My Mural Process

I entered the world of painting murals in June of 2019, when I assisted Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya with her mural A Place To Grow for the Boys & Girls Club building on Drake University’s campus located in Des, Moines Iowa (pictured below). The portion I got to work on was everything to the right of “GROW.”

I’ve always thought that painting a mural would be awesome, but it felt like such an unattainable goal. I did not even know where to begin. I found that first assistantship by chance, and since then realized that it can be a bit of a club to get into painting murals (depending on where you live).

I started constantly searching for Requests for Mural Proposals & Calls for Muralists in my area (Iowa). I applied to many, got rejected from many, but one of my rejected designs was what ended up landing me my first mural for Conmigo Early Childhood Education Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

What I am sharing below is similar to what I show potential mural clients in consultation sessions. I thought it may be interesting enough to share with anyone who has an interest in murals; giving a closer look on what the process can involve. This can also serve as somewhat of a guide as I will give some advice on techniques & tools.

The mural planning & painting process can look so different depending on the artist- this is just the way I have been doing it so far.

Consultation/ Mood Boarding

Often the most important step for me! This is where I first meet with an interested client, (usually over Zoom) and I present to them different mood boards that I have created. I often create murals for small businesses, and it is important for me to create something that can compliment the atmosphere of their space. A client’s social media can tell you a lot about their branding colors & mood of their space. If it is a brand new business- I would ask them to envision and describe the ideal feel of their space. I also show some of my past work to get any specific things they like about my work- so I can be sure to include those elements in their design. I like to get as much and as specific information as I can in this stage, as it can drastically cut down the amount of revisions I would have to do.

Below are some mood boards that I created. I usually edit the mood board to be more specific to each client, but use mostly the same template- this one is tailored to the mural I did at Candle Bar DSM in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Sketching/ Planning

When the client is ready to move forward with the project, I begin the sketching & planning phase. I review all the information that we discussed in our consultation session, and begin sketching. I often use stock/royalty free photo references from places like unsplash or nappy.co for posing reference or color inspiration. I typically sketch digitally on my iPad using the app Procreate, but pencil/sketchbook sketching is really helpful for me when creating new shapes. In this stage I go back & forth between Procreate, my sketchbook, and Adobe Illustrator. Once I’m happy with a few different options, I’ll send it to the client to get feedback.

Colorizing/Finalizing the Design

Once the client chooses their favorite design, I will begin to colorize the design. It works best for me to turn sketches in vectors using Adobe Illustrator. This way, I can easily change the color of any portion of the design, and move and scale elements of the design easily. Vector files are helpful when working large scale, as they will not pixelate like Photoshop or Procreate images.

If you are not comfortable with Adobe programs, no worries! This step isn’t entirely necessary- I mainly do it because it is what works best for me.

Color Swatching & Supplies

I don’t talk about this step during consultation sessions, but thought it might be interesting/useful to share here. Once I have the finalized design, I pull it up on my computer and bring out my box full of paint swatches I’ve collected, and start color matching. Valspar has an online feature where you can upload a photo and color pick- and it will give you the closest matching color that they have. I have used it a few times and it works pretty well! If I can’t get a color I want, I’ll often mix a few colors together ( if you custom mix, be sure to mix more than enough to cover your desired area. it can be tough to replicate the color later if you run out).

I get most of my supplies at Lowes, but for smaller detail brushes- I have various ones from Walmart, Michaels, Blick, and other places. Most of my brushes are Purdy brand, but generic brands work just as fine. I like 1.5inch and 2 inch brushes best for crisp lines. One of my favorite supplies that I just started using on my last mural- is the Purdy Multi-Tool. This is so helpful for cleaning out brushes because it really gets at the base and combs all the paint away. I find it is already prolonging the life of my brushes- which is nice since replenishing brushes can get expensive :(

Projecting & Painting the Mural

At this stage, the design is finally finalized, the materials are purchased, and now the installation process can begin!

To transfer the design onto the wall- I use the projecting method. It’s what I am most comfortable with and what works best for me. I use my projector, stand, and laptop to project the final image onto the wall. This is honestly the most frustrating part of the process for me. There can often be a lot of technical problems/ environment problems that can make the image tricky to line up in proportion. This is often where you have to use and develop your problem solving skills.

Eventually, the projector will be in position for me to start tracing. Its often best to project at night (if the mural is outdoors) or to turn off the lights if the mural is indoors. I try to experiment with different tracing tools. Crayon works great for surfaces like concrete, but leaves unwanted texture on drywall. Sharpie often works, but a bumpy or textured surface can ruin the tip of your marker. I use light colored thin markers for most of the ones I have done. They work well, but can still sometimes smudge or show through the paint.

Once the mural is fully traced, I begin painting!

A good tip is to work back to front as if your drawing is in layers ( this is easier if you have actual layers in Adobe or Procreate). I don’t follow strict approaches, but I typically work one color at a time. I often do multiple coats, so I do a first coat of everything, then go back in and do more coats until it is complete. Within that, it can also be helpful to work top to bottom, in case you were to drip any paint, so it wouldn’t mess up a finished area. If I have text overlapping the design, I tend to paint the negative space around the text first, so it can dry and I can start the text. Some people work the opposite way- starting with the text first and then doing whatever is behind it. Again- do whatever you’re most comfortable with.

Done!

The mural is finished! I like to get a final word of approval from the client, and with permission- I sign the mural. I make sure to take a lot of pictures are different angles- to well document the finished product.

Once documented, I share the photos of my finished mural (and progress pictures) on Instagram. Though I don’t spend much time on social media anymore, Instagram has been vital in sharing my work with others. I am not particularly business savvy or well connected- so Instagram/ social media is a great way to get potential clients to see my work. Most of my art-related jobs/projects come from people who have found me through Instagram (or who have seen my mural(s) in person- where I tag my Instagram handle @marissa.monstera.)

If you have been wanting to get into painting murals- this is your sign to go for it! One of my favorite pieces of advice if from Lauren Hom, where she notes that you don’t have to wait around for a wall to start painting murals. You can start on large pieces of paper, primed sheets of plywood (any large surface really) , or even use walls in your own house! That’s what I did for the first mural pictured below. I wanted to create something fun and bright for my parents’ kitchen- and that kicked off my start of doing indoor murals.

If you made it this far- thanks for reading! I hope this was informative :)