Types of Murals
There are as many types of murals as there are surfaces. Mural
painting on canvas, art board, walls of brick, cement, wood, all requiring a
different technique of application. Outdoor murals need a special heat &
water resistant paint as well as a protective clear coat. Inside murals can
include fresco, ceramic and other less sturdy paints.
Murals of sorts date to Upper Paleolithic times such as
the paintings in the Chauvet Cave in Ardèche department of southern France
(around 30,000 BC). Many ancient murals have been found within ancient Egyptian
tombs (around 3150 BC), the Minoan palaces (Middle period III of the
Neopalatial period, 1700-1600 BC) and in Pompeii (around 100 BC - AD 79).
During the Middle Ages murals were usually executed on
dry plaster (secco). The huge collection of Kerala mural painting dating from
the 14th century are examples of fresco secco. In Italy, circa 1300, the
technique of painting of frescos on wet plaster was reintroduced and led to a
significant increase in the quality of mural painting.
In modern times, the term became more well-known with
the Mexican muralism art movement (Diego Rivera, David Siqueiros and José Orozco).
There are many different styles and techniques. The best-known is probably
fresco, which uses water-soluble paints with a damp lime wash, a rapid use of
the resulting mixture over a large surface, and often in parts (but with a
sense of the whole). The colors lighten as they dry. The marouflage method
has also been used for millennia.
Murals today are painted in a variety of ways, using
oil or water-based media. The styles can vary from abstract to trompe-l'ceil
(a French term for "fool" or "trick the eye"). Initiated by the works of mural
artists like Graham Rust or Rainer Maria Latzke in the 1980s, trompe-l'oeil
painting has experienced a renaissance in private and public buildings in
Europe. Today, the beauty of a wall mural has become much more widely available
with a technique whereby a painting or photographic image is transferred to
poster paper or canvas which is then pasted to a wall surface
(see wallpaper, Frescography) to give the effect of either a
hand-painted mural or realistic scene.
Murals can be historic, nature scenes, fun & creative
and just about any kind of idea you can imagine.