School Mural Ideas

Liven up a hallway or classroom with a mural.

A mural is a large-scale painting, frequently done on a pre-existing surface -- such as a wall -- rather than on a canvas or other medium specifically intended for artwork. Murals are a popular communal art activity for students in primary or secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities. A mural can bring a bit of cheer to a drab hallway or showcase school spirit from a retaining wall, and requires only paint and brushes to complete.

Brainstorming

Before starting a mural, it's important to have a single, unifying concept or idea, making the mural a single piece of collaborative art rather than a mishmash of different, clashing concepts. Rather than imposing an idea from above, let the students spontaneously generate a concept for the mural. Try asking the children to brainstorm ideas for five minutes. Write the students' ideas on the board. Have the class vote on which idea they like most. If there is a tie, the teacher can cast the tie-breaking vote. One reasonable guideline the teacher may impose is that the mural should have some relation to the subject matter of the class.

Initial Image

Have some willing students draw concept sketches of what they think the final mural should look like. Let the whole class look at these and discuss what they think of each. Try and brainstorm some combinations of the various sketches that would harmoniously blend them together and still strongly support and show the basic theme the class agreed on. Have the class nominate and vote for a student to do a final master sketch. Photocopy this onto transparency paper so that the line-drawing can be projected onto the surface on which the mural will be painted.

Materials and Methods

Use an overhead projector to project the master sketch, which should be traced using light pencil lines. If the mural is going to be on a pre-existing wall or surface, make sure that this surface has been cleaned and primed. If the painting is primarily dark, use a black or gray primer; if it is primarily made up of light colors, use a white primer. You could also paint the mural on a large piece of plywood; in which case, sand the plywood smooth before applying the primer. Have students work in small groups to paint in the mural. Don't feel wholly constrained by the master sketch; within reason, let students add their own artistic flair to the mural.

Palimpsest Mural

One way to tie together the various students who pass through a school over the years is to make a palimpsest mural. In this, the first set of students paint a large background with a few major features. Each successive year, the new students in that class add some features, whether large items or simply more details added to what came before.

References

• kuidaosumi: Mural Making Guide