New Jersey Wall Mural
A mural is (according to Wikipedia) a painting on any wall, ceiling or large permanent surface. People have been creating murals on walls and ceilings for as long as people have been painting. Some of the first paintings known were done on the walls of a cave in Lascaux, France. Many of the most well-known paintings throughout history have been done as murals as well. The Last Supper and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel are some examples of these. You, too, can create a masterpiece wall mural like the artist of old.
Instructions
1. Measure the wall that will hold your mural using the tape measure. You will need both height and width measurements. Write these down on scratch paper.
2. Measure your paper to a scale version of the wall. For example, if your wall is 8 feet high by 16 feet wide, you would measure your paper to be something like 1-by-2 feet or 2-by-4 feet. You can either cut your paper to this size or simply mark it with your pencil.
3. Measure and mark every 1/4 inch around all sides of your paper. Connect your marks across the paper to create an even grid of 1/4-inch squares across your paper.
4. Sketch your mural onto your paper. You don't need to get overly detailed. A simple sketch to get subject placements correct will do. If you make mistakes, you can use the eraser to fix them easily.
5. Measure your wall and make marks to create a grid according to your scale sketch. You can use the edge of your tape measure for a straight edge to make your lines. For example, if your sketch is 1-by-2 feet with 1/4-inch squares and the wall is 8-by-16 feet, the grid squares on your wall would be measured at 2-inch intervals.
6. Sketch your image on the wall using your grid as a sort of map. Again, this doesn't have to be perfect. You will be painting over it and adjustments can be made then. Use your ladder in areas you can't reach from the ground.
7. Paint the darker areas of your mural on the wall. If you are doing an outdoor mural, you will want to use a quality exterior paint so it will weather well over time. If you are doing an indoor mural, interior paint works fine. The paint does not need to be artist quality; house paint will do just fine, but make sure you have the colors you would like. Allow your dark areas to dry most of the way before continuing.
8. Begin painting in the medium-value colors. Do your best to get most of the mural filled in at this point. Allow your mural to dry before continuing.
9. Finalize any details necessary in the mural.
10. Paint in the highlighted areas of your wall mural once the image is mostly painted and the detailed areas are set. Allow your wall mural to dry completely.
11. Take some time to look over your mural from a distance. Note any areas that you are not happy with and go back and touch them up. Once completed, allow to completely dry. Your wall mural is ready for viewing by the world.
