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| Another masterpiece in progress |
I've been hearing some questions about how (and why) I do these muralcles, and rather than copy-pasting over and over, I thought I would answer them here. Have a question? Leave it in the comments and I'll try to answer it!
How big are the murals?
They take up most of the middle of the chalkboard wall, so about six feet wide and four feet tall (depending on the picture).
How did you make the chalkboard?
I used chalkboard paint, which can be a bit finicky. First, I primed using basic white primer--two coats. Then I painted the chalkboard paint using a smooth foam roller--three coats. The biggest problem with chalkboard paint is it's very hard to get that smooth feeling that true slate has. For about six months, we couldn't really use our chalkboard much because it was so bumpy. Finally, I got the idea to take some sandpaper and gently sand it down--first using a low grit and then gradually getting finer. I'm not sure if this is really recommended, because it made a lot of dust (I wore eye protection and tied a cloth over my mouth), but it did make the wall much smoother.
How long do the murals take?
It depends on the mural, but usually at least an hour and a half. The longest I've ever taken on a mural has been five hours, and I seriously doubt I'll ever do one that complicated again.
Can I suggest a mural?
Well. You can but that doesn't mean I'm going to do it. I draw a couple days ahead of schedule and to get all the murals in before Christmas, I have to schedule them in advance. This means that I already planned every mural I'm going to do and know what day I'll be doing them. Rest assured if it's Christmasy and well known, there's a good chance it'll show up in the rotation.
How do you do the drawings?
Because drawing huge and vertically makes it difficult to get the right spacing and perspective, I use a projector to help guide where I'm drawing. I make a high-contrast drawing to block everything out (here's the one I used for The Polar Express) and then use the regular image as a guide for coloring. Unfortunately, projecting an image onto a black chalkboard muddies up details and colors, and because I can't draw in the dark, I have to keep the lights on, which makes it even trickier to see the projection, so a lot of the drawing is still done freehand or with my iPod in hand to show me details/colors.
Will you keep drawing after Christmas?
Um, no? Yes, but not every day? I dunno. We sort of need our grocery list place back.
Can I post your muralcle on my blog / print it out / use it for my Christmas card?
You're welcome to repost/print/email any of my photos, but please credit me (my name is Kendall Kulper) and the blog (It's a Christmas Muralcle!). A link back would be nice, too. Don't say you did the drawing yourself or you don't remember where you found that photo and oooooh look, a gif of a kitten sneezing! You didn't do this drawing, I did. I know because that's clearly my apartment, and your apartment doesn't even have a chalkboard wall. Be nice and give credit.
Why did you decide to do these muralcles?
Good question! The answer lies deep within the heart of every child.
UPDATED 3/20/2013
Why did you change the web address?
Because, silly me, I decided to keep using the chalkboard wall throughout the year, and It's a Christmas Muralcle! doesn't sound quite as adorable in July.
What pictures will you draw?
Mostly chalk renditions of my favorite works of art--paintings, sculptures, maybe even a building or two.
How often will you update the blog?
Whenever I get tired of the current chalkboard drawing and also have the energy/inclination to do another one. So....once a month? Ish?
How bout now? Can I suggest a drawing now? You didn't even take my suggestion during Christmas!
That's true. Sorry. Sure, you can suggest a drawing. No promises that it'll make it on the blog, but if there's something cool you like and I like it too (or it's your birthday or you happen to be married to me) I'll try to get it on there.
Do you actually have a real job or do you just blog all the time?
Despite what my family might think, I do actually do more during the day than blog. I am a Young Adult fiction writer, and you can find more about what I write at my fancy-shmancy website: KendallKulper.com.
UPDATED 10/20/2015
Looks like a new wall! What's that all about?
We are homeowners! For the first time ever, I can paint a chalkboard wall without worrying that I'll need to paint over it or lose my deposit. This new wall is really more of a half-wall, since the molding that goes around the room cuts the wall through the middle. It's about 25 sq ft, and this time when painting it, I first sanded the crap out of the wall, primed, sanded, first coat, sanded, second coat, sanded, third coat, sanded... The idea was to get as smooth a surface as possible. Time will tell how that goes...
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