Walls indoor and out can be given a new look with a painted mural, even if you’re not a skilled artist. Plain outdoor walls, living rooms and kid’s rooms are all ideal places to create murals. You will need to plan carefully and perhaps practice a bit before you start, but with the help of products you can buy today, almost anyone can create a striking mural painting.

Inspirations for Murals

Whatever your taste, there are murals to suit you. Peaceful, unspoiled landscapes are an especially popular choice for murals, particularly if there is a large wall to be made over. Trompe l’oeil paintings (paintings that deceive the eye) and picture windows create an illusion of reality, so that every home can have a view of the sea, the countryside or even a scenic city skyline.

Instead of hanging pictures, you can enhance your decor with painted motifs. Tuscan style decor uses images such as bowls of fruit and views of Mediterranean landscapes instead of framed pictures, to create a charming old world finish. Murals using other images and styles can be the perfect finishing touch for any decor scheme.

Images drawn from nature can always complement a room. Alternatively, in a contemporary decor scheme, geometric designs and abstract patterns can be very effective. Workplaces, schools and other premises can be cheered up with an imaginative mural that creates a bright, individual look.

First Steps

Prepare your surface well. It needs to be clean and grease-free. Fill holes and cracks with putty. It may not matter if the surface is a bit rough, depending on what effect you want to achieve. Apply a good quality undercoat or primer.

Paint Types

For indoor murals, you can’t go wrong with water-based acrylic paints. Outdoor murals need a paint that is weatherproof and waterproof. If the mural will receive direct sunlight, choose paint with a built-in sunscreen. You may need to seal your handiwork with a high quality clear sealer.

Realizing Your Design

For landscapes or similar pictorial scenes, the first step is to apply your background color and then work ‘forward’ on subsequent layers. The next step might be mountains and trees, with fine detail applied as the final layer. On your background you will need to mark out your chosen design. Most of us will need assistance to do this. If you’re working from a picture or photo, you’ll need to scale it up. Computer software can help with this task.

Stencils make the job even easier for novice mural artists. Whatever motif or style you want, you’re bound to be able to purchase something suitable. An alternative is to buy transfer kits that make it easy to mark out your chosen design on your wall. Then, almost like painting by numbers, you are ready to paint your mural.

For a stylish finish indoors or outdoors, or as a worthwhile work or community project to brighten your workplace or neighborhood, painted murals are hard to beat.