Even you can paint a tree mural

by Andrea Hermitt | More from this Blogger

11 Jun 2009 06:00 AM

(cc) image by SharonaGott/flickr

While you may not be able to paint a masterpiece such of the likes of VanGogh, you can still create a beautiful mural in your home. The amount of skill you need to succeed is the ability to draw a straight line and to basically color by number. The tools you will need to paint a mural are:

• Acrylic paints purchased at your local craft store, or pints of a kid safe paint like crayola.
• Transparency or digital projector. If you don't own one, you can rent one.
• Paint brushes
• Pencils
• Sharpie marker

Step 1. Find an image of a tree that you like. Look at a lot pictures of trees. Look at realistic pictures, and of abstract pictures. Eventually you will find one you like. Make sure the tree you choose is well balanced and not heavy on one side and sparse on the other. The image you start out with will affect your finished job. (It is recommended that you use a public domain or creative commons image to respect the copyrights of others.

Step 2. If you are using an overhead transparency projector, you will need to trace the image onto the transparency sheet. Do this boy blowing up the image to the size of the transparency sheet and tracing the image with a marker on the clear plastic sheet. If you are using a digital projector, skip to step 3.

Step 3. Project your image onto the wall and adjust it until it is the size you want and in the a position that looks good. Now you are ready to trace the image onto the wall with a pencil. Your tracing does not have to be perfect, after all, it is a tree. Items from nature are imperfect. Step 4. Decide what colors you will use on what parts of your mural. Think of it as coloring a page in a child's coloring book. I suggest painting an item like a tree all in one color, from the trunk to the branches to the leaves. This is less realistic and more stylized, but makes for a beautiful image and is perfect for a dining room wall, or other public area in your home. I especially like to see a mural such as this painted in a different shade, but the same color as the background color on the wall. For a more realistic tree, stick to four colors. Use a background and accent color for the tree trunk, and a background color and highlight color for the leaves. This is a good approach when painting a tree mural in a kids' bedroom.

Points you should remember:

• Keeping your mural image as simple as possible is a good idea when creating your first mural. Try something simple like a rainbow, a tree, or a castle.
• Larger images are easier to paint than smaller images.
• Murals done in less colors are also easier to attempt. You can even create a one colored mural such as a tree or map on a different colored background.
• Remember that it is just paint. If you don't like the outcome, you can always paint over it.

If you liked this you should also read my blogs at the home blog, the parents blog, and the frugal blog. You can read my recent posts here. You will also like

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Learn more about Andrea Hermitt

Andrea Hermitt is a native New Yorker currently residing in GA. She has been married for over 16 years and has two teenage children.

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