When we buy a home we pay special attention to its interior: we paint the walls, we place curtains and we place those furniture that will make each space more functional. The decoration of outdoor spaces, however, is long in coming, although there are simple ideas that allow us to customize them to our liking. Painting murals on the exterior walls, for example, is a great alternative to achieve this.
Paint murals on exterior walls contributes to bring personality to terraces, patios and gardens. It is also a great strategy to make these outdoor spaces gain depth or appear larger. If you are looking to give a unique touch to these spaces, do not think about it! Today we tell you how to paint murals on exterior walls.
Are you considering painting an exterior wall? Then you've probably wondered what the best way to do it is or who you can contact to carry out the project. Today we respond in Decoora to the first question, analyzing a series of necessary steps to ensure that the work is perfect.
study the space
The first step to painting a mural on an exterior wall will be to recognize the space in which we want to work. Take note of the measurements that you want the mural to have and analyze both the type of wall and its condition to repair small imperfections if necessary.
The ideal when we want to paint murals on exterior walls is to do it on a wall that has a certain prominence, that is visible but not seen affected by extreme weather conditions. We know, it is difficult to comply with all the characteristics and it is not essential.
Create the layout
This is the phase of greatest creativity, the most fun, the one in which you must decide what you want to draw on the wall. You can choose a drawing that integrates into the environment if it is an exterior wall located in the garden and surrounded by plants. Or bet on geometric or abstract motifs, easier to capture, that provide color.
Whatever the reason you choose, the first thing you should do is make a sketch on paper using the appropriate scale. It is also very helpful to print a digital design of the image you are going to paint on the wall. If you make it or print it in real size, you can also use it as a template for your mural.
Prepare the surface
You can paint your mural on a brick, concrete, painted wall... but it is important that you correct the imperfections of this wall, homogenizing the texture and eliminating possible cracks. That is why as a first step we have asked you to analyze the wall, so that now you can choose the necessary and appropriate materials to leave your wall ready for painting. Don't know where to start? Take some pictures, go to a trusted hardware store and see what you can do to solve the different problems. They will help you!
Once the wall is "clean" it will also be necessary to apply a generous coat of primer that allows the paint to firmly grip the base of the wall, and avoid chipping that would tarnish the mural in the long term. Painting murals on exterior walls implies a good treatment of these, so it is necessary to apply the correct primer.
choose the paints
In the case of hand-painted outdoor murals, a great alternative is to use acrylic exterior paint Acrylic drawings resist bad weather well, also maintaining vivid colors for a long time. Choose quality materials, don't hesitate! That way you won't have to worry about its durability.
You can also use to paint murals on exterior walls spray paint. However, the spray painting technique is somewhat more complex if you are not familiar with it. It is a good alternative, but if you have not done anything similar before, you will feel more comfortable with a paint pot, a roller and a brush.
Sketch and paint the mural
Now that you have the wall prepared, the drawing defined and the paintings in your possession, it is time to move on to the phase of creating the mural. Start by transferring your drawing to the wall: if you are good at drawing you can do it freehand. Doubts? To make sure you hit the scale you can make a grid on your design sheet and transfer it to the wall. This way copying the drawing, keeping the proportions, will be easier for you.
Another option, if you are going to draw relatively simple motifs, is to print these at real size so that you can trace them on the wall. Sometimes it is enough to trace the main elements in the correct position to use them as a reference for the rest of the drawing. Now that you have your drawing on the wall, it's time to have fun with the painting.
Would you like to paint a mural in your garden or patio? I hope that our step-by-step instructions on how to paint murals on exterior walls can help you with it.