Part Three, Choosing and Creating Effective hospital Artwork, Page 3

Animal Murals

For a pediatrics unit mural there is no better subject matter than animals. Children’s (and most adults) are more responsive to some renderings of animals than they are to others. Here's why. Cartoon animals are great but if they are too distorted children donít relate to them as well. Also if theyíre not rendered three dimensional with highlights, shadows and reflected light then they take on a flat appearance. They seem less alive to children. Another flattening element is outlines. Outlines work quite well for defining elements and features in children's illustration books. But in murals they more often detract from the work. If the animals are too realistic, that too seems to take the edge off of children's interest. Endeavor to design and paint animals somewhere in between. Put special attention into animal faces. Make the eyes as expressive as possible and if there are several animals in the mural then use several different types of smiles and facial expressions.

Personally, I never paint someone elseís animal designs (unless Iím assisting a colleague in painting his or her own designs). My animals are always original. That way I put every thing I can into them.

Conclusions

As you can probably tell, I've devoted myself to creating the finest children's murals possible. I've worked a lot on developing my craftsmanship and I listen carefully to my own inner-child. But I also take pains to find out what research has revealed about how people respond to particular colors, themes and compositional elements.

It is my hope that after reading this article hospital administrators, art consultants and my fellow mural artists will provide or create works of art that are just a little more pleasing and reassuring for the children and adults whose lives they touch.