Wall Mural Painting - DIY With These Simple Tips

A painted mural can be a fabulously eye-catching feature, indoors or outdoors - and it isn't just for experienced artists. The possibilities are almost endless, whether you are looking for something to brighten up a child's room or to create a visual focus in an elegant living room. With a bit of planning and practice, and with the help of the various aids on the market, painting an attractive mural is within reach for most of us.

Wall Mural Painting - DIY With These Simple Tips

Wall Mural Painting - DIY With These Simple Tips

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Wall Mural Painting - DIY With These Simple Tips

Wall Mural Painting - DIY With These Simple Tips

Ideas for Murals

Whatever you like to see can become a mural! Landscapes are a popular choice for covering large areas of wall. It could be an enchanted forest for a child's room or a peaceful vista in a living room. Trompe l'oeil paintings (paintings that deceive the eye into thinking that the image is real) are also popular - for example, faux picture windows that seem to open onto a rural scene, a seascape or even a cityscape.

Murals can also be images painted onto walls that serve the same purpose as framed pictures. Motifs that compleMent your décor and architecture are another idea. Tuscan murals, with grape and foliage motifs, provide an attractive finishing touch to a room and are popular for their old-world charm.

Floral designs always look decorative. A geometric or abstract mural can add pizzazz and style to a contemporary room. For the workplace, including offices and schools, appropriate imagery can banish that institutional look, adding color and warmth.

Before You Start

Prepare your surface well. It needs to be clean and grease-free. Fill holes and cracks with putty. It may not matter if the surface is a bit rough, depending on what effect you want to achieve. Apply a good quality undercoat or primer.

Paints

Water-based acrylic paints are a good choice for interior murals. You may need emulsion paint for exteriors. Options for outdoor murals include hard-wearing, waterproof paints with a built-in 'sunscreen' to prevent fading. A good quality clear sealant completes the Job.

Applying Your Design

If you are creating a scene such as a landscape, you will typically start by covering your surface with the background color(s) and building up your image in layers. Your final layer will be the fine detail. Once you have a background coat you can sketch out your design. Few of us can do this freehand! Work from a picture, which you can then scale up, marking the design contours onto your wall. (There is Computer software that can help you do this.)

For the less experienced, stencils are the perfect solution. You will find an extraordinary range of designs that even the novice decorator can use to achieve effective results (or you could make your own stencils). You can also buy kits that let you transfer a design onto the wall. All you have to do then is apply the paint - not unlike painting by numbers.

As a stylish touch inside or outside the home, or even as a community project, using paint and creating faux finishes can be fun as well as enhancing your living environMent.

Wall Mural Painting - DIY With These Simple Tips