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'Creative Kids' Murals You Can Paint'

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[AUG. 30, 2006]  "Creative Kids' Murals You Can Paint." Suzanne Whitaker, North Light Books, 2006, 127 pages.

Review by
Richard Sumrall

Are you looking for some imaginative ideas to bring new life to a child's bedroom or play area? With her new book, "Creative Kids' Murals You Can Paint," artist and author Suzanne Whitaker can help you transform ordinary living spaces into wonderfully festive rooms.

The starting point with this kind of project is the material chosen to create the mural. This includes choosing the right paints, brushes, sponges, tapes and other application tools. The next steps involve mixing the paint, blocking and outlining the image, dry brushing, stenciling, and creating a template.

Don't neglect the most important aspect of any composition -- the gesture. Whitaker defines gesturing as "the very essence of the pose of a character or object or the rough layout structure of a composition."

Spatial relationships are always critical to a mural. You should consider the amount of wall or ceiling space you have and how much space the composition will require.

Once the focal point is chosen, you can begin sketching; sketches communicate the idea behind the mural. Consider using a grid; according to the author, grids allow you to enlarge and transfer images to the flat surface.

Put the finishing touches to your project with the final steps of adding color and backgrounds. The choice of colors is dependent on several factors -- the preference of the room's owner, the bedding fabric, the room's furnishings and the subject matter in the mural. Backgrounds are a wonderful touch to bring life to any mural. Whitaker reminds us, "The wall color is not the background color. … The background can help tie all of the elements together, or it can ground them so they don't appear to be floating or simply stuck onto the wall." The secret to an effective background is to think in terms of layers. Initial layers, such as the sky, give way to the foreground applications. Working back and forth from background to foreground lets you integrate colors and images into a more vibrant, lifelike result.

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The remaining portion of the book contains over 50 different projects that you can replicate on your wall or ceiling. There are several themes associated with the projects, such as trees, animals, action, storybooks and flowers. Within each theme there are four to seven specific projects. The collection of projects represents different levels of difficulty, letting you decide which project matches your interest and ability.

Easier projects such as "Masked Stripes" or "Numbers" are great introductory compositions that require a modest amount of materials and effort. Once you feel more confident you can tackle some of the more colorful and complex themes. Children who are active in sports will enjoy the "Soccer Ball" or "Ball, Bat & Glove" projects. The princess in your home will love the "Castle & Road" or "Flying Swan" murals, while animal lovers will have their choice of fish, turtles, frogs, rabbits, cats, dogs or birds. Even the newest arrival in your family can have a beautiful mural in their first room. Infants will be thrilled by the images of "Mother Goose," "Humpty Dumpty" or "Fairyland."

All of the projects include Whitaker's step-by-step instructions, a list of the brushes and supplies, and a key to the color scheme contained in the composition.

"Creative Kids' Murals You Can Paint" is an informative introduction to composing and painting murals in a child's bedroom or play area. The author combines nontechnical explanations with some stunning color photography to demonstrate how to create the perfect artistic effect. In the "Introduction," Whitaker writes, "Children's rooms are the perfect place for your creative spirit to take flight. … My hope is that this book will motivate you and give you the tools needed to transform your child's personal space into a magical wonderland."

This book is recommended to parents, artists, decorators or anyone hoping to spark a child's imagination through the images of a painted mural.

[Richard Sumrall, Lincoln Public Library District]


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