you are visiting Gordon Collett's artist site, www.muralartist.co.uk for murals, trompe l'oeil, portraits & illustration

My prices are based on the amount of detail required, please e-mail me for a list of different examples of picture complexity and a guide to their cost.

Page 2: Materials.

Here I intend to list all the mediums and methods I use for mural work, hopefully answering common questions.

The Substrate: this is usually predetermind by the site, but there are portable methods;

it is possible to paint on absolutely anything, but I find there are some limitations to bear in mind:

• Plaster:- the regular surface for Murals, no problems here if initially treated correctly;
• Lining paper:- advisable if the plaster is in a very poor state, but re-plastering is better as the surface will be more permanent (budget allowing). Also a good quality cloth backed paper will allow the mural to be (delicately) removed at a later date;
• Bare Bricks:- also no problem, most exterior murals will be onto these (e.g. the Tennis Mural) but cement rendering as for the (the Brooklands Mural) will give abetter surface. But in our temperate north, exterior murals are prone to the elements and can not be guaranteed beyond 10 years (prolonged freezing causes cracking and peeling; and UV light causes fading; so, sheltered sites last longer);
• Canvas/paper:- now this is a way that makes it possible for me to paint at the studio- avoiding protracted work on site, very useful in say, a restuarant or office. The painting is then fixed to the wall, either permanently with glue (a process known as Marouflage), or removable with say baton fixings or appropriate wallpaper paste (you can move house and take your mural with you). (e.g. the copied Boucher landscape);
• Ceramic Tiles:- this requires a caustic primer, it will last for some time (10 years plus) but not for ever. However, if the life span of an interior decoration is only to make it to the next makeover, so 10 years is more than adequate (e.g. the Cannes Kicthen Mural). If it is to be permanent, then have new tiles fired with the design, or strip them off and paint onto plaster;
• Board (ply, MDF, etc.):- another durable, easily transportable surface for rapid placement. (e.g. the Fantasy Alchemist Mural).

The Paints: these are carefully chosen according to what is considered the best medium for any given site;

Emulsion:
the American name for these is latex, they are the water-based paints for application over plaster and paper.

This kind of paint is very good nowadays, being durable when an emulsion glaze is applied over it.

I recommend it for:

• Children's rooms, as the colours can be bright and are opaque; also easy to paint over when they change their minds; and
• Shop fitting situations as it is fast drying (rapid re-coating) and as above, easy to change later, and patch-up incase of repair work.

Acrylics:
I often use these together with the above as more or less interchangeable, as glazing makes emulsion non-porous.

• However these allow more manipulation than emulsion: both body colour and washes; plus finer detailing.
• More durable than oil-glazes with mechanical damage: which makes them good for areas with lots of traffic, or children's rooms.

Oil Colours:
used over a flat-oil or egg-shell ground (gesso on canvas), these can be applied in two ways:

• mainly as a glaze, giving a very fresco like appearance, the incident light being reflected by the ground through the colours (e.g. the Cannes Murals); or
• or as body colour allowing the full range of oil painting, but very slow drying and initially quite delicate. (e.g. the "Adams" ceiling panels).

Fresco: sorry, I do not use real fresco (yet).

You can write to me at my e-mail address or use the feedback form provided.
or call directly by
mobile phone: 0044 (0)7977-409834