Do-it-Yourself: How to Paint a Mural
Mural painting brings beautiful art to outdoor, public spaces. Murals are also used to decorate indoor rooms in homes or inside public buildings. Mural painting is an exciting project for an individual artist, or a group of artists or students. If you use the proper materials and techniques, your mural can last many years. Here are some techniques used by professional mural artists.
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Things You'll Need
- Acrylic paint
- Brushes
- Pencil
- Chalk
- TSP degreaser
- Sponge
- Water
- Empty cans
- Sandpaper
- Acrylic gesso
- Acrylic matte medium
- Acrylic gloss medium
- Ruler
- Yardstick
- Spray bottle
Instructions
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1
Sand the surface of the wall to remove particles, peeling paint and rough surfaces. If the wall was painted with oil paint, strip the paint completely.
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Mix 1/4 cup Trisodium phosphate (TSP) with 2 gallons of water. Apply to wall with sponge to degrease surface. Allow to dry.
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3
Brush or spray an acrylic medium, such as gloss medium or matte medium, to the wall. Allow to dry.
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4
Mix 50% acrylic matte medium and 50% water. Thin acrylic gesso slightly by mixing 1 part of the medium and water mix to 5 parts of water. Apply a coat of the thinned gesso to the wall to prepare a white surface for you artwork. Sand slightly while wet to produce a smooth surface. Allow to dry.
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5
Draw a one-inch grid over your small design with a pencil and ruler. Lightly draw a one foot grid on the wall with chalk. Copy the outlines of your small design to the grid squares on the wall with chalk. Copy each grid square of your small design onto the grid squares on the wall.
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6
Mix 50% water and 50% matte medium in a spray bottle. Spray over you chalk drawing to fix it to the surface.
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7
Select the colors of acrylic paint for your mural. Apply paint directly with brushes, or thin slightly with a mixture containing 50% water and 50% matte or gloss medium. Allow to dry completely.
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Varnish the finished mural with 1-2 layers of gloss medium & varnish to seal the painting. Allow to dry. Apply 1-2 layers of a final, protective coat of picture varnish, such as Soluvan Final Picture Varnish. Allow to dry for 24 hours between each coat.
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Tips & Warnings
If the wall surface has mold or mildew, mix 1 part bleach and 3-4 parts water. Apply and scrub with a stiff brush and allow to dry completely.
If you have an overhead projector, you can project a transparency of an image onto the wall, trace it and color the design in with paint.
Use acrylic matte medium for a matte finish, or acrylic gloss medium if you prefer a shiny, luminous finish.
Remember to step back often and look at your art as you draw and paint.
Avoid painting outside during rain.
Avoid painting outside if the temperature is below 50 degrees F.
Oil paints are not suitable for mural painting.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
