Techniques for Painting Wall Murals on Canvas

Prepare the wall

• You won't want to apply the mural directly to your wall as it will make it difficult to remove it. Install wallpaper liner once you have decided where you will apply the canvas. Apply liner paper to the area using strippable wallpaper adhesive, following manufacturer's instructions. Apply the wallpaper liner horizontally.
  
  

Cut canvas

• Measure the wall where you will install the canvas and add a few extra inches to the measurements. This will allow room for the canvas to shrink during the painting process. Cut the canvas to your dimensions. Medium-weight pre-primed canvas is best for a mural on canvas as it is not too thin nor will it shrink too much. The pre-priming allows you to skip the primer step.
  
  

Prevent shrinking

• You can prevent shrinking by taping or stapling the canvas to a flat surface. You can tape it to a concrete floor, to plywood or a wall. If you plan to paint murals on canvas regularly, you can install a cork wall in a work room or basement. Tape the canvas all the way around with masking tape. When you are done painting the canvas allow it to dry completely before removing the tape.
  
  

Finish canvas

• Apply two coats of clear polyurethane to your mural on canvas to protect and preserve your mural. Allow the polyurethane to dry between coats and then again after the second coat is painted. The mural is now ready to install as if it were wallpaper. It can also be easily removed with wet cloths or a small amount of wallpaper stripper.