‘How do I commission a mural?’ 6 steps to get you started
If you’re reading this blog we are presuming you already have a space in mind (or you do now). Somewhere that needs a bit of something to turn that SPACE into more of a PLACE worth visiting. Could be a bit daunting to know where to start right? Fear not, pickles have got you covered.
1. Location Location Location (Where?)
Sounds obvious, but first you need to find out as much as you can about the space you’re working with. This includes:
Where in the world it is! Nice and easy to start with...
Inside or outside
Size of the painted space- exact dimensions please!
Texture of the wall (brick, plaster?)
Height off the ground- the artist may need to rent a platform to reach your space/
Room for a projector? Potentially not if in a corridor.
Now the practicalities are taken care of, it’s time to get our thinking caps on...
Using a platform for a mural which reached a height of 3.8m. Also used a projector to get the design onto the wall.
Using a project to get the design onto the wall.
2. Purpose (Why?)
When planning your mural it's good to think of WHY you’re doing it.
Create a sense of belonging to a space- people feel pride in their space when it is filled with creativity and will act as a place-maker for all future activity.
Discourage anti-social behaviour.
Increased Footfall Create something impressive worth visiting. Put your space on the map!
Get the community involved- could your community help with the brainstorming process for the design?
Engage on Social Media- photo opportunity anyone?
3. Content (What?)
When thinking of the content for the mural it's good to have a general idea of the look you’d like to create (but you’ve probably chosen an artist based on their work anyway!). Do you have any colours you’d like to use and a message you want to show through the design? They could reflect your brand, what the community thinks of the area or it could be great to do a brainstorming session with the artist to get your vision nailed down. Looking at inspiration is always great and searching on Pinterest/physically seeing what murals are around you are good places to start!
This mural was used to tell the story of the Fosse Foxes project.
A mural for a Young Mother’s Home- The design was inspired by the ideas from the children.
4. Materials
Decisions on the materials are often directly linked to the space.Here are the two most common materials used…
Paint- Surprise Surprise! It's relatively cheap to buy, great for simple bold shapes and you can get a cracking time lapse from the process to share on social media.
Printed Vinyl- Many people don’t realise this is an option but using a printed vinyl can be a great option for many reasons. Great for working in tricky spaces, there are no limits to complexity, colours, textures when your artist is designing digitally and the vinyls are also very quick to install.
Also… Paint Pens! A less messy material, the general public or your community can use to bring our designs to life...
A Printed Vinyl for a Bar Hatch at Phoenix Cinema
A Painted vinyl in progress for IE Design
5. Deadline
When do you need it done by? We recommend giving at least a month's notice for a painted mural and two for a vinyl mural as these require finding a time that works well for the installers too!
6. Budget
How much are you willing to spend on a mural? If it helps to know we have never charged less than £1,000 for a mural so bear that in mind when getting in touch with an artist. There is a lot of work gone into creating such a piece of art and the value given to the customer is extensive!
There it is. Plenty to think about but we hope breaking down the requirements helps you decide when and how you want to go about making that empty space into an asset for your business and community. If you have all the answers to those questions (or even half and need to have a talk through some more options)get in touch via our contact form and we can help you on your way to making your bespoke mural!