68 Artists Magazine December 2019
so that the overall image looks like
puzzle pieces of different values and
color shapes. This will serve as the
underpainting. This image—which
essentially looks like a giant paint-by-
number—is either printed or digitally
projected and traced onto several
sheets of parachute-cloth material.
At Mural Arts Philadelphia, paint-
ing the underpainting is a community
effort, with free public paint days
for which various groups sign up.
Up to 20 5x5-foot sheets at a time
are spread out on indoor tables, and
the artist gives community members
a set of pre-mixed paints, along with
specific instructions.
After the underpainting is com-
plete, the artist’s work really starts.
Laidacker hangs up each sheet in his
studio and, section by section, adds
layers of paint, highlights and details
to build up a fully rendered image with
realistic color, light and dimensionality.“I rely a lot on my academic training
throughout the process—but espe-
cially at this stage,” says Laidacker.
“Everything I learned about light and
shadow and adding layers of glazing to
get colors to bounce and sing becomes
extremely useful at this point. I’m also
trained in trompe l’oeil painting, which
helps with creating the lifelike detail
that mural-making requires.”
After spending three to six
months in the studio completing the
sheets, Laidacker is ready to install
the mural. Mathematics and accu-
rate measurement are imperative
when scaling a sketch from inches
to several feet or stories. Laidacker
initially creates his images at a 1-12
scale (one inch equal to one foot) and
takes meticulous measurements of
the wall, including any obstructions,
which he factors into his compo-
sitional sketch. He also numbers
and letters the sheets by row andcolumn. Once the wall is primed, the
artist and his team use a scissor lift,
boom lift and/or scaffolding to paint
a grid on the wall that corresponds
to the 5x5-foot sheets. Then, using
NOVA gel or Golden Mural Gel (a
thick matte medium gel), Laidacker
and his team adhere the sheets
to the wall, one at a time, until the
image is complete.The Big Message
Although Laidacker, like Golden, has
seen the production of numerous
murals in his lifetime, he can point
to one that has made a particularly
memorable impression: Behold: The
Open Door (opposite). “It was one of
my first murals. I was right out of art
school, and I just poured my heart and
soul into that project. It took me nine
months to complete and was modeled
after Raphael’s The School of Athens.”THINKING BIG
How Philly Moves (acrylic mural paint on
parachute cloth), designed by artist Jacques-
Jean “JJ” Tixiou and painted by a team of
artists led by Jon Laidacker, is the third-largest
mural in the world. As seen in the photo at left,
it dwarfed the team member helping to install
it on the side of the Philadephia International
Airport parking garage. The completed
85,000-sqaure-foot mural (below) is difficult
to take in all at once.