Mural Techniques

Read on for mural techniques and tips for painting wall murals! Now that you've gathered all the mural painting supplies that you'll need, read through these pages to learn:

• How to prepare the wall before painting

• Mural techniques

• How to finish and seal the mural after you've finished painting

• Important tips for painting wall murals

Before you begin painting, you need to check the wall and prepare your workspace.

Clean the wall

First, make sure that the wall is clean and not suffering from any moisture damage or structural problems, such as cracks. If you notice cracks, spackle them, but be aware that there may be an underlying structural issue that could eventually cause cracks across your mural. Examine the wall closely for signs of mold, dirt, wax, oil or grease. If you find any, clean it off thoroughly, and be aware that mold or mildew may return unless the underlying cause has been rectified. Even if the wall looks clean, it's a good idea to wash it anyway with a mild soapy solution, such as T.S.P. Cleaner (trisodium phosphate), to ensure that you are starting with as clean a slate as possible.

Next Step: Priming the Wall

Priming the wall is an important step in creating a mural, because the primer will help the paint stick to the wall more easily.

In some cases you can apply the primer directly over the pre-existing paint on the wall, and the mural will be fine. It depends on how much elbow work you want to put into it and also on how long you want the mural to last. If you are really concerned about the longevity of the mural, then you should take some additional preparatory measures before you start painting.

To get the most permanence and best adherence of acrylic paints onto the wall, strip the existing paint off the wall by sanding it with a sanding block. To reduce the amount of dust caused by dry sanding, prepare a mild soapy solution by mixing TSP or dishwashing liquid with in a bucket of water. Dip the sanding block in the bucket of cleaning solution, squeeze out the excess water and sand the wall thoroughly. Allow the wall to dry.

Sponging

Sponging is a good way to create the sense of texture in a mural, such as clouds in the sky or leaves on a tree. You can also sponge a color on top of another color to create more of a sense of depth and interest, rather than leaving an area as a flat, single block of color.

Sponging is also one of the handy mural techniques for quickly filling in large areas with color.

To sponge, first wet your sponge and squeeze out the excess water. Dip your damp sponge lightly into your paint, then lightly blot the sponge on some paper towels. You don’t want your sponge to be too loaded with paint, or it will ruin the effect.

Stippling

Stippling is one of the popular mural techniques for creating detail without worrying about smooth blending. For instance, if you're painting a green field, you can bring it to life by stippling other colors into the green. Here's how to do it:

Apply a green underpainting, then after it is dry, paint a thin coat of a different color over top of it (for example, a yellow-green or a darker green).

While the paint is still wet, dab the wet paint with a dry stippling brush and dab the new color around until the new layer is all stippled. If done correctly, the new color will no longer looked "brushed on" and some of the underpainting will show through. You can repeat this mural technique as many times as you need (with as many colors as you want) until your desired area is covered.

This is a nice mural technique for creating the illusion of a field alive with shades of green, dappled in yellow sunlight.

Stenciling

Stenciling is a popular mural technique because it is fairly simple and anyone can do it – you don't need any special art skills. You can buy stencils in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, from alphabet letters to farm animals to wildlife, trees, planets, you name it!

To stencil, use a painter's tape to adhere the stencil to the wall. With one hand, hold the stencil in place and with your other hand, paint in the color. You need to be cautious around the edges, because you don't want too much paint build-up on the edges when you lift the stencil away. Use a sweeping, circular motion when applying paint near the edges to avoid build up.

You can also use a stencil as an outline, and paint in details later. For example, you can follow the mural technique described above to stencil the image of an alligator in a solid shade of green. Then remove the stencil and paint in details, such as eyes, teeth, and bumpy skin.

Antiquing 

Do you want to make your mural look old, emanating a sense of history into the room? You can achieve this by antiquing, which is one of the easiest mural techniques. To antique a wall, mix your desired color (usually siena or umber to create an aged look) with an acrylic glazing medium, using the ratio of 4 to 5 parts glaze to 1 part paint. Brush the mixture onto your wall and quickly - while the paint is still wet - run a clean rag or cheesecloth over the paint to spread it around. For an added effect, you can use this technique to add even darker color to the corners and edges of the wall.

Glazing

To create acrylic glazes on a wall, mix the acrylic paint with an acrylic medium Golden Glazing Liquid. This will thin and "stretch" the paint, making it more translucent. When you paint a glaze on the wall, the color underneath will show through. This is a handy mural technique for adding dimension and shading to your mural.

Follow these mural painting tips to ensure a smooth mural painting process!

• Make sure kids, dogs, and other creatures of curiosity steer well clear of the mural while the paints or varnish are still wet.

• Use an acrylic matte medium or glazing liquid to thin your paints. This is very important! When painting on canvas at an easel, you are more likely to use water to thin your paints – but if you are painting on a wall, there is more chance that the watery paint will trickle down the wall and streak paint on whatever you've already painted. So be sure to use an acrylic medium instead of water, although you can use a bit of water to help keep your brush moist and to keep your paints from drying out.

• At every step of the way, take a moment to step back and look at your mural from a distance. It is important to keep in touch with the bigger picture. By stepping back regularly, you can immediately tell if something is wonky, and correct it. It is important that the mural looks good from up-close and also from far away, so constantly check to make sure that it looks good from all possible angles and distances.