With the rise in murals around the area, I have recently been asked to do the design for two in our area. One is for Barnhardt Jewelers on the side of their recently renovated brick building and the for Nest Homes on the side of large barn.
With both of the designs, a lot of thought went into the what to the design process.
Here are Five things to consider when planning your mural.
- Consider the location. Are you choosing the best place for your mural? What is the foot traffic or drive by traffic and are you using the best place possible. Also it is important to consider your audience – who will see it most regularly.
- Consider the size. Often times this will depend greatly on your paintable space and/or the space you are allowed by obtaining a permit from a city council.
- Consider what you will need to do. If you are in city limits or on town walls and/or the exterior of buildings, you will need to get a permit which may include: allowing you to paint or apply a print, the size you are allowed to do and the location. You may also want to consider hiring a muralist or a printer depending on how you plan to apply the mural.
- Consider the medium. .This is important, especially when working on an exterior mural that is subject to the elements. Hire an experienced painter that specializes in murals or work with a printer that can apply a heat applied material to your space.
- What are you trying to say? On both of the murals I worked on, we were trying to quickly show a message and support the business so we knew 2 things: we needed the logo very present and we needed the words to be large and easy to read.
With Nest Homes we wanted a simple message of supporting local farms and farmers. The design went back and forth on adding animal silhouettes but ultimately we kept the design simple – I think it turned out great! Nest Homes used The Barn Artist who has completed multiple barn murals across the country. He did an amazing job!
The mural for Barnhardt Jewelers was very different, located in a historical downtown setting.
This mural quickly showed the newly updated logo and also was telling the town of the stores new location as well as a quick glance into what the store does.
Being in the city limits, the design was limited to a very specific size and as it was printed on exterior brick permits had to be pulled with the city.
It’s no secret: murals make our neighbourhoods beautiful! They add color to building walls and streets that would otherwise go unnoticed, which is a treat for locals and tourists alike. Murals attract new local businesses, help bring customers to pre-existing locations, and boost the economy of an area.
They have the opportunity to tell the business’ story, create a unique experience, engage citizens, increase foot traffic and tourism, increase appreciation for the arts and artists, and increase overall attractiveness of the space.
Please share your favorite murals! Comment here or tag me at @dryinkdesigns on Social Media.
