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Advice on painting a mural
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Message
Posted
Hello all,
Today I received an enquiry on whether I could paint a mural on a conservatory wall. 😱
I've never painted anything that big before... so I'm looking for some advice before I reply to the person further.
I paint in acrylics, and is this an ok medium to use on a wall? (I've used acrylics on a childs wooden stool in the past, then varnished over.. it's still looking good 3 yrs later).
If acrylic paint isn't suitable (would I need to find out about the wall surface first?), what kind of paint could I use?
And if acrylic is ok, what would be the best surface primer, and protective varnish that wouldn't alter the colours over time
Should I charge per hour (as I've no idea how long it would take), and include travel (20 or so miles each way).
So many questions, sorry!
Last one... the lady wants a picture in the style of Frederick Gordon Crosby ( pre-war racing cars), so when I sign the finished thing, do I have to add words to the effect
Many thanks!
Posted
Well Helen, what a challenge! I have no experience of permanent mural painting , only of an annual painting of a scenery backdrop for a local school panto which hardly compares, except to say that these always took longer than expected, so bear in mind for pricing.
I would want to go to see the conservatory first to get a general idea of set up, and any potential problems of reach, height etc.
I can’t offer any advice on paint and varnish but I’m sure there will be someone here who can. I seem to remember within the last year or so someone who was asked to paint a bathroom wall which of course had its own quirks!
I’ve just remembered I have a friend with a holiday house in Cornwall where the family got together on a wet break to paint a rather lovely mural on one wall. I will ask what they used. Obviously it wasn’t a professional job but it looks pretty good! I’m just thinking one thing to consider is the heat and sunlight and fading potential.
I wish you luck!
Posted
This certainly is a challenge, Robert is probably the best one to answer any questions relating to acrylics and required primer/varnish etc.
Yes, you do need to pay a visit and see what surface it is you’re going to be painting on, the condition of that surface and so on, taking measurements as well.
On any commission work I always give a firm price up front and take a 40% deposit, non refundable! Put this in writing and get it signed by both parties.
A great subject to paint, with plenty of reference to his work - yes, I would include his name as an attribute along with your own signature.
It’s not something that I would undertake, I would offer them a diptych or triptych on 100 x120cm stretched canvas, something more permanent and stable that can be removed.
Edited
by Alan Bickley
Posted
Sounds like a nice job Helen, I have done a lot of big works for the theatre and after retirement in pubs and local Garden centres they were very large so I used good quality house hold paint..they take a lot longer than you think so allow your self lots of time. On charging I charged 1/3 deposit that covered materials 1/3 on startup that covered time and travel, final 1/3 on completion that's your profit. Hope this helps and best of luck.
Posted
Thank you for all of your advice!
I like your suggestion, Alan, of a tryptich, instead of painting onto the wall itself.
Bari, I hadn't thought of household paint... I guess it would be more durable in terms of fade resistance too.
I'm not certain that I'm confident to take on the job as yet -
I certainly couldn't spare the time until winter months as my other work (gardening) is mental at the moment!
Posted
Or, you could do a Hockney and combine 6 or 8 canvases in a double row, that’s an interesting challenge! One that I’d certainly take up!
Robert is the best one to advise on paint and preparation - I’d stick with tried and tested acrylics for artwork every time, you can’t afford to cut corners on a big project that’s intended to last for years.
The down side with a wall painting in a home is that it basically has little or no value as it’s permanent and can’t be removed, whereas original artwork on canvas will always retain a value!
Posted
Go for an acrylic brand that's recommended for murals - the important thing will be the surface on which you paint, so you'll need a good primer that's up to the task. Visit Mural Joe's YouTube page. And having painted it - does Russell agree? - some sort of acrylic varnish, or possibly medium, should help protect it. The problem with murals is the dirt they inevitably attract - acrylic paint can be cleaned, up to a point, but dirt will seep in to the actually quite soft paint surface if there's no impermeable varnish/protection over it.
I don't do murals, but if I were going to I'd probably seek advice from the paint-maker as well. I would have recommended Cryla once, but inevitably its price has increased (still very reasonable considering its quality) and I think this might stretch anyone's budget.
The other thing to think about is acrylic ink, in spray cans (or paint, ditto): graffiti artists world-wide have little difficulty in producing (sometimes distressingly) long-lived work - see Banksy. (In passing, it would be good to see some of the often very talented kids who use spray paint on anything basically stationary employed to put their talents to good uses: might do a world of good to their self-esteem.)
Posted
That's good to know, Russell, thank you.
Thank you for your input Robert. I will certainly look up Mural Joe, and contact the paint-makers too for advice.
I've replied to the lady so far, suggesting option of canvas (or multiple canvasses) hung on the wall (thanks Alan), and suggested I visit her to discuss further.
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