Frequently asked questions
How Much Does a Mural Cost?
All of my murals have a minimum starting cost of $2,500+GST. However, the final price can vary significantly depending on several factors, including:
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Size of the mural.
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Complexity of the design.
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Surface texture and condition (e.g., smooth, brick, or corrugated).
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Access requirements, such as heights or confined spaces.
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Whether the mural is interior or exterior.
For murals higher than 3.5 meters, additional equipment like platform ladders, scaffolding, or scissor lifts will be required and factored into the quote.
As a general guide:
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Hyper-realistic, detailed interior mural (3m high x 4–5m wide on a flat, prepped surface):
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$5,000–$6,000+GST.
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Simpler interior mural (e.g., with large areas of sky, less detail, large areas of flat colour):
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$3,500–$4,500+GST.
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For exterior murals or murals on textured surfaces (e.g., brick or corrugated walls) that require priming and preparation:
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Hyper-realistic, detailed mural:
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$7,000–$8,000+GST.
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Simpler designs:
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$5,000–$6,000+GST.
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Ultimately, the cost is determined by the time required to paint, the amount of paint needed, travel distance, and any additional preparation or equipment costs. Every mural is unique, so I’ll provide a tailored quote based on your specific project.
Why Are Murals So Expensive?
Creating a mural is a demanding process for artists, requiring not just creativity but also a deep understanding of technical skills. While being a mural artist is incredibly rewarding, it is also physically, mentally, and financially taxing. Here’s why:
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Extensive Knowledge and Training: Muralists must possess the expertise of commercial painters, including surface preparation, understanding paint and surface chemistry, selecting the correct primers, and operating sprayers and rollers. Many also require certifications such as EWP (Elevated Work Platform) licenses.
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Specialised Use of Materials: Unlike traditional commercial painters, muralists use exterior-grade paints like artists’ acrylics to create detailed and expressive artwork, adapting materials in ways they weren’t originally intended for.
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Challenging Working Conditions: Exterior murals often involve working in extreme weather conditions, from freezing cold to scorching heat, which can disrupt schedules and add to the physical strain. We paint from ladders holding palettes and water buckets, we paint at extreme heights in scissor and boom lifts. We are often spending a lot of time and money at chiros and physios for being in bizarre postures and body positions for hours on end.
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Decades of Expertise: Artists spend years, even decades, perfecting their craft. This dedication involves significant investments of both time and money to refine their skills and techniques.
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Art is Subjective: The scary thing about being an artist is that there is no right or wrong answer in the end. Some people could love the end result where another person could hate it. All we can do is our absolute best and cross our fingers it is well received. This is why we go through an extensive design phase for commission work.
Why Does a Smaller Canvas Artwork sometimes cost as Much as a Wall Mural?
The pricing of fine art and mural art can seem comparable, but each comes with unique challenges:
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Canvas Costs: High-quality, professionally made canvases are expensive, often starting at $300–$350.
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Specialised Fine Art Materials: Fine art requires artist-grade materials like oils and slow-drying acrylics, which are significantly more expensive than commercial paints used for murals. A 50ml - 75ml tube of artist quality acrylic or oil paint is similar in price to a 500ml tin of commercial paint used for murals. These materials are essential for creating fine detail and achieving the desired finish.
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Time and Detail: While a mural may cover a larger surface, the illusion of detail on a wall is often achieved with clever brushwork with larger, commercial grade brushes and colour theory, skills honed over years of experience. Conversely, fine art on canvas involves meticulous attention to small-scale details using tiny, artist-grade brushes. This level of precision is time-intensive and requires a great deal of focus.
Ultimately, whether on a wall or a canvas, the value lies in the artist’s expertise, creativity, and the years of dedication required to bring a vision to life. Both forms of art are a testament to the skill and effort that go into creating something truly unique and memorable.
What type of paint do you use for your murals?
I use Resene Lumbersider, a waterborne low sheen finish that is made with 100% acrylic resin to ensure maximum durability in all exposed conditions. This paint imparts a natural low sheen look that is fully washable. For priming and undercoating where necessary, I use Haymes Ultracover or Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer and undercoat. I also use specialised Pre-Coated Steel Primers for metal surfaces as well.
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How long will it take to paint my mural and when can you start?
As I work in a customised way for each client, I cannot accurately predict how long each mural will take me. Exterior murals can take much longer than anticipated due to the weather, as I cannot paint in the rain or extreme heat. For this reason, I book all my work on a waiting list. While I can give a rough timeframe at booking for a commencement date, I always have to confirm this closer to the date. Bookings are secured on the list when a deposit payment is made. I usually have around 6 - 8 weeks of work booked in advance. I stay in constant communication with my clients and work on designs leading up to their estimated painting date.
How many revisions can I make to my concept?
I offer a concept stage of up to 3 rounds of revisions for clients who have a rough idea of what they want. For clients who have no idea of what they want, I recommend a mood board or two prior to the design and concept stage, which I incorporate into my quote.
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How do you scale up your design for painting on a larger scale?
I use various methods for scaling up my designs depending on the project. For example, for more realistic, landscape jobs with a lot of layering, I use a combination of the doodle grid and a square grid. If the space allows and I can get in lower light, I use a Samsung Freestyle projector. For toilet doors, I often freehand.
What are your working hours?
I work from Monday to Friday, arriving on-site between 8:45 am and 10 am, depending on the location site. I work until approximately 4-5 pm. My quotes are project-based and not based on an hourly or day rate. I try to take time off during school holidays and do not usually take on large jobs between 10th December and 10th Jan.