Mural Painting Procedure & Preparation
Trompe-l'œil Ceiling Project

Best famous the old master Michaelangelo's "The Creation" for decorating majestic ceilings, here with combination of Graham Rust border decoration for trompe-l'œil effect.

Mural Painting are decoration and an interior design, planning is necessary to create a piece of art. It started by creating idea composition design and project in preliminary sketches done in pencils, combining several layouts of visuals. I continue draw and design in Photoshop, some artist use other drawing media such as computer generated software's like Corel, 3D - Autocad, Maya or Studio Max.

The final design has been presented to the client and ready to proceed for the painting session.

Mural Painting Procedure and Preparation

• With the photos and collection decors, the project starts planning and visualizing the theme design and collecting elements, images, files and ideas needed for the scene. Some sketches and thumbnails are rendered to produce an immediate manipulation of visuals.

With the guide of the thumbnail sketches, I start layouting the collective elements and joined them together in photoshop, edits and revise them to achieve the desired visuals.

• When the design was made, and ready to transfer it on the wall the measurement of the mural is precisely scaled to the working area, projector for enlargement is precise and the grid method if necessary. I print the dummy visuals in 17 " x 11" glossy paper that gives a beutiful color references and scales it proportion to the mural working area.

• Preparation of the wall or canvas is important, sometimes the wall will be treated to fill some of the small cracks and finished it with sanding. 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, the size ranged is wide enough for any standard interior murals, this is a modern way approach for the mural painting, the same painting in the studio. A primer of double coat for the preparation of the base with anti mould paint, the canvas when wet it automatically streched all folds creating a fine surface with sealed pores of the canvas. If it is required with some textures, I use cement texturing or apply texturing paste and let it competely dried.

• Sketching is very important because line drawing is the skeleton of every elements of the mural, precise line drawing is necessary. To create the best impression, I always re-study the perspective and anatomy of figures, I simply use an ordinary lead pencil or chalk.

• The type and quality of paint are important, there are a varieties and method of application of techniques:

- Acrylic paints offers the advantages of a wide range of unique permanent colors, great versatility in mediums, clear resin system and superior adhesion.

- Oil paints offers the advantages of vivid colors, great versatility in humidity and superior adhesion.

- For exterior, a permanent and tough paint from weathers,some are engineered for durability and longevity. The 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:

Application with foams.	Masking

• I used huge brushes and foams, quick for application to cover the whole base color of the mural. I used masking for quick division of colors. After the ground base color is applied, it is ready to paint for the local color of each details. I divide the the sessions according to their categories - the background, the middle ground and the foreground.

Background: I used the technique of misty effect to create blurry far objects, I also used pastel colors and dull values, to create depth of illussion.

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

Foreground: The strongest contrast of every details and the tonality are sharp. In this stage is the application of the light source, shade and shadows, defining the local color, and reaching the level of realism is applied. By overlapping and glazing colors on top of the other color will enhance the define illusion of the object. I keep reviewing the mode, density effects for each objects until I am satisfied that it advances in fore and tangible illussion.

• Installing the canvas is sensitive, by defining the center line of the mural is the easiest way to start. Same technique like applying the wallpaper, an application of two coating of fabric glue with a roller is essential. I start at the middle and carefully scrape small folds with squeegee towards outside direction until all each section is completed. Finally, I trim the excess canvas with cutter and retouch a possible the white edges of the canvas.

• Varnishing of matte or gloss and overcoat the entire painting with a clear sealer gives a protection that last long time preservation even cleaning is required.