Painting a Mural: A Guide (ish)

As many of you probably have, I've always wanted to paint my room. Not just like a bland single color, but actually paint an image onto it. I used to always search up those tumblr photos of people with The Great Wave painted on their walls and it would drive me insane because my parents refused to let me. 

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Recently however, I got the opportunity to create one of the coolest murals ever at my old middle school. After reaching out to the principal and working through the technicalities, we were ready to paint a 7x9 foot brick wall. I wish I had known before I started the mural that it takes  lot of physical stamina and patience. Unlike painting on canvases, the surface of walls--especially brick--are very rough and porous, leading to a lot of bleeding and small holes in the paint. 

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I decided that I needed some help after the first day, as it had taken me longer than expected to draft the mural onto the wall. So, I invited one of my friends to help me and she agreed. We spent over 50 hours on the mural at the end, perfecting it until we were satisfied. 

Looking back on it, I wish I had maybe tried something more artistic and less "basic" to paint. Although I liked the colors, style, and overall tone, I felt it still lacked a very artistic element. It was very cut out and lacked a flow throughout the painting. Still, I'm very grateful for the opportunity as it allowed me to gain crucial experience on how to design, conduct, and finish a mural. I hope I am able to continue growing as a muralist in the future, as I feel like it adds another element to otherwise mundane settings.

xoxo,
​Carina 

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