Mural: stuff you need
Before you start smearing paint on your walls, you need a plan... and not quite as much stuff as you might think. Most of it is available stupid cheap! If you are working outside, you can eliminate much of the cleanup equipment; a hose and a trash can will suffice.
Indoors is another story.
First, the idea; draw some roughs, figure the size (square footage) of walls. This affects how much (size of walls) and what colors of paint. It goes farther than you think! (The paint store can give you an idea of how many gallons of one color will cover a certain square footage... you're going to use several colors; now it's time to break out the calculator.Figure how many gallons, how many colors, and whether you need a lot of one and a little of another... or just guess. A gallon of dark blue and a gallon of green (the predominant colors in our jungle/ocean/artic edge) did our whole party room at Manheim Township Rec Dept (about 20' x 20'), but we had lots of other colors. From your roughs, you can make a pallette of colors. You can simplify: a jungle could be one gallon of green, some white, some black, and a few small cans or acrylic tubes for flowers and birds and other colorful stuff. Good colors to usually have: red, yellow, blue, black, white, sienna (chestnut), umber (chocolate). You can mix greens. You may want to buy a good purple or pinks if you are using lots of those.
Buckets (one or two for each person; they have to keep their brushes in water to keep them from drying out); these can be old ice cream buckets, kitchen buckets, cleaning buckets, old paint buckets, one or two big buckets is cool). Those paintbrush holders you find at art stores are good: you can stand the brushes in them (in water) without denting their little pointy heads (they usually have a rack of some sort to suspend the brushes). You need a bucket of clean water to mix with your paint, to wipe up spills. Another bucket of grunge water to swish brushes in.
Rags, paper towels, drop cloths (cardboard, plastic, cloth, anything). Save up cardboard boxes and flat pieces now: these can be used to set paint cans on, cover the floor etc.
The kitchen sink. Really, you need a place to wash all this stuff. And a copious supply of water: to mix with paint, to wash brushes, and to rinse your T-shirt when you drop the paint pan.
Big trash can. Or small dumpster, depending on the size of your project.
Ladders, stools, sturdy chairs (to stand or sit on).
A pile of newspaper (useful for wiping brushes, averting disasters, practicing techniques).
Paint. Latex, water-based!!! (Easy cleanup, easier on the allergies). I can guestimate the amount based on what we used on the other murals, but it is not rocket science. You can stick to a basic set of colors for nearly anything. (as in watercolor, six colors can create a million). You can also scrounge: any leftover paint (interior latex, or even exterior latex, water based) is useful. Any donated paint (check with relatives and friends). Any color (you'll find a use). Paint stores often have “mistake cans” which they will part with stupid cheap.
Stuff to mix paint in: plastic margerine (etc) tubs, yogurt cups, any plasticware (yard sale, thrift shop), laundry detergent lids, plastic “paper bowls”, muffin pans, paint roller pans. Muffin pans rock!
Cardboard boxes; paint cans are drippy, paint buckets are messy; setting them in cardboard boxes lined with newspaper eliminates a lot of mess.
Brushes: not all of them have to be high tech, in fact, most can be fairly rough. Stiff, soft, large small house-painting type brushes. Some artists brushes for detail work. Natural sponges (the most awesome tool for murals is the sponge); natural sponges have random shapes, rough edges. You could tear up a Spongebob type kitchen sponge like a real one (use needlenosed pliers, scissors, your parrot or Jack Russell). Small scrub brushes, bottle brushes, or other stiff brushes for spatter (again, old ones, or dollar store ones work here). Toothbrushes (donate your old one, just clean it first). Twigs (draw with), leaves (stencil or print techniques), other plants. Paint rollers: regular, large, small, rough (those ones that look like natural sponges). Cloth, and paper towels can be used to create interesting effects.
You really should have a cheap box of latex or vinyl gloves. Some of these techniques are decidedly messy.
Photo reference. Decide on the subject, find pics of it. Or take new ones, or both. Digital cameras are useful, upload onto your laptop... just cover it with some saranwrap or something.
Photos of project. Take shots of walls as they are. When they get their first coat of paint. As the mural progresses. Post it on your facebook, website, send it, share it.
Indoors is another story.
First, the idea; draw some roughs, figure the size (square footage) of walls. This affects how much (size of walls) and what colors of paint. It goes farther than you think! (The paint store can give you an idea of how many gallons of one color will cover a certain square footage... you're going to use several colors; now it's time to break out the calculator.Figure how many gallons, how many colors, and whether you need a lot of one and a little of another... or just guess. A gallon of dark blue and a gallon of green (the predominant colors in our jungle/ocean/artic edge) did our whole party room at Manheim Township Rec Dept (about 20' x 20'), but we had lots of other colors. From your roughs, you can make a pallette of colors. You can simplify: a jungle could be one gallon of green, some white, some black, and a few small cans or acrylic tubes for flowers and birds and other colorful stuff. Good colors to usually have: red, yellow, blue, black, white, sienna (chestnut), umber (chocolate). You can mix greens. You may want to buy a good purple or pinks if you are using lots of those.
Buckets (one or two for each person; they have to keep their brushes in water to keep them from drying out); these can be old ice cream buckets, kitchen buckets, cleaning buckets, old paint buckets, one or two big buckets is cool). Those paintbrush holders you find at art stores are good: you can stand the brushes in them (in water) without denting their little pointy heads (they usually have a rack of some sort to suspend the brushes). You need a bucket of clean water to mix with your paint, to wipe up spills. Another bucket of grunge water to swish brushes in.
Rags, paper towels, drop cloths (cardboard, plastic, cloth, anything). Save up cardboard boxes and flat pieces now: these can be used to set paint cans on, cover the floor etc.
The kitchen sink. Really, you need a place to wash all this stuff. And a copious supply of water: to mix with paint, to wash brushes, and to rinse your T-shirt when you drop the paint pan.
Big trash can. Or small dumpster, depending on the size of your project.
Ladders, stools, sturdy chairs (to stand or sit on).
A pile of newspaper (useful for wiping brushes, averting disasters, practicing techniques).
Paint. Latex, water-based!!! (Easy cleanup, easier on the allergies). I can guestimate the amount based on what we used on the other murals, but it is not rocket science. You can stick to a basic set of colors for nearly anything. (as in watercolor, six colors can create a million). You can also scrounge: any leftover paint (interior latex, or even exterior latex, water based) is useful. Any donated paint (check with relatives and friends). Any color (you'll find a use). Paint stores often have “mistake cans” which they will part with stupid cheap.
Stuff to mix paint in: plastic margerine (etc) tubs, yogurt cups, any plasticware (yard sale, thrift shop), laundry detergent lids, plastic “paper bowls”, muffin pans, paint roller pans. Muffin pans rock!
Cardboard boxes; paint cans are drippy, paint buckets are messy; setting them in cardboard boxes lined with newspaper eliminates a lot of mess.
Brushes: not all of them have to be high tech, in fact, most can be fairly rough. Stiff, soft, large small house-painting type brushes. Some artists brushes for detail work. Natural sponges (the most awesome tool for murals is the sponge); natural sponges have random shapes, rough edges. You could tear up a Spongebob type kitchen sponge like a real one (use needlenosed pliers, scissors, your parrot or Jack Russell). Small scrub brushes, bottle brushes, or other stiff brushes for spatter (again, old ones, or dollar store ones work here). Toothbrushes (donate your old one, just clean it first). Twigs (draw with), leaves (stencil or print techniques), other plants. Paint rollers: regular, large, small, rough (those ones that look like natural sponges). Cloth, and paper towels can be used to create interesting effects.
You really should have a cheap box of latex or vinyl gloves. Some of these techniques are decidedly messy.
Photo reference. Decide on the subject, find pics of it. Or take new ones, or both. Digital cameras are useful, upload onto your laptop... just cover it with some saranwrap or something.
Photos of project. Take shots of walls as they are. When they get their first coat of paint. As the mural progresses. Post it on your facebook, website, send it, share it.
