Selecting a Muralist, Determining the Extent of Initial Work by the Muralist

Muralists will need to illustrate to some extent what the finished mural will look like. One common way is thru artistic renderings which are scaled down drawings of the wall mural. Typically color will be incorporated in the drawing. Here are a few questions to ask muralists to understand their use of renderings and pre-work sketches in the initial phases of being evaluated for hire.

What type of sketches or renderings does the artist provide in the initial phase?

All artists should do some level of sketch work and possibly true-color renderings to give you an idea of what the finished product will look like. This is also an important planning step for a muralist to insure proper execution of the mural. Much of the beauty in a mural is captured thru proper perspective. With poor planning, a mural can easily lose perspective. This will quickly be picked up by the human eye. One of the amazing qualities of a well done mural is how they draw the viewer into the image. The eye is literally tricked into believing the scene is present.

Keep in mind that some styles of art will actually change perspective in order to create other visual effects. If you are interested in such styles, the artist should capture that effect in the initial sketches.

How much detail does the artist put into the pre-sketches?

The most important things you will want to have defined for you are

• Perspective – to insure the mural is proportioned and aligned so it appears realistic



• Color – The main colors of the mural should be defined in the initial renderings. If you want to match a color already in your décor or you are working with an interior designer, make sure the artist has a sample of the colors you are working with so they can color-match at any time during the project. One alternative is to wait until the mural is completed and use colors in the mural to unify the overall room décor.



• Mural Objects – is there a house, dog, people, or mountains in the mural? Be sure all the objects in the mural are well defined in the initial sketches. A fun idea to personalize the mural is to include something of personal interest in the mural. For example, my wife did a mural for a woman who had two cute dogs. We decided after talking that she wanted to have her dogs added to the mural. So as a final touch, my wife added her little dogs to the scene! Or maybe like the couple mentioned on the first page of the article, you want a mural of the location of your honeymoon. These personal touches will help make the mural unique and special to you.

These items can be defined in the initial sketches and renderings. Some muralists may choose to do pencil sketches with color samples to outline the perspective and mural objects. Others may do a full painting to illustrate what the completed mural will look like. Talk with the muralist and find out exactly how they do their preliminary work. You will need to decide what will be adequate for you to make an informed decision.

Is there a charge associated with this pre-work? Is that charge deducted from the final cost of the mural?

I would not recommend hiring a muralist prior to seeing some initial sketches of your proposed work. Many muralists require a small fee for their initial sketches, but consider this money very well spent. This fee can range from $50.00 to 10% of the final invoice, depending on the schedule of the muralist and the size of project you are interested in. Most muralists who do charge a fee will deduct the fee from the final payment for the mural if they are selected. You may also find some muralists who do not charge an upfront sketch fee. If you see an artist whose work you love, I would not make this a deal stopper. Pay the fee and wait for the renderings to make your decision.

If you do decide on another muralist prior to receiving renderings from other muralists, contact the other muralists so they will not finish your drawings. They will be grateful you showed them this courtesy, despite losing the job, since the renderings often take much longer then the small fee they charge you.

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