Hand painted murals offer many challenges. When I first jumped from painting small canvases to big walls I thought I knew what I was in store for, however, it didn't take long for me to recognize the task was more demanding than expected. Here are just a few of the challenges to mural painting that I've been able to identify and overcome through years of practice.
1. Scale: Murals are traditionally much larger than a typical painting and therefore keeping your mural design scaled correctly can be more difficult. There are several techniques I've learned in order to make sure my proportions and perspective stay accurate when transferring my design to a large surface. A few techniques I use include using a grid, a pounce or stencil and projectors. I'll share more details on those techniques in the future.
2. Surface: Not all wall surfaces are the same. A standard non textured interior wall is a dream surface for painting a mural, however, any surface can have a mural applied to it with the correct knowledge. I've painted murals on corrugated metal, brick, stucco, cinder block and other types of textured surfaces. Each surface may require different painting techniques, different types of paints and primers, and may soak up paints differently. The surface may even have a hand in how the mural is initially designed.
3. Supplies: Painting a professional quality mural takes more than a brush, some paint, and a tarp. Visiting a paint store (or the painting department of a big box hardware store) is where you think you'd find everything you'd need to paint a mural, however I soon realised that mural painting is such a specialized old school craft that I'd never find all of my supplies in one place. I source my mural supplies not only from the paint section but also the tool section as well as outside the hardware store like art supply stores, electronics stores, specialty sign painting stores on the web, as well diy-ing my own specialty tools.
4. Time: Big or small, murals take time. Estimating how long it will take to paint a particular mural depends on many factors. Small murals may take just as much time as a mural twice as large because of the detail. A mural on a rough surface may take twice as long as if that same mural was painted on a smooth surface. Accurately estimating how long it will take to complete a mural is a skill I've learned the hard way. Each mural is a lesson in patience that informs the next.
5. Weather: There are a few hazards to painting outdoors, those being wind, rain, and cold. High winds can either blow you off a ladder or blow your paint off your brush. Rain will make your paint run down the surface if it's not already begun to cure. And cold below 40 degrees will freeze your paint rather than cure it, which may cause it to chip off the surface. I avoid these situations by being upfront and communicating with my clients.
6. Logistics: Mural painting requires lots of planning, communication and record keeping. Coordinating with clients, other contractors, or on site events, as well as dealing with HOA's or city permits requires I conduct myself professionally through every step of the process. Thankfully my previous 10 years experience as a retail store GM prepared me for all kinds of logistical and customer service related hurdles.
Despite the many difficulties, I love painting on a grand scale, on interesting surfaces, after hunting for the right supplies. I love exercising the patience required to execute a mural despite a blistering day in the sun, while connecting with clients and bringing their ideas to life. These perceived challenges are exactly why I love to paint murals.