Trompe L'Oeil Mural Paintings don't happen by accident - they're planned to make it easy, like the preparations of Masters who create great paintings, artist have been working out their designs through preliminary sketches done in pencil, charcoal or other drawing media. Good design, a pleasing arrangement of shapes is essential for every work of art - the layout and composition.

The project starts in visualizing the theme of the mural, by collecting elements of the scene the sketches are rendered by the artist.

For example, the theme is to visualize scenery, the beauty of the backyard, a garden, refreshing scenery of fountain and pools, mountains at the background and by creating a trompe l'oeil scene, a part of the interior will be included in the painting, terrace, stairs etc. From these elements the artists start sketching the possible layout that the interior site is included in the scene.

The first step is measuring the mural size, by determining the exact size of the mural is the precise way to know your working area. The measurements will include the ratio of the viewer compare to the setting, the eye level, vanishing points for the perspective effect and the horizon line. All of these will be considered in creating a small scale of artwork. A normal 8.5" x 11" standard bond paper is easy and versatile to use for preliminary sketches. Use architect's scale for a precise reduction of size of the mural.

The next session is designing and composing the elements of the theme. After several sketches, the artist was convinced, and then the black and white sketches will be transformed to color visuals. Watercolour and acrylic paint is the quickest medium for the application of local color impression, and if the subject is delicate, airbrush is one of the best tools for soft renditions of colors. Another way is the help of computer software's like, Adobe Photoshop, Painter, Corel Draw and 3D Software's (Max, Maya, and Silicon Graphics etc.).

Preparation of the Wall or Canvas:

Sometimes the wall will be treated to fill some of the small cracks and finished it with electric sander. A good ground will have a result of fine mural painting.

Using a theatrical canvas is huge enough to cover the standard walls, available only in any selected stores, internet is the quickest way to search of this canvas. The size ranged is wide enough for any standard interior murals. This is a modern way approach for the mural painting, just like doing your painting in your studio, and if it is finished remove and install it to the site. Use a white primer double coat for the preparation of the base, if applied in the canvas add a bit of water on the first coating to stretch the small folds and sealed the pores of the canvas. Don't forget to add center lines, trim marks and an extension of at least two inches in every side. If it is required with some textures, use cement texturing or you can apply texturing paste that dries is 30 minutes and you can start immediately the sketching session.

Enlarging the Preliminary Artworks:

Using grids is the traditional way of enlarging an image. By dividing the image in a perfect square, horizontal and vertical will enlarge the image exactly in the desired blowup size. Another approach is by enlarging the small images using a projector, the scaling of artworks and designs is faster, easier and more accurate. The powerful light of halogen bulb will illuminates a sharper enlarge image. Capable of viewing your sketch immediately to the wall and can easily trace the outlines of the artworks.

Sketching is very important because line drawing is the backbone of every elements of the mural, be precise for each details in one line drawing, this will help you a precise details. Used an ordinary lead pencil, chalk and charcoal will be visible and needs to opaque the colors to cover it. Before the application of colors, stand in the front of the murals, again visualize the perspective if it is correct to the illusion of trompe l'oeil (to fool the eye).

The Best Paints for Interior and Exterior Mural Paintings:

There are a variety of techniques of application including fresco, the type of paint of most interest to modern mural artists is either painting on canvas or directly to the wall using acrylic paints. Acrylic paints offers the advantages of a wide range of unique permanent colors, great versatility in mediums, clear resin system and superior adhesion.

For exterior, the German made colors (century old) Keim Mineral Paints are engineered for durability and longevity. Their liquid-mineral application bonds potassium silicate with the buildings mineral substrate, they resist UV and moisture corrosions and remain color true for over 100 years.

Painting Sessions:

Your mural painting should be harmony in the color theme of the interior, copy the exact color and applied it "glazed"(lightly) - you can see your pencil sketch out-line over the thin glazed, by using foam is a quick application to cover the whole base color of the mural.

After the ground harmony base color applied, it is ready to paint for the local color. Next, divide the three ssessions as : the background, the middle ground and the foreground.

Background:
I used the technique of misty effect to create blurry far objects, I used pastel colors and dull values of color, I use the lost and found technique and monochromatic colors.

Middle ground:
I used tertiary colors more whites is mixed in all colors, slight details and half shaded.

Foreground:
The strongest contrast of every detail is totally sharp. In this stage application of the light source, shade and shadows, defining the local color, and reaching the level of realism is to be applied. By overlapping and glazing colors on top of the other color will enhance the tangible illusion of the object. Review the gradation of each effect in the objects, inspect for any revisions of every section, done...don't foget to sign your painting.

Installing the mural painting:

Careless move will ruin the mural finished painting, carefully cover it with a huge plastic, you can use new plastic drop sheets, sticked with easy to remove masking tape and rolled it in cylinder tube.

Sticking the mural is a bit tricky, define the center line in the mural and register the center lined that have made in the previous sketching session. Same technique as applying the wallpaper, apply two coating of fabric glue with a roller and quickly staples. Start at the center line of the top of the mural and gradually scraped the any small folds with squeegee. Finally, trim the excess canvas and retouch the white edges of the canvas.