Planning A Mural 1 Start collecting ideas of what you like - out of magazines, books, holiday photos. Libraries have good collections of art books, interior design books and some even have mural books. Unlike taking a photo, where you are stuck with what is in front of you, in a painting you can add in whatever you like, and take out what you don't like. A mural doesn't have to be a whole picture - it can your dog waiting by the door for a walk, or an abstract arrangement of colours, or it can be a window or hole knocked into a blank wall, showing another world beyond. 2 Start thinking about the STYLE you like - Do you want it to be realistic? Abstract? Set in a particular period of design? Collect any pictures or samples of particular styles or colour combinations that you like. One client gave us a soap wrapper that had just the colours she wanted. 3 What feeling do you want to create? - What colours do you like or will you having in the same area? What fabric colours will you be having? It is much easier to make paint match your fabric, than it is to find a fabric that matches our paint. What are your overall plans for the space? We are happy to work in with your colour scheme or suggest one. 4 Where do you want the mural? Some people know exactly where they want a mural and what they want. Other people want some ideas of what might work where, before they decide on a final location and image. 5 Do we work with architects, landscape and interior designers? Yes! - We each have three years formal education in design theory and art history as part of our Fine Arts studies. We work with designers to: • Repeat a key design element • Advise on colours and textures • Help develop ideas at concept stage • Produce concept and detailed design, colour studies and written quotes Start and finish on time, and within budget 6 The next step - What is the process of having a mural? 6a We visit your site , or look at photographs if site is interstate or too distant for easy site visits. then discuss the themes and ideas for the project. At this stage we like to spend around an hour with you and/or your designer. We sketch out rough ideas on the spot, and go through some examples of different mural work to gauge what sort of image appeals and what directions to take the work. 6b . Develop the ideas into black and white sketches and develop a quote based on the sketches. No charge at this stage. The price quoted is based on the amount of detail that the image may involve. We can also design for a fixed price and advise on ways to make an impact without huge expense. The quote and sketches can either be discussed directly with you, or posted to you or your main contact for the job 6c Optional detailed design and colour study Once you have selected an idea for the mural we can develop a detailed colour and compositional study. ( Many clients keep and frame these) As this takes several hours, we ask for a payment of a Concept Development Fee , which is 10% of the quoted labour costs. It is also possible to proceed directly with the mural, based on the black and white sketch, and save some money by not having the detailed study. 6d Deposit to Book a start date 5 How long does a mural take? Most of the murals shown here have taken between 4 - 8 working days to paint. When quoting we provide a detailed estimate of completion time. Sometimes outdoor murals are delayed if there is bad weather, or difficulty with sun positions. 6 How much does a mural cost? - Pricing • Ranges from $60 - $300/sq metre • Minimum job: $600 • Door sized Trompe mural for approx $950 - $1500 depending on detail. • Stone effect - approx $50/sq metre. • Paint effects range from $50 - $80/square metre. Murals get cheaper per square metre, the larger they are. A lot of the initial cost of a mural is in the design and choice of colours. Travel time and travel cost beyond 50km from Adelaide CBD may need to be negotiated. We provide a fixed quote that is valid for three months. • Refunds 8 What surfaces can a mural be painted on? Murals can be painted on any surface that can take and hold paint. The smoother the surface, the sharper the picture can be. A good effect can be achieved on: • Inside walls of painted plaster or plaster board • Outside walls that have been rendered ( allow three months curing) • Acrylic Rendertex on Cement fibre or Blue board (follow manufacturer's recommendations - generally allow 3-4 days drying) What about very textured surfaces such as bricks or corrugated iron? No matter how skilled we might be as painters, we cannot make the shadows and ridges of a very textured surface disappear. It is difficult to achieve a Trompe L'Oeil effect if the lines of bricks or corrugations clearly show through. If you have a lot of texture, and would like a Trompe L'Oeil effect, we recommend painting the picture on an exterior quality board, and then attaching it to the wall, and painting it into an arch to match the bricks. Alternatively, less realistic, more graphic pictures can be painted onto textured walls, and look very effective. Can a mural be done on ceramic tiles? Yes. Painted tiles are very effective for wet areas such as • pools, • bathrooms • kitchens, • garden wall artworks • or even table tops. You can have individually designed, painted and fired tiles. Getting the best out of The Painted Wall Give us a clear site to work in . We need to step back often to see what the mural or paint effect is looking like as a whole. It's much easier if we don't have to step round valuable furniture, or other trades people in the same tight space. Have faith in the early stages . The first two days are the worst, as we block in - often with what seems the opposite colour to the one you would expect. Allow time for daily consultation with us about the mural while it is being painted . Translating an A4 sketch to a large area gives plenty of opportunity for you to make choices about details, plants and new ideas. If we are working from the studio, we can email you progress photographs, or have you visit us. Get picky in the later stages . Sit down with family or a friend and make a list of things that don't look right. Its much easier to fix them during the mural, than a year later. 9 Does a mural have to be done on site? No, it can be painted in our studio on a suitable board or canvas, with final touches being added once it is installed. We can email you progress photos of the mural, for any comments or corrections. One of us will oversight installation and final adjustments, unless otherwise negotiated. Although we are based in Adelaide, we have worked in Brisbane, country areas and Singapore. 10 Copyright & Intellectual Property We develop our own ideas and compositions from images or photographs we have produced, or have permission to use, or which are out of copyright. All art works (the final mural, black and white sketches and colour studies) produced by Helen Lindon and Melanie Spurling for murals are copyrighted to The Painted Wall . If you wish to reproduce the mural for advertising or other commercial purposes, a royalty arrangement can be negotiated. 11. Will I get a One -off? Yes. We undertake not to paint the same mural for someone else. We find that everyone wants their own ideas, and images that are important to them. In fact the more you put in your own ideas, the more individual it becomes. Outdoor: An outdoor mural won't disappear suddenly - it will slowly fade and age. Even then, it will only need touching up to bring up darks and strong colours again. Most modern paints suggest exterior paints retain their full colour up to 10 years in full sun, 20 years in a protected position. Indoor : Some internal Fresco (painted into new plaster) murals in Europe have lasted 800 years, tempura (egg based) & oil painting on canvas have lasted 500 years, water based acrylic paints have only been around for 60 years and have lasted well so far. Rock paintings (charcoal and clays) have lasted 35,000 years. Fired Tiles : Some fired tiles have lasted well over 2000 years.
No charge at this stage
Once you have agreed to the final quoted amount The Painted Wall needs to receive a Deposit of 20% of the quoted amount to book the mural in for a starting date. Wherever possible, we will adjust booking dates, if your project requires it.
Neither the optional Concept Development Fee nor the booking deposit is refundable if you choose not to go ahead with the mural.
12 How long does a mural last?