10 Tips On Painting a Peace Corps Mural
2/1/2018
I recently completed my first mural at site, and while I'm no Michelangelo, I can't help but be rather impressed with myself. Up until this point I hadn't picked up a paintbrush and earnestly painted in almost a decade. I've always considered myself artistically inclined, but once I reached my mid-teens, I realized that art school was an expensive pipe dream. I didn't have the money to buy art supplies like canvases, acrylics, or oils to pursue it as a hobby, and to be completely candid, I didn't think I had enough natural talent or raw passion to justify spending money on things like that. This might not be the greatest choice of words, but I felt exonerated from the confines of my own self-doubt with the completion of my WATSAN (water and sanitation) mural.
Had I known how easy, fun, and effective murals could be, I would have done them sooner, but that wasn't the only thing I didn't know! I figured I'd share some choice tips for folks who are planning or contemplating painting their own mural. Mind y'all—this is for a Peace Corps mural. Meaning: I'm not a muralist or a painter, and your mural doesn't have to be the next Hitchcock's The Anunciation... but much like, The Anunciation, your painting needs to convey something, quite literally.
1. Layers. Like hair, layers on a mural are your friend. They can create depth; they will be vital in making your colors look more vibrant, especially if you're not working on a white wall. You're going to need a lot of layers to fix mistakes—of which you will make plenty—and establish an even color to discern certain shapes and forms.
2. Get all the right materials. Make sure you have everything before you start, or else you'll be kicking yourself
Plastic bottles. You can cut them in half to maximize your number of paint mixing receptacles. If you do, add poly bags and rubber bands to your list of things to get!
Sunscreen. I usually tan, but I still put sunscreen on sometimes. You'll be in the sun a lot, so protect your largest organ! And wear a hat!
Good paintbrushes. “Good” paintbrushes can be tricky depending on where you live and what's available to you. Skip the big painter's brushes unless you're white-washing the wall. I have a preference for flat brushes for cleaner lines, while pointed brushes are ideal for detail work. But really, any brush that doesn't have a lot of bristle fall-out is a winner.
Oil paints only. Acrylic paint will fade and chip in the hot equatorial sun over time. Oils may be more expensive, but they last longer. You only really need the primary colors and black: red, yellow, blue, and white. If you don't need that much paint, you can buy it “by the can.” It's not as cost effective as buying it in bulk, but it's cheaper in the short term and might also save you the trouble of figuring how to finish gallons of different colored paint after you're done.
Paint thinner, preferably turpentine. You'll need paint thinner because oil paint is one thick, gloopy mess. It's also a necessity to keep your paintbrushes in working order. If you can't find turpentine in your market town, petrol will work just as well, but in my experience, petrol's fumes are a lot more potent. Turpentine can still give you a massive headache, but it's not as intensive a blow to your senses. And do mind: you don't need a whole lot.
Rags. Save all those t-shirt sleeves you cut off! Go to your tailor and ask for cast off cloth! You'll need rags to wipe paint, clean your paintbrushes, clean up, etc.
Stool/ ladder. A necessity for all the short artists out there.
Pencil, eraser, & sharpener.
Straight edge (aka ruler).
Water & snacks.
3. Music. I listened to a lot of jazz and fast-paced music while painting. It helps because you're likely to get swept up in the swell of the song, creating rapid brush strokes and be more energized to keep on going. Best perk? While I was listening to a lot of jazz, I liked to fantasize myself in a movie, with Miles Davis playing overhead as the soundtrack to my own intense, ~in the zone~ close-up painting scene. Tré cinematique.
4. English text. The young people are always eager to read ALL the English words! Adults too! Including English words into your mural helps passersby practice their literacy, generates interest in the mural, and an extra boost: it's an explicit explanation of what you want to convey.
5. Breaks! Take them!! I know this one sounds obvious AF, but you'd be surprised how hard it can be in the moment when you're on a roll. But breaks are important. That's what the water and snacks are for. You're gonna be in the sun, on your feet, and sniffing paint fumes most of the time, so it's wise to take care of yourself by giving yourself a few minutes to prevent yourself from getting too light-headed.
6. Paint leisurely, if it's an option. I only painted 1-3 hours a day, for almost a week. That way, it wasn't a chore; the mural became something more therapeutic than work. Painting leisurely freed up a lot of time to do other work during the day and helped me avoid the horde of students that would watch me intently if I chose to paint during school hours.
7. Work with the headmaster or the nurse to create a joint vision. That way the message is one that the community or target audience will benefit from the most. They also feel ownership in its creation, and that joint responsibility is important.
8. Touch-ups with turpentine. This literally saved me a lot of grief. If you mess up: grab a rag, dab some turpentine on it, and rub the hell out of that mistake... and voila! Mistake managed!
9. Make a LOT of each color shade. This was something I learned the brutally hard way when I ran out of the brown skin tone I made. I thought, “Oh, it was easy! Just black, yellow, and red. I can easily recreate this!” Yeeeeah it wasn't that easy after all. I had a helluva hard time, and after a lot of paint wasted, was able to come to a shade that dried somehow close in color for touch-ups.
10. Painting party! If you can, invite other PCV's or students to help you paint! It'll be fun, help pass the time, and give folks a little somethin'-somethin' to add to their VRF's (Volunteer Reporting Form)
Happy painting!!
