The document provides instructions for painting a mural. It recommends starting by getting inspiration from famous murals and current events. The key materials needed are latex paint for large areas and acrylics for details, along with various sized paintbrushes, trays, and rollers. A suitable location is also important. There are three painting methods discussed: projector, gridding, or direct drawing. The document concludes by stating mural painting takes skill and practice but can powerfully convey messages to communities.

1. TANG YING JIEN
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English 1 [ENGL0105 / ELG 30505]
WEDNESDAY SESSION JANUARY INTAKE 2015
Words: 830

2. PAINTING THE WORLD’S MIRROR
“The Last Supper”, “The Creation of Adam” and “Renaissance Man”, ever
heard of it? All these masterpieces were made by famous artists like Leonardo Da
Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. According to UKEssays, these murals and wall
paintings were not merely for decoration, they had been the reflection of the cultural
and technology developments during that Renaissance period. Each of the mural
conveys a message on how mankind thought and acted then. Generally, wall
paintings are not only interesting ways to decorate a wall, they are also the most
powerful media to spread messages to the community as the saying goes, ‘one
image equals to a thousand words’. To be able to create an iconic masterpiece
mural, you need to be inspired by murals of the greats such as Leonardo da Vinci
and get new ideas from current events and happenings as well as having the right
materials and tools to paint the wall and then start painting and make wonders!
To begin with, you should get inspirations and new ideas from various forms
and media. Go around places that are famous for their murals and wall paintings.
You can look for murals in churches and famous chapels such as Church Frescos.
As Graham Matthews mentioned, you can try and visit art galleries or museums and
study the paintings you see there. You can take a closer look at your own culture
and be inspired by the art in your homeland and create a new idea by putting your
own unique spin into it. Go and surf the internet for ideas and inspirations like finding
new designs and concepts from Pinterest and Deviantart. Try and relate the murals
that you are drawing with the current events and global issues that the world is
facing as you want the world to see into their own reflection and touched by it. After
having multiple researches, you should have come out with a final design that you
would want your mural to be. You can now move on to next steps which are
preparing the right tools and materials, and selecting the right location for your mural.
Having the right tools, materials and right location are the vital components to
paint a mural. Before you start anything on your painting, you need to prime your
wall first. Speaking of paint for your mural, Thaneeya McArdle recommended interior
household paint a.k.a. latex paint to paint large blocks of colours such as a vast of
blue oceans or a lush green forest. And for detail works on your mural, you should

3. use artist-quality acrylics such as Liquitex Soft Body Acrylics. The next step is to
have the suitable size for your paintbrushes. When in fact, you do not want a big
paintbrush to paint a small detailed object. You need to get various sizes and it
should be at least 1”, 2” and 3” wide of brush. Having a paint tray and a roller is a
must as it can save you a lot of time to paint really wide areas with a single colour.
After buying your stuffs, you need to find a suitable location for your mural. You need
to find a wall and ask for permission to draw on it to prevent any misunderstanding.
Finally, you can now start painting! But the problem is how to paint? You have
three ways of painting the mural which are using a projector, a gridding system or
draw directly onto the wall. Using the projector method, Doug Myerscough
mentioned that you would need a powerful projector which will be able to project the
size of the image you want while maintaining a sharp edge. This method must be
carried out during the night time. On the other hand, gridding system is an age-old
techniques which was invented by German artist Albrecht Durer around 1500 AD.
You need to plot the image you want to make into the mural and then transfer the
image on to the wall block by block. Next, you can use a carbon pencil or a big
charcoal stick to trace out the image on the wall. After you are happy with the
tracing, you can start with the painting! After painting the whole mural, apply a coat
of gloss and vanish to protect it from dust and ensure your mural to stay vibrant and
beautiful for a long time to come. Voila, your fantastic wall mural is completed!
In a nutshell, mural painting is a powerful tool to convey a message to the
community. Painting a mural art requires skills that not everyone can master, it takes
patience and time to shape the skills and unique styles. Remember to step back
often to see the mural looks like in a distance, to ensure the mural look likes what
you want it to be. I hope these steps of producing an attractive wall painting are able
to give you a small push to start and venture out and start painting the world’s mirror!

4. References
Williams, B. (n.d.). CPAG Guide. Retrieved April 29, 2015, from
http://www.cpag.net/guide/2/2_pages/2_1.htm
H.Y. Caruso J, C. (2003, January 1). Mural Painting as public art. Retrieved April 29,
2015, from http://jonah.eastern.edu/emme/2003spring/art_reviews.html
Murals Wall Paintings and Frescoes History Essay. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2015,
from http://www.ukessays.com/essays/history/murals-wall-paintings-and-frescoes-
history-essay.php
McArdle, T. (2008, January 1). How to Paint a Mural. Retrieved April 29, 2015, from
http://www.art-is-fun.com/how-to-paint-a-mural
Myerscough, D. (n.d.). How to Paint a Mural. Retrieved April 29, 2015, from
http://www.murals.com/howto.html
Boddy-Evans, M. (2015, January 1). How to Paint a Wall Mural. Retrieved April 29,
2015, from http://painting.about.com/od/stencillingdecorative/a/PaintWallMural.htm
Seven Easy Steps to Painting an Awesome Mural. (2010, December 16). Retrieved
April 29, 2015, from https://diemdame.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/seven-easy-steps-
to-painting-an-awesome-mural/