Art/Craft Equipment

Painting Murals/Opaque Projectors

Painting murals is a great challenge and lots of fun to try, so never pass up the chance to create one.  If you have never painted a mural, it is something that is worth the time and energy to experience.  There are several ways to approach doing a mural from the standpoint of layout and design.

Many artists use a grid plan.  This is accomplished by dividing a drawing into exact squares and duplicating the same proportions onto the spot where the art is to be completed.  The artist then transfers the image square-by-square to the wall/oversized canvas.  As each portion of the drawing/scene is transferred, the artist enlarges the image to the proper size.  This is a pretty laborious method, but it has been used for centuries to enlarge to monumental a much smaller painting/drawing.

For the modern, time-conscious, industrious, large-scale painter, there is another method that could be of real assistance in the mural creation process.  When a drawing is placed into an opaque projector, it can be enlarged to huge proportions instantly.  Then it is a matter of recording the image on the wall/canvas.  Now, that sounds like a “piece of cake.”  But, in actuality, having the drawing enlarged is but one hurdle towards completion of the grand-scale artwork.  It is, however, a huge improvement over manual transfer of an image.

The opaque projector displays non-transparent materials (unlike the overhead projector, which uses transparencies) by shining a bright lamp onto the object from above. A system of mirrors, prisms and/or lenses is used to focus the image of the object onto a viewing area. Opaque projectors require brighter lamps and larger lenses than overhead projectors. Due to the heat generated by the light source, care must be taken that the materials are not damaged.

Early opaque projectors were produced as low cost novelties for children. They were – and are - also marketed to artists, to project enlarged images onto walls/canvases for tracing. Eventually they came into widespread use for lectures and presentations. Opaque projectors are great for projecting notes, pages from books, photos and artwork, or even thin three-dimensional objects. They come in especially handy for art and science classes or seminars.

Once the surface is prepared for acceptance of the mural image, the opaque projector is used to display the image.  Tracing is done around all components of the design. To be sure that the image has transferred correctly and is in proportion, the artist usually relines the drawing with a narrow paint brush to view the finished “sketch.”  Then painting/fill-in starts.  Most artists work from one side to the other, but some prefer to select a portion of the image and complete it as a single unit and then progress to another part of the painting.  Either way, the use of an opaque projector can be invaluable as a check and balance monitor.  Because the artist is “close” to the image, it can begin to warp or change if systematic checks are not used.  The projector can be used to verify that all parts of the image are done well or to indicate if they need some alteration.

Two issues are important in the selection of an opaque projector.  One is the amount of light emitted from the source—the brighter (stronger) the illumination, the better.  Second is the size of acceptance area for the image—the larger, the better.  Also, the less repositioning of the projector, the better and easier it will be for duplication of the image.

See your retailer for the variety of projectors available from Gagne and Artograph.  Porta-Trace from Gagne is a line of high quality, low cost opaque projectors that come in four different models—for the beginning artist or casual crafter to the serious artist or visual professional.  Features include convenient handles, rugged plastic housing, cool and quiet operation, bottom loading and large field of view.  Included are the Mini-Sketch, The Projector, Tracemaster, Tracemaster Deluxe and a new second generation Projector Floor Stand.  www.gagneinc.com/ProjectorInfo.html.

Artograph offers opaque projectors in different price ranges and with different degrees of excellence that include the Tracer Jr., Tracer, Prism, Super Prism, Designer, Designmaster, Designmaster II and MC 250, as well as a Mobile Projector Floor Stand. www.artograph.com/projectors.htm.

From weekend crafters to professional artists, crafters and designers, there is a projector that fits well into your budget and your needs.  Check out what is available and see how an opaque projector might help you be better at what you love to do.

Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 19 No. 4 — February 2009