I have been a muralist since a very young age, I began on my bedroom wall as a child (much to the chagrin of my parents) and have been painting murals ever since. I have also sold smaller works through galleries, done book and magazine cover illustrations, commercial art and photography of various sorts. I have always attempted to provide high quality work at a very fair price. My stylistic abilities range from extreme realism to pure abstract. Although most artists tend to develop one style throughout their careers and stick with it, I have enjoyed the variety of painting in many styles. The multiple styles came about originally early on when I was hired to paint a number of portraits of famous musicians on the walls of a nightclub, and do each portrait in a different style. I really enjoyed it. I admire artists who have made careers out of developing a singular style, but have found it a poor fit for myself.
Other than drawings and paintings I do to sell from galleries or online, I design and paint original work to order, and restore older murals whose original artists have either passed away, are longer available or for one reason or another, were not hired to repaint their own work. My multiple style background seems to make me very well suited to restorations, since I can most often match the original style, or change it to suit the clients wishes. Mural restorations most often take less time (unless they are in such poor condition that they must be completely obliterated and redrawn from photographs or preserved original designs) and usually cost considerably less than original work. Although the costs of paint and clear coat and travel are the same, the cost of associated rentals like scaffolding, lifts and other equipment, hotel, and per diems are most often greatly diminished because of the lowered number of days, weeks or months the project will take. I can also improve or modify existing murals to suit.
The detail level can be anything you want. There are natural limitations to detail level when working on rough surfaces. For instance, I can't paint a life-size portrait hyper-realistically on a textured building, it doesn't work - I have tried. The texture ruins the effect. However, the same painting would work on a smooth interior wall. A very realistic and highly detailed portrait can be painted on a textured building if the subjects are much larger than life size. A small, highly detailed painting meant to be viewed close up can often take as long as a large, low detail painting meant to be viewed from across the street.
Other than drawings and paintings I do to sell from galleries or online, I design and paint original work to order, and restore older murals whose original artists have either passed away, are longer available or for one reason or another, were not hired to repaint their own work. My multiple style background seems to make me very well suited to restorations, since I can most often match the original style, or change it to suit the clients wishes. Mural restorations most often take less time (unless they are in such poor condition that they must be completely obliterated and redrawn from photographs or preserved original designs) and usually cost considerably less than original work. Although the costs of paint and clear coat and travel are the same, the cost of associated rentals like scaffolding, lifts and other equipment, hotel, and per diems are most often greatly diminished because of the lowered number of days, weeks or months the project will take. I can also improve or modify existing murals to suit.
The detail level can be anything you want. There are natural limitations to detail level when working on rough surfaces. For instance, I can't paint a life-size portrait hyper-realistically on a textured building, it doesn't work - I have tried. The texture ruins the effect. However, the same painting would work on a smooth interior wall. A very realistic and highly detailed portrait can be painted on a textured building if the subjects are much larger than life size. A small, highly detailed painting meant to be viewed close up can often take as long as a large, low detail painting meant to be viewed from across the street.
Doug Myerscough at the nearly completed Up project stair mural, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
