Creating Murals

Drawing and illustrating has always been a part of my life and it has become my favorite thing to do. Illustrations are used in a lot of different context of design and help to tell a story. Since I’ve already done some research for my bachelor thesis about how illustrations are used in books, I want to find out more about going big with illustrations. What’s the difference between designing and realizing a illustration for a book or a website for example, or a mural for a shop front or a huge wall inside an office? How does this kind of process works and what should you remember, if you want to create a mural?

First of all, what exactly is a so called „mural“?

“A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other permanent surfaces. A distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.”

What to do before drawing

Creating a mural is a lot different from creating small illustrations. The design will be placed very large among a room or a place and it will reflect the community it is placed in. First of all, it is important to have a look at the place and kind of „investigate“ the environment. Talk to the people that will be spending their time around the mural and find out, what is important to them. Measure the wall space and make sure you take a photo of the blank space that you will paint. Think about how the mural will be viewed. From the side or maybe straight on? How will it look from each perspective? Also think about, what is important to be seen from far away and what details will be viewed up close. Create a shape (in your preferred illustrating programme) that is proportional to your mural wall. 

What to do next

With my ongoing research I will try to find out more about what’s the best way to create a mural and show, how it works out.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mural
https://theartofeducation.edu/2016/06/21/12-key-steps-leading-amazing-mural-projects/
https://www.art.utah.edu/murals/mural-making-process/