Composition and design

Colour and Design

Composition and Design

Planning out your design, whether it's a mural or painted furniture piece, is really important. It's a great opportunity to test out your ideas, as well as work out exactly what you need to do to bring them to life.

Planning Your Design on Furniture

I find it particularly important to create a mock-up when painting furniture, as space is limited and your placement of motifs will be very much dictated by its shape and structure.

Consider how your design will enhance the existing features of the piece, such as keyholes, drawers or panelling.

Use this time to nail down and test out your colour choices. Try painting different swatches together on a piece of card, as well as testing them out together in a mockup of your design.

The planning stage is also a great time to spot any ideas that aren't quite working or don't look right when mocked up. It's much better to catch these now, rather than when you're painting the actual piece.

Planning a Mural Design

I will rarely make an exact plan when sketching for a mural design; instead, I create sketches with the intent of conveying the atmosphere and concepts.

These sketches are a great opportunity to play around with compositions and colours and can serve as a springboard to work from. When on-site, I like to work instinctively with the space and not be limited by a prescriptive plan.

Further Reading

The work of illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans

Images of Bemelmans Bar, New York

Mexican Otomi embroidery

Sourcebook

Secondhand serpentine chest of drawers

Examples of Suzani textiles

Tinsmiths fabric shop