Mural Painting

– When I was asked to do a mural at Klco in Varberg, I had never done it before. But as with most things I take on, my attitude was: how hard can it be? I knew the wall was about 5 meters wide and infinitely high and that it was painted in pale pink. I like to work with acrylic paint that is quick-drying and covers well.

– To set up the project as smoothly as possible, I chose not to cover the entire wall with the mural, especially as it was so very high. I also did not want any clear ends or borders in the painting. I had two days so some time pressure was also involved.

– Then I was ready to start! I sketched a face directly on the wall (also discovered to my horror that I forgot to bring an eraser, so it simply had to be good right away). I used a photo as a model to get it as good as possible. I drew a freehand sketch but, if you want to, you can use a projector or an overhead projector to get the motif on the wall.

– Then it was time to start painting! To make the face blend into the wall and, again, to avoid straight edges and borders, I blurred the outline of her sweater. This was also something I had not tried before, but I trusted my instincts and it turned out well! When the portrait was finished, I continued with a beach on the other side of the wall. By now I had picked up some steam and drew completely freehand, painting directly on the wall without any previous sketch.

– It is a bit precarious to make that big of a painting. The trick is to take a few steps back and check OFTEN so that you can see if you are on the right track. Another aspect of painting on a wall is the fact that people watch while you work, but you have to try to ignore it as much as possible. To tie the motif together I finished by making a big, dark red circle, quite high up on the wall to draw the gaze upwards and create the feeling of space and height in the mural.