Mural finished....

[leesmith]

Here is a mural I finished today; done in acrylics.

About 7 Ft. X 5 feet. I spent 14 1/2 hours painting this, thought it went very fast, my fourth mural. The actual colors are much brighter, with variations of greens, plums in those areas which are showing very dark. The antique gold border is metallic; metallic gold accents through out the mural don't show and the detail of the peacocks' tails is blurred. Tail feathers "eyes" are olive green, teal and cyan trimmed with gold. Taken with a digi cam and had to skew the pix cuz couldn't take straight on. ( mattresses propped against the wall. There is a problem with pin head air bubbles in the clear coat that I need to remedy. If anyone has any ideas how to fix, please let me know. I've sent Ruth Cox a PM asking for her advice.

[ThinkSeeDraw]

wow, that is truely a beauty..... I think that is the most beautiful thing!!!!!!!!!

is it indoors or out??? On a wall or just a canvas panel or something????

I don't know if u are looking for any comments, but i just had to give this one!!!!!!!!!! :D

[leesmith]

Thank you, Strawberrie!

This is painted directly on a wall in a master bedroom; will serve as a "headboard" for this couple's kingsize bed. This mural is the centerpiece of an entire bedroom decorating job I'm doing for them. They're into oriental in a big way!

Am also completing this week end, a custom upholstered Euro bed. In the next few weeks will start on a custom spread with French sham, pillows, drapes, handpainted cornice. I've already completed custom silk, fringed lampshades for a pair of antique lamps and framing of his collection of oriental flutes. Also handpainted an old 40's dresser into "oriental" and a Lane hope chest into "oriental" as part of this project. The last two appear in earlier posts in this forum.

These people just bought a new townhome and have enough projects to keep me busy for months!

[tammy]

Great job, Lee! Very pretty

[ThinkSeeDraw]

oh my gosh... How cool is that!!!!!!!!!! :D

[leesmith]

Thanks Tammy! I'm going to need a vacation after this week end.

[leesmith]

Hey, Strawberrie,

I've tried to bump "Ugly Duckling" and "From Brown Dowdy to Oriental" back up for you.

[DuncanBerenice]

that's really beautiful lee, a piece to be highly proud of. me and my wife would like that in our bedroom.

Duncan

[leesmith]

Thank you Duncan!:)

[jenrou]

Late gettin' here. Lot's of detail in this. Great job!

[leesmith]

Thanks Jean.

The peacocks were the most detailed for sure but overall the entire mural took about 15 hours to paint, I used house painting brushes, a large seasponge plus artist brushes to get some variaton. I really loved the gold dainty foliage, that is the sea sponge, breaks up the broad leaves.

[Cap]

This is really good Lee.
I am interested to know what kind of paints you used as the ones I last used for mural were on the runny side.

[leesmith]

Hey Cap,

I haven't seen you post in a long time or have I just been overlooking your posts? At any rate, I'm glad to see you back!

I used just plain old 2 oz acrylic craft paints, plus some of the BASICS line, and latex in quarts also. This mural was done over flat wall paint which has a tendancy to absorb, so that probably kept it from running.

[Cap]

Yes Lee I have been away for a while .Glad to be back!
Do you varnish over the acrylics? as I have a childs room to do and latex is just too runny and I know acrylics are not ideal for children, they scratch easy too.

[leesmith]

Hi Cap,

I used a product called Polycrylic, water based, sold at Walmart for about $13.00 a Qt. ( I used to use the House Beautiful brand from Walmart, much cheaper and just as good, but Walmart discontinued selling the HB brand.) The polycrylic comes in Gloss, Semi Gloss, and Satin; I use the Satin. This is a product I use on painted furniture also.

The clear really makes the colors come alive and I like the soft sheen. Also protects from dirt and scuffs. If you apply with a roller, be careful to re load often when it starts to sizzle, otherwise, you'll have tiny little bubbles that won't disappear when it dries.

I still think I prefer to use a wide brush which doesn't cause the bubbles; but pros told me to use the foam roller. As it turned out, I had to sand out the little bubbles with superfine sandpaper, lightly with no pressure, and then recoated with the clear. I thought I had really messed it up!

Be sure to use a NAPLESS roller like a sponge type, so the pros said or else you'll have lint in the clear. I still think the little holes in the sponge roller may have contributed to some of the bubbling.

[leesmith]

Also Cap,

Have you ever visited www.muralsplus.com ? It's a site similar to wet canvas but for decorative painting, murals, faux painting. Lots of good stuff there, and advice too.

[Cap]

Thankyou thankyou Lee you are so kind to take the time to help me.
Now I am off to visit that page!

[TeAnne]

Lee this is gorgeous. What a great acheivement. I hope they paid you what your worth and more. WOW

Hey Cap, welcome back gf. ((((HUGZZZZZZZ))))

[leesmith]

Thanks TeAnne,

I got the biggest paycheck ever on this mural. B

But evenso after checking with some pros, the value of this mural should have been not less than $1,700.00 based on the square footage alone. And I didn't charge them anywhere near that!

OMG, if I could just do one mural one week a month, I could paint on canvas the other 3 weeks without worrying about my finances. :D I would like to advertise and push murals, they are really big here. I've read that murals done in realism can cost $25,000 for a 4 wall mural! Imagine that!

[leesmith]

Cap, let me know what you thought about the mural site!

Thanks Teanne for the tole painting links you posted in another thread. You are right that last one was gorgeous.

[tammy]

Originally posted by leesmith


OMG, if I could just do one mural one week a month, I could paint on canvas the other 3 weeks without worrying about my finances. :D I would like to advertise and push murals, they are really big here. I've read that murals done in realism can cost $25,000 for a 4 wall mural! Imagine that!

Wow, you should go for it. Advertise, Advertise!!!!! Surely even a small newspaper ad in the classified wouldn't cost too much. (maybe) Not in the business section though cuz that does cost a bit. At least it does here.

[leesmith]

Morning Tammy,

Yes, advertising in paper. We have a "services" section in our classifieds, even running an ad just one Sunday a month would be good. I plan to get the vinyl letters for my van. Have already worked up what I want on there, also want my web address too and am checking into my home owners association to see what if any, kind of sign I can put in my front yard.

Do you know if these type letters can go over a rear window that has the built in defroster?

You know murals really are like painting on canvas. You just forget it's a wall and do all like you would for a canvas painting.
I do a drawing and grid that then proportionately increase the drawing size to get the size of the mural. Then I grid the wall just like the drawing and start sketching in each grid square, using my small gridded drawing for reference. Only difference is that you are working from a ladder, which is painful on the feet, ankles and joints. If I get into murals more, I will invest in a scaffold.

[tammy]

Originally posted by leesmith
I plan to get the vinyl letters for my van. Have already worked up what I want on there, also want my web address too and am checking into my home owners association to see what if any, kind of sign I can put in my front yard.

Do you know if these type letters can go over a rear window that has the built in defroster?

.
oooooo, you go girlfriend!

I have always been afraid to put letters over my defroster window too but just because of lack of knowledge about em. When I was in a cb club though I had my alias name on my back glass and I used those sparkly stick on letters and they did fine. Seems like I just made sure that they were on the outside and that they didn't cover any of those wire looking things that ran across the back glass. Not sure how they are made but to me it looks as if they are ingrained into the actual glass from the inside. I really don't think that something on them on the outside would hurt the defroster but not sure.
I'm thinking maybe painting the letters with a stencil would be better though. Just my thoughts on it.

Perhaps there is someone who put designs on car windows that you might call and ask if it would hurt the defroster or even a car parts store may have the answer.

[Leaflin]

This is just beautiful Lee. :)
Your clients are very lucky to have you.

[leesmith]

Thank you Leaflin! And I'm lucky to have some clients!:D
Work is good!

Tammy, I wonder what kind of paint would stick and stay on glass? I was just going to go to one of those sign places that makes the laser cut letters. They are all stuck on one piece so you get the placement right. Hubby says it is about $90.00 here.
I thought about the magnetic signs but have read some funny stories about people filching them and sticking them on stop signs! LOL Plus I've heard they leave marks on your car.

[boarsrock]

I'm currently working with Watercolors and stumbled into this section. All I can say is WOW. What a beautiful piece.

[leesmith]

Thank you Boarsrock! The encouragement and support here at WC is wonderful!

[Mystical*1]

wow...this is fabulous!!!!

I've had a wall I've been looking at and looking at..wanting to do a mural...I just don't have the courage yet.....

this is just great

[tammy]

Originally posted by leesmith

Tammy, I wonder what kind of paint would stick and stay on glass.

I'm not sure, but I thought that acrylic stuck to everything! Well, except for Oil. LOL

[leesmith]

Thank you Mystical!

Just apply what you already know about painting on canvas or paper and pretend the wall is just that. Same steps, plan the design, sketch on paper gridded and scaled to the mural size, then grid the wall, sketch each grid, and go to it! Unless you have a projector which would make it easier.

Thanks Tammy, I thought so too, but they don't stick to a plastic tray! I just run hot water over it and the acrylics slide off. I wondered about rain and sun. Maybe the solution is to apply to the INSIDE window. Now that would really be confusing like
ECNALUBMA. I don't know that my brain could handle that!:D

[DuncanBerenice]

Hi lee

thanks for posting that link to muralsplus, I had a look last night and found it interesting, I think I'll sign up for that one as well. In fact, with all the encouragement we're getting, I've actually taken the step of doing a home study course on decroative painting - I'm actually looking forward to it. We're working on a cupboard ath the mo and we're both really pleased with the results so far, my mum, dad and sister have seen what we've done so far their encouragement was really great - I had to fend off my sister from taking away our cupboard lol.

I'm seriously thinking about taking the decorative painting further, by trying a few craft fairs with smaller items - the ideas are forming and its thanks to Wet Canvas for that and this forum.

as soon as our cupboard is finished I'll post a photograph of it as yet I aint got a digital camera yet - that'll come in time lol

Duncan

[leesmith]

Yes! Yes Duncan, one idea leads to another and another and another with each getting better than the one before!

Keep up the good work and do post more for us to see; it's a such a pleasure!

[tammy]

Originally posted by leesmith

Thanks Tammy, I thought so too, but they don't stick to a plastic tray! I just run hot water over it and the acrylics slide off. I wondered about rain and sun. Maybe the solution is to apply to the INSIDE window. Now that would really be confusing like
ECNALUBMA. I don't know that my brain could handle that!:D

Well actually I think that for glass you are suppose to buff it lightly with sandpaper before you paint but I don't think you would want to do it to you vehicle window.
I don't know how they paint on the windows but I've seen it done. Try an experiment. Find an old glass and paint on it with acrylic and see what it does! That's all I know. :D I've always been a doer first. Yep, hands on learning for me! hehe

[paintinpat]

Oh Lee, you should be so proud, this is wonderful. I envy these people. I as usual have been away doing what I do, am home this weekend so tonight I am playing catch up on my favorite haunts. I see you also have been busy, I checked out ebay and visited your site tonight also...keep up the good work. Where in the world do you find time to do these huge projects? The image of the peacock and background is just beautiful..

Pat

[leesmith]

Hi Pat,

Thank you! I hope things have been going well for you!

The really big projects don't come up that often. I've worked this past month on mostly furniture commissions, and am anxious to get back to paintings on canvas.

[katem102]

Tammy, you can use porceline which is for porceline,glass or china and there is also one called permacoat which is for glass.

Been reading your post, you've got some good ideas.

Kathy