mural to brighten up a room.

Wall murals add an artistic element to a plain wall, whether covering all or just a portion. You can paint a mural on any wall of your home from a child's room to a family room. Although kits are available, painting your own mural design is an enriching process and enjoyable as a family project. You can sketch the design onto the wall and once satisfied, paint and seal it for a one-of-a-kind feature wall.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Painter's tape
• Satin latex paint, mural background color
• Roller pan
• Paint roller
• Pencil
• Acrylic art paints
• Art paintbrushes
• Water-based varnish
• Natural bristle brush

Instructions

1. Measure the dimensions of the mural on the wall using a tape measure and tape-off the area with painter's tape. Press the edges of the tape firmly against the wall with your fingers.

2. Pour satin latex paint into a roller pan. Apply paint to the roller and roll on an even layer of paint into the taped off area of the wall. Allow the paint to dry 72 hours.

3. Sketch the mural design onto the wall with a pencil. Step back from the mural design and observe how it looks. Adjust the sketch as needed until you are satisfied with the design.

4. Paint the outlines of the sketch with a small art brush and the acrylic paints. Allow the paint to dry for at least four hours. Go back and fill in between the lines with larger brushes to complete the inside areas of the mural. Allow the paint to dry four hours. Add fine details to the inside areas of the mural with small brushes until the mural is complete. Allow the mural to dry for 72 hours.

5. Brush a top coat of water-based varnish over the entire mural to seal it using a natural bristle brush. Use a cross-hatched brush technique to apply the varnish in overlapping "x" strokes to ensure complete coverage of the mural.

Tips & Warnings

• Use an opaque projector to enlarge and project a small image onto the wall if you are uncomfortable drawing your own design.

• Apply paint and varnish in a well-ventilated room.

References

• Wall Murals 123: Tips and Techniques for Painting Wall Murals
• Freshome: Idea-How to Paint a Wall Mural

Resources

• Wall Murals 123: Children's Murals