Metagraphics

We paint murals and make logos

Mural Production

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The Mural Process

Designing the space

I like to get a really good idea of the space before I start. Often a photograph is enough but when I can I take the taime to visit the space or wall to get afeel for it. Lighting, interior design, colours and the general look and feel of the space or all important considerations bfore getting started.

Devloping a mural theme or idea

This is all about the busienss or organisation. Often I’m asked to do whatever I like, but even if I’m offered carte blanche, understanding who is going to be using the space and why needs to inform the process of developing a theme or idea for the wall.

Personally I am really interested in identity. I love people so I often try to use a portrait where I can. I have a fairly flexible style and often try to convey a dreamlike or surreal atmosphere to the work

Create a draft of the wall art

Unless there is a time constraint I usually create a draft concept for the client. Depending on the various requirements this can take the form of a quick sketch but more often I compose a colour image in photoshop and try and place it on a photograph of the space. This helps give the client confidence in the work and also helps int he next process.

Using quality exterior or interior mural materials

Depending on the outcome I will use either spray enamel or acrylic brushwork. For acrylic I use dulux or british paints exterior or interior low sheen paints. For enamel I use mtn 94. There are a lot of great brands out there but these are the ones I find work the best, give the widest colour range, sit best on the wall, and last the longest.

Street art – Applying the artwork to the surface

If I haven’t created a draft work for the project I will simply freestyle the artwork onto the wall. This is a lot of fun, and with ove 20 years doing this I comes naturally. I don’t even mind an audience! If the project is more specific and I am working to a detailed design concept there are a number of ways to approach it. The thing most people are interested in or struggle to understadn is how to retain the proportions.

Believe it or not working on a larger scale is actually easier for this. There are several techniques that can be used to maintain the integrity of the compostions.

Gridding is a popular technique in which a grid is layered over the artwork and then transposed to the wall. The small squares create a map or guildeline for line placement.

Projecting is another technique that comes in very hand – especially if the concept is elaborate. Using an espson projector enables me to simply trace the outline of the concept onto the wall.

I use those techniques if the artwork is complex, but most often I will simply paint straight on the wall using freehand techniques. I find that but creating large shapes first and then scaling down to smaller shpes this process is the fastest.

That’s the simple process of painting murals I use. If you are looking to try it out for your self feel free to contact me. As well as painting murals directly I have had a lot of opportunities to run mural workshops and love teaching the basics to poeple who are keen to have a go.

 

Check out the mural folio here

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Street Art Mural – Sunshine Coast

The Client: CV Global

CV comprises over 400 people across the globe. They are represented in more than 35 countries in the following seven regions; North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Middle East.

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The Brief: Street art murals for the Sunshine Coast office

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Recognising the global impact of rapid and significant developments in technology, CV has embraced these new opportunities and their potential to reach vast numbers of people.

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CV wanted 3 street art murals in their office to help reflect there core principles and inspire their team each day.

The Solution: Bold, Colourful and Networked

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Using our design process process Metagraphics developed used 3 big ideas as a starting point for each design. Each design was refined to achieve the desired effect.

  • Technology and Digital communication
  • Asia Pacific and it’s people
  • The lion of Judah and light in the darkness

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That one thing that works best.

Focus on the thing that you love and everything will fall into place.

It’s an overused self help cliche right?

I’ve always thought that the reason cliches exist is because they are usually pretty accurate.

I started my business 5 years ago and tried to do everything. Even though everything I read said not too. I guess it’s an example of Seth Godin’s lizard brain hard at work. Because I was scared I wouldn’t get enough work I tried to get every piece of work that came my way. And it killed me.

Mural Art Brisbane

Then after a few years I noticed something. Without even trying, I was getting more and more mural work. Which I love. Funnily enough, I wasn’t even trying to get this work. I was just doing it as a sideline hobby and people would ask me to do it for them. Because I was too busy, I would charge them.

The more I did though, the more referrals I received. About a year or so ago I looked at my accounts and realised that without even trying, 50% of my income was being derived from what started out as a hobby.

The thing I loved doing most was that one thing that works best.

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Murals Brisbane

There has been a lot of Mural Production work going on in Brisbane over the last few months.

There are a whole bunch of spots you can see what’s happening on the street art and mural production scene in Brisbane. Just  quick drive around the city will give you an insight into how creative this city is with a heap of artists from this city rising to international super stardom.

It’s no surprise to see the city flourishing in this scene. Since the 80’s graffiti has been on the rise in the town. While authorities such as the police and Brisbane City Council have been frustrated in the past with vandalism, mainstream media have made an underground art form much more publicly acceptable.

While in Brisbane traditional graffiti is still suspect in the eyes of some, http://buysoma.net more and more people are starting to respect this form of expression and are looking to give there spaces a fresh coat of Graff.

In Brisbane, the distinctions between street art, murals, graffiti and just plain outdoor art have become blurry. The various forms seemingly blend into each other and individual artists tend to reject terms placed on them by outsiders. Prefering to simply make rather than promote what they are making as a form of movement.

Over the last year we have seen this side of our business growing with requests for corporate, private and community spaces being commissioned. Not to mention straight up graffiti murals.

Are you interested in creating a huge piece of art somewhere? Drop in to the studio or give us a call or email to discuss your project.

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Update: Another site promoting murals in Brisbane

… and other projects.

Hey you can check out some of my mural design portfolio here if you are interested.

This is a quick post to promote another site that will showcase mural production and workshops only.

I’ve just created this site quickly because I wanted a really simply place where I could direct people to see mural examples without the distraction of other design portfolio stuff.

I’ve got a bit more mural work lined up over the next month so look forward to posting it here.