Plotting and Prepping: Building the Bones of a Mural
Today was a plotting and prepping day.
Today was a plotting and prepping day.
The kind of day where the mural still looks more like measurements than magic, but the magic is quietly forming underneath.
Large artwork requires a different kind of thinking. On a smaller page, I can often feel my way through a drawing with my hands and eyes. On a mural panel, especially one this tall, the artwork has to be planned with structure. The composition has to land correctly from a distance. The lettering has to sit in the right place. The border has to frame the piece without fighting it. The main figure has to hold the center.
That means measuring.
A lot of measuring.
I worked through the layout for the mural panel, mapping the major sections and preparing the design so it could be transferred clearly. The banners, lettering, center points, and artwork all needed to be organized before paint could begin.
This stage asks for patience.
It also asks for trust.
A mural can feel strangely empty during the prep stage. You know what is coming, but no one else can fully see it yet. The grid lines and pencil marks are not the final story. They are the scaffolding that allows the story to arrive.
The more I work on this project, the more I appreciate how much time large artworks take. I probably should not be surprised. It has been a minute since I felt well enough health-wise to step fully back into the art ring again. My body has limits, and I have to respect those limits.
So I work in sections.
I plan.
I prepare.
I leave when the heat becomes too much.
I return when I can.
This mural is teaching me to build steadily instead of rushing.
Today was not about finishing.
Today was about making sure the next step had somewhere strong to land.
~Kit S.
Kit Swan Artworks: Create something beautiful today.