If you don’t want the bother of an aquarium, you can still create that tranquil feel by painting an underwater mural. Murals that evoke the peacefulness of the ocean or river bed can be highly effective in bedrooms, living rooms, beach-side homes and children’s rooms. For a bathroom or pool area, an underwater theme can be especially appropriate. Try these tips and ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Inspiring Ideas

You can choose amongst a variety of styles if you want to create an underwater mural. Children’s rooms invite particular visual treatments whereas adult living areas demand a more subtle and sophisticated look. For kids’ murals you could think of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, sunken treasure and mermaids, executed in cartoon-style. Whimsy isn’t only for kids though and you could exercise your sense of humor in an underwater mural in a bathroom or swimming pool area.

In adult bedrooms and living areas, the peaceful feel that we get from watching fish in an aquarium is something that you might want to aim for. For a brighter look, you could go for shoals of exotic tropical fish and other fabulous marine life. If you want a more subtle look, or you’re not a great fish fan, a sandy seabed with fragile seashells and waving sea grasses in pastel colors could be ideal. You also don’t have to stick to shades of blue. You could experiment with combinations of soft greens and even browns.

For maximum impact your mural can cover an entire wall, or you could paint a faux picture window. This popular technique, , is known as ‘trompe l’oeil’, which means ‘deceiving the eye’. In children’s rooms, faux portholes can create the impression of being in a submarine deep beneath the sea. Portholes through which frolicking mermaids can be seen are effective in a girl’s room.

Mural Painting

Whichever design you choose you will be able to find a stencil to suit your needs. Reusable stencils, or transfers that allow you to mark a design on to the wall ready for painting, can make life much easier for those who lack confidence in their artistic skills.

You may want to create a mural from a picture or photo in your possession. The technique for scaling up a picture to mural size involves marking both into corresponding squares and copying your picture onto your wall one square at a time – or check out the computer software that is specially designed to do this for you.

You will start your mural by painting in your background. You may have two areas, such as water and seabed, meeting at a ‘horizon’. With a brush, sponge or for larger spaces, a roller, paint your background colors. Next you will paint the outlines of your objects, such as shells or submerged rocks, before concluding with fine details such as shading and texture.

Remember that murals in some areas require extra measures, including the use of waterproof paint for murals in bathrooms or paint with a built-in sunscreen for outdoor artwork. A transparent glaze will protect your mural and ensure that it lasts as long as possible.