Nothing conveys a sense of space quite like the sky. A sky mural could be a tranquil blue sky dotted with clouds or a night sky mural glittering with distant stars that glow gently in the dark as you fall asleep.
Step 1: Pick a Design
There are many ways of creating skyscapes in your home. It all depends on what effect you want to achieve. A trompe l’oeil skylight through which you seem to glimpse blue sky and pastel clouds is one option. This is a time and labor-saving option. If you want a more elaborate illusion, you could turn the whole ceiling into a sky vista. For a full-on illusion, your sky can extend beyond the ceiling and onto the walls of your room.
Step 2: Pick a Technique
The ideal way to get the dreamy, irregular colors of your blue sky is to use color washing. This is a simple method of applying paint, using a sponge, and the right effect is almost guaranteed. When your sky is painted, you can choose among several methods for creating your clouds. Once again, sponging is a suitable technique for creating clouds with soft outlines. Stencils, or kits that allow you to transfer a design onto your wall, are an excellent choice for most people. You can then simply paint on your clouds, using a sponge, rag or brush.
Step 3: Suitable Paints.
You can’t go wrong with acrylic or latex paints for indoor faux painting. Make sure your surface is well-prepared and sealed. Avoid flat paint as a base coat and go for a low gloss satin or pearl paint instead. Then use your water-based acrylics for your sky, followed by the clouds. To protect your mural, a transparent sealer may be a good idea.
Choose your colors with your dcor scheme in mind. To create the subtle gradations of a color-washed sky, you will need blue paint in two or more shades. Depending on your room you may want brighter blues or smoky, grayish hues. A night sky can be enhanced with stars in glow-in-the dark paint. Invisible by day, non-toxic fluorescent paints are a hit in children’s rooms.
Step 4: Getting Ready To Paint
Clear your room; cover the floor and furniture with drop cloths and pitch your ladder. For complex designs you may need a platform on a scaffold to make it easier to apply the paint on your ceiling. Clean, plug holes and cracks with putty, sand and seal patches and prime the whole with a suitable base coat – as noted, avoid flat paints as a base. You are now ready to create your skyscape.
Step 5: Painting Your Sky
Depending on your design, you can then apply your paint, color washing the sky background and using your chosen technique (brush, sponging, and stencils) to create your clouds. A night sky doesn’t require a black or deep blue ceiling, though these can be effective. A simple sky effect is achieved in a bedroom simply by using fluorescent paint that is invisible in the daytime but absorbs light and emits it after dark.
Step 6: Finishing Touches
You may want a simple, airy skyscape that consists only of wide space and clouds, but you can always add a few extras as a final flourish. Butterflies, far-off birds or a shimmering rainbow could add the finishing touch to your heavenly scenery.
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