This is my first attempt at a mural and I've certainly learned what not to do:
- Don't ask a child - especially a creative one - for their ideas. Peanut wanted the walls of her bathroom to look like you are underwater and have people swimming on the ceiling, looking down at you.
- Don't make the entire room part of the mural. Keep it to one wall, or better yet a portion of a wall.
- Don't use every color under the sun. Limit the colors used so you're not constantly switching colors and cleaning brushes.
Only one of 2 boxes of paint that we're using!
- Don't go for a realistic look. Cartoon creatures and environments are much easier and quicker to paint.
So I did rein Peanut in a bit and suggested we lose the swimmers and peerers on the ceiling (which is just downright creepy), but her mural in progress still has a beach, a seal, coral, a crab, an underwater castle, a sunken ship, a dolphin, fish, a sea turtle, a treasure chest, an octopus, and 2 mermaids. No wonder it still isn't finished after a year!
Here is the mural in progress -
The "beach" section of her mural is above her tub surround, with everything lower than that being the underwater portion. There's a forgotten pail and bucket of shells on the beach and a cute seal climbing up the rocky shore. We chose .8 miles for the distance on the beach sign because she was 8 years old at the time.
The other day I finished the first mermaid, who is holding up her mirror, which is surrounded in shells. Peanut chose the colors for her tail. I still might add some sparkle to her tail but otherwise I think she turned out pretty good, especially since I just made her up without any type of reference photo.
The Oldest helped and added the sea turtle. She really did a wonderful job! He looks like he's just chillin'.
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