We all start out as DIYers not sure of the tools we need. Whenever I get into a new hobby I start learning about all the shiny new objects I "think" I need before I can get started. I get obsessed with having all the fun tools. That mentality kept delaying my own murals and my experience. I've learned the hard way with other hobbies and bought expensive supplies and tools that I never used again. So here's 5 painting tools I thought I needed to begin with but truly did not:
1. Expensive paint brushes: High-quality paint brushes like Purdy brand in every shape and size are key to the professional murals I do today. Taking care of them so each brush lasts many years was something I had to learn over time. However, inexpensive brushes are better for beginners who may never use them again and don't know how to maintain high quality brushes.
2. Primer: Priming a surface is recommended in most circumstances, depending on the current state of the substrate, as well as the colors of your mural. But if your first mural is a simple design, on your own interior wall, and is already a fairly light background then you're probably safe to skip it. Don't skip your second pass of the top coat though!
3. Paint thinner: Look at you thinking practively you worry wart. Paint thinner is only necessary for certain types of paint and cleanup. If you are using water-based paint, you do not need paint thinner.
4. Canvas drop cloths: Drop clothes are clutch for protecting your floors and furniture. Nowadays I have several heavy canvas drop cloths that I use again and again, but in the beginning all I really needed were mcu more affordable disposable plastic drop clothes.
5. Paint sprayers: Paint sprayers can be useful for large projects, and I often use them to lay down large areas of primer and top coat but sprayers were definitely not a tool I should have been playing with at the start of my career. It takes time to master the skill, ventilator masks and incredible amounts of prep to use indoors, and they're complicated to clean. Stick to brushes and rollers at first.
It's easy to become overwhelmed by all the tools there are for painting your own diy mural. But you just need to lay down your plastic drop cloth, pick up your cheap brush and get that paint on the wall. If it still seems too complicated, hire a professional mural painter instead.