Don't let anyone tell you that you can't take it
with you. Painted by artist Andrew Tedesco, this
mural is completely portable. The muslin wall
covering was hung after the painted design was
dry and can be taken down whenever a change
is in order.
To duplicate the fabric-painting process in
your own home, precisely measure the wall you
want to cover
and then cut a piece of muslin to match
the exact dimensions. Affordably priced, muslin
can be purchased at fabrics stores and online
in widths up to 27 feet. For a seamless design,
as Tedesco prefers, lay the muslin on an open
expanse of floor such as in a basement or
garage and then paint your design following the
guidelines below. To protect the work surface,
cover it with a drop cloth or a heavy sheet of
plastic. If you don't have a work area large
enough for a wall-size motif, paint on smaller
fabric pieces and then connect the design when
you hang it on the wall.
To ensure the latex paint adheres to the
fabric, cover the muslin with a base coat of
gesso, a primer designed for use on canvas.
Because most of Tedesco's designs are large,
he applies the gesso with a large roller
attached to an extension arm so he can stand
while he paints. The fabric lies flat naturally, so
he doesn't tape it to the floor, but he
recommends doing so if you feel securing it
gives you better control.
Once the gesso dries, apply two coats of
latex paint in the background color in this
case, robin's egg blue. Let the latex paint dry
thoroughly. Using color pencils, sketch your
design on the prepared fabric. When your
sketch is complete, begin filling it in using
various colors of latex paint and artist's
brushes. To create perspective, fill in
background items first
and work your way
toward the foreground,
painting the nearest
item last and allowing
each layer to dry before
starting the next. For
this motif, Tedesco
painted the vines first
because they provide
the foundation for the
remainder of the
design. He then added
the leaves, followed by
the flowers, the birds, the letters, and finally the nest and the eggs inside the letter O. To protect the finished design, apply two or three coats of polyurenthane and allow it to dry thoroughly.
Before attaching the muslin to the wall, Tedesco recommends priming and painting the specified wall the same color as the mural background, making it difficult to tell where wall ends and fabric begins. he then attaches the muslin to the wall using standard wallpaper paste that he applies to the back of the fabric with a paint roller.
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