Are you a muralist? OR would you consider using a muralist?

[Xroads]

I really want to become a successful muralist, I'm looking at tips on how to succeed......

So far I know.....

I need a better website
I need to network more - any idea appreciated
I have done work for the local private school / nursery and a soft play place but this hasn't generated sales.

I have just started 1 to 1 lessons with a brilliant art teacher so I can improve my skills.

To those who would consider using a muralist.....

would you want a character (say Winnie the pooh or a princess for example) and your child's name above their bed, how much would you hope to pay for this?

A whole wall doing (in say a jungle theme) how much would you want to pay?

A whole bedroom doing (in a fairy tale theme for e.g.) again how much would you be prepared to pay?

Or your living room wall done (with a simple design) and how much would you pay?

What other help / advice could you give?

I would use a muralist, but only for children's bedrooms, not for any other rooms in the house.

For a character and child's name I would pay about £60-90.
For a full wall mural I would pay £130-£170.

Any more than that and I think I would buy ready made wall art / design that stick straight on to the wall instead (I think this will be your biggest competitor).

Although I have never looked at murals before and have no idea how long it would take you?!

What were you thinking of charging?

Thanks for your feedback alwaysonemissing -

Currently I'm charging:
For a character and child's name From £50 depending on the size, which character, how long the name is.
For a full wall mural. Depends again on size, detail but £100 for the background then £30 per character.

Any more than that and I think I would buy ready made wall art / design that stick straight on to the wall instead (I think this will be your biggest competitor). - Yes I think you are right about this, I suppose what I offer that makes me different is that my designs would be completely unique and potentially longer lasting too.

Although I have never looked at murals before and have no idea how long it would take you?!

It can take between 10 and 60 hours to complete a mural depending on size/ detail, I'm getting quicker all the time though

I think your prices sound reasonable, especially £50 for one character and name.

I definitely think there will be a market for this, but I'm not sure you would get enough work to generate a good steady income. This should become more apparent once you start putting the feelers out.

Maybe it would be good to join up with some other businesses locally - painter & decorators, children's furniture sellers, small boutique shops could display some pictures of your work for a commission etc This would help you get more exposure.

Good luck.

I was looking at the state of one of our classrooms the other day. It's a 15 year old mobile classroom and the outside walls are a repulsive sand colour and murals immediately sprang to mind. Could you market yourself to schools and involve the pupils in the design (and painting) of stark brick/concrete walls? I wonder how much they would be prepared to pay?

I don't think long-lasting designs is a benefit, I'm afraid, at least not for a kids' room. You wouldn't want a Disney princess/jungle/fairy tale to last forever, as by the time the kid is 8 or 9, they'll be really embarrassed by it and want something "older".

I'd love a mural in my sitting room. Like a roman landscape, with pillars and a view of rolling olive trees down to a glistening sea! Sigh. I'd pay £300-£500 for a big wall mural.

I'm an architect and quite a lot of our Care Home clients use muralists to do memory rooms for dementia & other themed rooms such as garden rooms so up might try approaching big care home providers too.

I think wonky and Lee's posts are interesting, would be well worth thinking about what corporate clients / bigger clients you could get. If you're talking 10 hours to paint your smallest mural and you're charging £50 for that - plus travel time, fuel and materials - then you're nowhere near NMW. You either have to get (much) quicker or charge more. Or find different clients that would pay more.

I haven't timed myself doing a character and a name yet so it might not take 10 hours but I'd allow that just in case, I might do a give away one (& time myself) on my facebook page (you know how some people give things away if they reach so many likers?) would that work? Then I could time myself and get a bit of publicity for my facebook page maybe?

Care homes is a really good idea, I will get in touch with some and see if anything comes of it.

I need to get in touch with more schools, nurseries etc

If you're using branded characters e.g. Disney etc, you need to look into copyright & trademark issues.

Strictly speaking, you need permission from the copyright holder or brand owner to make paintings of their characters.

I posted this on your other thread too...

"So for example, if you currently make £300 per week and you need that level of income to sustain your current living standards, then how could you make the same amount from whichever route you decide to pursue? How realistic is that? Could you complete 6 murals per week (from the prices on your website)? If not what else could you do in addition - run mural painting workshops, get involved in community projects and find grants to support your work, sell online 'how-to-do-it" video tutorials, create and sell stencils / templates for people to create their own murals or canvasses...."

I had a look at your website, and although I think the pictures are nice, I'd want to see some of them in the context of a furnished room. have you got any pictures that would show this?

If I had to pay copy right etc I don't think it would be worth doing, I wonder how people get around the issue, perhaps they could class it as advertising for them

I've got 3 regular clients but I'd need to build that up and get quicker in order for it to really take off and also with that experience my prices would have to go up.......

I could probably get some pictures of the rooms, that's a good idea thanks!

Its hard to say if I could complete 6 murals per week because it depends what they are, size, detail etc, I'd build up to it, like with childminding if someone had turned up in the first year of me doing childminding with 7 children ranging from 9mths to 12yrs and left them here for 10 hours I don't know how I would have coped but 7 yrs on and I regularly have 7 dcs without batting an eyelid I do know that I am very very determined and all the art work I have produced so far has been whilst working 50 hours per week as a childminder, this has meant there have been a few times I've been out painting for an hour before starting work at 7.30am or I've worked 7.30am til 6pm cm and then gone out painting for 5 hours and got up and done it again the next day. I will do whatever it takes.

This weekend in order to get more knowledge and understanding of what a wedding flowers & fairs entails I am going to stay with my aunt 100 miles away, going up on fri eve after work, working in the shop on Saturday then getting up at 5am to do the wedding fair and coming home on the sun eve to get the house ready for work at 7.30am on Monday. It's just how it has to be sometimes.