What does the structure of a mural generally consist of? What is a mural?

Murals are one of the oldest forms of painting. They refer to patterns painted on the walls or ceilings of buildings. They are ancillary parts of buildings and have the function of decoration and beautification. As early as the primitive society, humans would carve patterns on cave walls to record events. During the Tang Dynasty, with cultural exchanges and the popularity of Buddhism, murals also entered a period of prosperity, leaving behind a large number of murals. Let's learn more about murals!

Contents of this article

1. What does the mural structure generally consist of?

2. What is a mural?

3. What kind of paint is used for mural painting?

What does the mural structure generally consist of?

The structure of murals is generally composed of a pigment layer, a base layer, a support layer, and a ground layer. Murals refer to art on the wall and are an attached part of a building. In the primitive society, humans would carve patterns on the cave walls to record events. In the Tang Dynasty, with cultural exchanges and the popularity of Buddhism, murals also entered a period of prosperity, leaving behind a large number of mural works.

As the name suggests, murals refer to art on walls. They are paintings that people paint directly on the walls and are an accessory part of buildings. This art form appeared as early as ancient my country. It is also one of the earliest painting forms in human history. It was recorded in the Han Dynasty, when most paintings were done on the walls of grottoes, tombs or temples.

In the primitive society, humans would carve various patterns on the walls of caves to record events. These were the earliest murals. Fragments of murals are preserved in the Qin Emperor's Palace in Xianyang, Shaanxi Province, my country. The Tang Dynasty was the heyday of murals and also the peak period of mural art creation, leaving behind a large number of murals of ancient and modern civilizations. After the Song Dynasty, murals gradually declined, and it was not until the founding of New China that murals were restored and developed.

Classification of murals

Murals can be mainly divided into rough-bottomed murals, brushed-bottomed murals and mounted murals. Since the Zhou Dynasty, there have been records of murals painted in palaces and even tombs. Later, with the spread and prosperity of Buddhism, murals appeared in temples and grottoes, such as the famous Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. Even now, my country still preserves a large number of Buddhist murals, which are the inheritance and continuation of ancient Chinese civilization.

What is a mural?

Murals are one of the oldest forms of painting. They refer to patterns painted on the walls or ceilings of buildings. They are ancillary parts of buildings and have the functions of decoration and beautification. They are mainly divided into brushed murals, rough murals and mounted murals. Modern murals can also be divided into hand-painted, hand-painted, wall stickers and decorative paintings.

What paint is used for mural painting?

Acrylic paint is generally used for painting murals.

Acrylic paint is a type of paint that is a dispersed pigment made of polymethyl methacrylate dissolved in mineral spirits. It is sometimes called pure acrylic paint or plastic paint to distinguish it from polymer paints containing acrylic and other water-soluble resins. Acrylic paints do not yellow and dry quickly. They are easily washed out with mineral spirits or turpentine. These characteristics make them suitable for touch-up in painting conservation work to repair damaged or smeared parts.

Tube acrylic pigments with added plasticizers are sold by manufacturers under the trade name of Magna pigments. There is also a special vinyl resin solvent that is insoluble in turpentine and mineral spirits, called Magna varnish. Since Magna varnish is easily soluble in acrylic pigments and cannot be repeatedly painted, it can also be used as an interlayer oil, which can play the same role in oil painting.