need help painting a large picture

[gochenour799]

I am building a new shop and would like to paint this pic inside on an end wall. I am not an artist or even a good painter I usually spill more than I use . So if I blow the original up and divide it into sections and then divide the wall into sections. Would that be the easiest ? I still worry bout it looking right . Is there anyway to project or trace this large 15'x 20' ? Does anyone know how they painted barn signs in the old days when it was really popular? Like mail pouch tobacco ?

[/IMG]

 

[johnrex62]

Other than artistic ability I don't know what tools the old timers had at their disposal for barn murals. As far as projecting your image now I can think of two possibilities.

First you can find a projector and plug your computer into it to project the image. Second, you can print the image out onto a plastic sheet and find an old Overhead project such as they used to use in schools.

 

[/pine]

Do some searching for "tattoo wall"...(or variations)

for a while there was a company (using a 3M technology) that would let you send them a high def. image and they would print the image on wall paper like rolls...there was an artist in Italy that may or may not have bought the technology from 3m...

for a short time about 12 years ago I was remotely affiliated a contractor that did the installations for churches etc... but I'm unable to find any contact info now..

Good Luck...

 

[dex3361]

I helped my cousin paint on a mural this past week. What he used was the image was on his computer and he projected it onto the wall and traced it with a large sharpie marker. The mural was on a building in WV on a streetscape project. This mural is about 100' long and about 10' tall. Here are a few of him transferring them onto the wall.

 

[/pine]

An easy way to project an image is to make a transparent slide and a slide projector...

print a thumbnail (slide size) image and saturate it with about any clear light oil...then set it into a standard slide card...

[anecdote]
some friends of mine back in Jr. high school once took some "right sized" images from a Playboy magazine and used a pencil eraser to remove the print on the back side and used the above cited technique to make a teacher's presentation much more interesting...
[/anecdote]

 

[gochenour799]

I helped my cousin paint on a mural this past week. What he used was the image was on his computer and he projected it onto the wall and traced it with a large sharpie marker. The mural was on a building in WV on a streetscape project. This mural is about 100' long and about 10' tall. Here are a few of him transferring them onto the wall.

that sounds like a winner . Could he project a 100' @ a time or did he do it in sections ? If you move the projector back did it make the pic bigger I'd just fuzzy ? Idk much about computer projecters . Would that be like a power point slide ?

 

[firefighter9208]

I see two options:

1. Data projector Data Projectors : SHARP . They hook to your computer and you can project an image on a screen or wall. Kinda expensive, but you may be able to borrow/rent one.

2. Overhead projector: Projectors - Overhead | | Camcor.com . CHEAP!!!! Print the picture and take it of office max. Ask them to print you a copy on an 8 1/2"x 11" transparency. Couple dollars.

Call around to local schools etc... and see if they have any old overhead projectors they want to get rid of. I work in a school and we just replaced all of our overhead projectors with Data projectors (50). We threw most of the old overhead projectors in the dumpster. They might give you one. I know I would if you were close enough.

Chris

 

[forgeblast]

Gridding it out works well, just remember you have to keep the ratio the same, ie. 1'' =1'
An overhead projector would work nice,trace on clear plastic sheeting (over head paper from staples and project). then again you can buy a $40 projector from sax art, which would work nice. PROJECTOR TRACER JR - SCHOOL SPECIALTY
Just go slow, and dont try to draw the whole picture at once. Break it down into shapes.
I tell my students that drawing a picture with out using shapes is like eating dinner. If you try to draw it all at once, with one continuous line its like shoving a whole meal in your mouth at once, pretty sloppy. But if you break it down into shapes, its like taking little bites. Its more enjoyable, and neater.
Also think about the surface your going to be putting it on. Match your paint with the type of surface.
The old time bilboard painters did it free hand. most were profession artists, trained in art schools who made money painting signs. I knew one guy, i have some of the books he used when he painted signs, it showed a ton of different lettering and he would draw it out, paint it and seal it, and most of the time hang it too.

 

[Lloyd_E]

Depending on your budget you could get a sign company to scan the image, make a high-res file for output. They would then print it on a self adhesive backed material - either gloss or matt - in sections. You would install it like wall paper - over lapping the seams.

Now here's the possible costs based on what we pay up here:

15'x20' = 300 sq ft x $10 per sq ft for material $3000, plus maybe $200-$500 for set up fees.
Depending on the printer the sections could range from 40" wide to 120" wide...

The material is UV protected, generally will not fade for at least 5 years and is water proof.

 

[teg]

gochenour799, Where are you located? You can rent a projector but find a friend that has one is better. Yes, PowerPoint works well for this. I notice the thumbnail is all you have... It would be better to get a larger photo of it but you could use it to trace things out. The lettering is easier... the truck would be "fun" (challenging) but I still think you can do it and have it turn out fine. I can play with projecting your thumbnail against a wall - it will be next week, though.

Just plan to work on it at night

 

[dex3361]

that sounds like a winner . Could he project a 100' @ a time or did he do it in sections ? If you move the projector back did it make the pic bigger I'd just fuzzy ? Idk much about computer projecters . Would that be like a power point slide ?

He used a video projector like you would use in a presentation like power point. He projected it on at night because in the daylight it would not be visible. He did sections about 12'x12' and made sure to keep the ratio the same. You could do it bigger and it could be focused in but the farther back you go the less intense the projection is.

 

[gochenour799]

gochenour799, Where are you located? You can rent a projector but find a friend that has one is better. Yes, PowerPoint works well for this. I notice the thumbnail is all you have... It would be better to get a larger photo of it but you could use it to trace things out. The lettering is easier... the truck would be "fun" (challenging) but I still think you can do it and have it turn out fine. I can play with projecting your thumbnail against a wall - it will be next week, though.

Just plan to work on it at night

Indiana is my location . And that pic is all I have so far , I am desperately searching the net for a image to have made into a slide or whatever I use . The building is not up yet , but soon . If any body comes across a clear pic . Please let me know . I think it will be awesome. I love power wagons . If u couldn't tell .

 

[/pine]

power wagon on the farm - Google Search

 

[gochenour799]

power wagon on the farm - Google Search

thank so much. Believe it or not I have Google searched that a lot and never found it . Thank you

:thumbsup:

 

[charlz]

In the military we used the projector technique in our hanger. Works great for those of use without a single artistic bone in our bodies :thumbsup: Trace it out with sharpie and then paint the sections.

 

[MossRoad]

You might want to put registration marks in the corners so that you can line it up correctly each time you work on it. Also, marking the location of the projector and/or measuring to the face will help line it up again.