Tutorial - Modern Arrow Mural
Looking for a modern upgrade to your space? A simple mural can still make a big impact and this one is easy enough for anyone to do! We (Cara and Cynthia @Iron Brush Murals) designed this mural as part of a trio for the fitting rooms in a local boutique here in Murfreesboro, TN. Follow along and we’ll walk you through how to DIY your own!
If you prefer listening to reading, check out our tutorial video.
Supplies
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Yard Stick or ruler
Level – the longer the better
Pencil – we prefer a mechanical pencil for light lines
Paint Brush – we recommend the Purdy Clear Cut 1.5 inch angled.
Paint - we do most of our murals in Sherwin Williams satin finish interior paint
Handy Cup (optional)
Step 1: Prepare your wall
I know, I know, this is the step that everyone wants to skip. But, making sure to prep your wall before you paint makes a huge difference. Ideally, you’ll paint a fresh coat of paint on the wall for your mural, after patching any holes and sanding. If repainting the wall isn’t an option or if the wall is in good condition, it’s still a good idea to look it over. Wipe the wall down with a soft damp cloth, checking for any blemishes. This mural leaves a lot of the original wall on full display, so you want to make sure there are no marks to detract from your final product.
Step 2: Create your stencil
This is the secret to making a beautiful and balanced pattern. A little bit of work on the front end makes the rest of the work so much easier. These measurements are based on the mural we created, but you can adjust them to make them your own or to fit your space in the way you want. See the diagram for how to create your stencil.
A - Place your poster board vertically. Measure 2 inches from the top and draw a horizontal black line. Measure 2 inches in from the left side and draw a vertical black line.
B – From your two lines, measure out a 4.5-inch grid.
C – Draw a red line diagonally across the corresponding squares as seen on the stencil template below.
D – Measure one inch down from the point of each red arrow and draw a green arrow intersecting with the outside points of the red arrow.
E – Cut along the red and green lines and remove scrap of poster board
Step 3: Mark the center
Measure the wall or the space where you want your mural and find the center. Use a level to mark a line from top to bottom very lightly in pencil (you’ll want to be able to erase this later)
Step 4: Trace the stencil on the wall
Choose whether you want your center arrows to be going up or down. Line up the center points of your arrows on your centerline on the wall. Trace a single line for each of the arrows on your stencil very lightly with a pencil, along the green lines. Slide the stencil down, overlapping the bottom arrow drawn on the wall with the top arrow on the stencil to keep your spacing correct. Once you have traced on the two columns of arrows, top to bottom, continue the pattern to the left and right, overlapping a previously drawn column with the stencil. Note that you will have to flip your stencil over front to back for every other column to make it line up. Check periodically that your stencil is level.
Step 5: Paint!
Now is the fun part! It’s a good idea make a few practice arrows on a scrap piece of paper first. For the brushstroke effect, you’ll want to dip your paintbrush in and then scrape some off on the side of your cup. You can start either at the point of an arrow and pull down to each side, or take your strokes in from the outside edges of an arrow. I recommend doing both because you want variety in your arrows. The goal is consistently inconsistent! You can always go back and add more paint to make the stroke darker, so err on the side of less paint to start with so you can build up to the look you want. Ideally, you’ll be completely covering the pencil lines so that you don’t have to go back and erase. I suggest starting in a less noticeable spot so that you can get a little practice. If you are right handed, working left to right will help keep you from smearing what you’ve already painted, but you might also want to paint random arrows to help with variety.
Step 6: Clean up
Erase any leftover pencil lines and enjoy your mural!
Have a question we didn’t answer or looking for more info like this? Follow us @ironbrushmurals on Instagram and Facebook. And, if you do your own arrow mural, we’d love to see it!
Happy Painting!