We recently switched bedrooms in our house and I wanted to transform my new room into something that would complement the rest of our home (natural, rustic & artist decor).

A mural will completely change the look the room, so you should plan the details of your project.

For the design of my mural I began by looking through forest landscape pictures which gave me the idea a mural with a clearing towards the front of the picture and a foggy background.

Step 1: Clean the Wall

Make sure that the wall is clean. If you notice cracks, spackle them and any nail holes. Once the spackling has dried make sure you sand it down to create a smooth painting surface, then wipe the wall down with a dry towel.

Step 2: Prime 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. I had to use two coats to completely cover the bright purple paint that was previously on the wall.

Step 3:

After your primer has dried you can project your image onto the wall or draw it on with a pencil/marker.

I freehanded the whole thing... working from the back of the picture to the front. Covering large areas in single colors (blocking out the largest areas of color first allows you to apply the paint with the most efficient method): Painting the sky a pale blue (for a daylight sky), the foreground brown, or green, depending on the type of landscape you intend to create.

Allow the background and base coats to dry.

Step 4: Adding Details

Paint in details with brushes of suitable size for the portion of work you are painting. An example would be painting a large tree, using large brushes (or even a roller or sprayer) for the trunk and large limbs, then using small brushes for tiny limbs and twigs.
At every step of the way, take a moment to step back and look at your mural from a distance. 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.

Step 5: Creating Fog

To create a foggy effect in the background I made an acrylic wash using three parts water to one part of warm white acrylic and painted it on using a large watercolor mop brush. (Be very careful and dab all drips with a clean, dry towel while they are still wet.)

Cleanup your work with the original paints. If you have a drip or run, paint over it with the paint appropriate for that location, sharpen lines if they are blurred between colors.

Step 6: Protect Your Work

Be sure to overcoat your entire project with a clear sealer if it is intended to last a long time on a surface that will require cleaning.

I painted the rest of the room mossy green to complement our new forest mural.

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13 Comments

SilviaG37

Question 3 years ago

Hello! Which kind of paint did you use?

EzyCraft

7 years ago

wow.. this is impressive.

KanPo Studios

7 years ago

Excellent Troberts8.
Murals are very therapeutic and really gives you a sence of purpose when accomplishing something that size. Ck out my Iron Man mural. Its my wife personal shrine in the living room.