A foliage ceiling mural - Part 3 - Practising the detail
with TESS NEWALL
Lesson 31 of 32
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Follow along with Tess as she creates the practice panel for her project, and offers tips on how you might use yours when approaching your own mural.
From the Lesson Workbook
A Foliage Ceiling Mural - Part 3 - Practising the Detail
A key part of my process is to always create a practice panel. Not only does it offer a chance to work through the finer details of a design, but in combination with the mock-up, it's an invaluable way of communicating ideas with clients.
Tips for Your Practice Panel
- Try to incorporate at least one of each of your key motifs so that you feel confident with each element when it comes to painting on the wall.
- Now is the time to assess your colour choices, and perhaps try mixing some of your own paints to achieve the perfect shade.
- Consider the kind of brushstrokes and techniques you'll be using to create your motifs - it's nice to have variance between each element of your design.
- Your practice panel is an extremely helpful reference tool and can be taken to the site with you as you work on the mural. You may wish to write notes on it, such as colour references or dimensions, which will be handy to have when painting the real thing.
You Will Need:
- A surface to practice on
This could be an offcut of wood or Canvas MDF boards
- Chalk pencils or watercolour pencils
I use Aquarelle
- A selection of the smaller paintbrushes
- Emulsion paint in a colours of your choice
- Paint palette
- 3 x water jars filled with water
- Damp cloth
Sourcebook
Yellow Pink, by Little Greene
Marigold, by Little Greene
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Your Instructor
Tess Newall
Acclaimed artist and set designer specialising in hand painted homewares and decorative painting.
Tess Newall is a decorative artist based in Sussex, specialising in hand-painted bespoke murals and furniture. Following a decade of experience as a set designer and painter in the film industry, Tess has mastered how to bring a creative vision to life. She often draws on historic patterns and aims to capture an artisanal feel, where textures and brushstrokes add to the atmosphere of a room or to the character of a furniture piece. Tess and her studio team work with interior designers and private clients on bespoke commissions for both commercial and residential projects, as well as collaborating on homewares collections with brands including Liberty and Matilda Goad.
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