mural painting

1. take photos of the wall and surrounding areas

2. get measurements, this will ensure your concept design fits the space perfectly

3. design your mural digitally, i use procreate, but use whatever program you're comfortable with to easily alter elements of the design

4. time to compile materials:

   • brushes

   • rollers

   • paint tray(s)

   • paint

     • i match colors by sight, there are paint matching sights online where you can use hex codes to find the closest available paint color

     • you don't always need a ton of paint--if you only use a certain color a few times, a sample size could do the trick

     • if you run out of paint, you can always get more

     • choose your paint based on mural location

       • interior mural = interior paint

       • exterior mural = exterior paint

       • decide which finish you want

         • matte/flat (i use for exterior)

         • eggshell (use if the color/sample doesn't come in flat)

         • satin (best for bathrooms, easy to clean)

         • gloss

   • painters tape

   • extention cords

   • ladders

5. once the design is complete, i typically use a projector to map out the mural. this can be tricky depending on the size of the space and when you have access to it. prepare to work odd hours as projections look best at night.

   • projection tips:

     • project at night for better contrast + cleaner images

     • flesh in entire mural at once, realigning a projector is probably harder than this entire process

     • expect the unexpected, positioning and rigging a projector is not for the faint of heart. this is when extention cords and extra ladders come in hand.

     • depending on your design, some colors may be extremely hard to see in your projection. i use layers in my designs and when i am mapping out my mural, i will change the colors to black on a white background to see edges and overlaps more clearly. change them back after mapping.

     • adjust as needed! projecting allows you to finally see your design in situ, which is super useful to see any alterations you might want to make. i've changed colors, stretched shapes, shifted text--you name it!

6. after your mural is mapped out, it's time to paint!

this tutorial submitted by elle leblanc