MURAL ART EXPLAINED
Pricing, art style, location, materials & long term benefits.
We see murals in most cities, yet we don’t always know the background work that comes with them. This blog is here for you.
MY RELATIONSHIP TO MURAL ART
Over the past three years I’ve created small and large scales paintings of all sorts. I do loads of character design work, the occasional illustarted typography, floral patterns (just a bit obsessed with flowers myself) and also painted at live events.
Before I even started this as a career, I was fascinated by how a person could create such impactful huge paintings and I wondered : “How do you get there? Who are these people? How much does this cost? Is it even legal?”
I TOTALLY GET WHY MANY PEOPLE WONDER THE SAME.
WHAT IS A MURAL AND WHY ARE THEY AWESOME?
Simply put: a mural is a painting on a wall. They are painted with a variety of mediums, which can be spray paint, acrylics, or with the help of stencils. It really is up to the artist on what they prefer to use to express their art style and bring the artwork to life as effectively as possible.
Murals require a lot of time to prepare, they involve advanced technical and artistic skills and a bunch of legal permissions if you want to do it right.
LARGE SCALE MURAL PROCESS
Process picture of a wall I painted in a primary school in North Dublin. Inspired by sports, kids playing and picture books.
LONG TERM BENEFITS OF A MURAL FOR PUBLIC SPACES AND COMMUNITIES
They improve city spaces, make areas feel brighter and potentially safer because they improve the urban environment;
They enhance mental wellbeing turning a grey space into a colorful one;
Allow for brand awareness and visibility through commissioned artwork;
They can become iconic landmarks or be representative of heritage and culture.
MURAL vs GRAFFITI: IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?
The terms can be used interchangeably, yet there is a baseline difference between the two.
Essentially: murals are usually commissioned, legal and have been granted permission. The artist was hired with a brief and they are paid work. They also tend to last longer because of that.
Graffiti are often non authorized and associated to “tags”. So, because of that, you can get reeeeally good artwork, or the bad scribbles. Anyone can do it. The result depends on how good of an artist you are, there are some seriously good graffiti and I personally really like them. Unfortunately because they are not legal, they can be covered the next day by someone else’s art or removed. Some cities have designated areas where you are allowed to do graffiti, in Dublin we have Grand Canal Dock or Liberty Lane where people go and they are great if you want a space to practice at the start.
WHY MURAL LOCATION MATTERS
When artists are planning for a wall design, they take into account the location:
What is its history? What type of people live there? Is there any relevant theme or issue worth highlighting in the artwork? What vibe are we bringing to the area with the art?
All this impacts the design stage, colour choice and messaging and story behind the mural.
One note is: Once you leave the wall and left your art in the wild, it belongs to the people. Anything can happen from there so take good pictures and let that go. D E T A C H.
WHAT IS THE COST OF COMMISSIONING A MURAL?
I have a dedicated blog post on pricing and what to expect when getting a mural quote. You can read more about it there!