Enrichment · Arts and Creativity

A wall, a crew
and the paint to cover it.

A group mural is a design project, a building project and a permission slip all at once. Add each wall with its size, surface and the coverage printed on the paint label. The planner works out the area, how many gallons of color and primer to buy and how much wall each painter gets, and keeps the permission and safety checks in front of you until every one is done.

Add a wallWhat you get
$5one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $5

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Arts & Creativity collection, $69 for 38 items.

Mural walls

The worked example is made up: three walls for a school mural program. Coverage numbers come from your own paint label. Saved on this device only.

Loading the wall form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Enrichment · Arts & Creativity$5

What you finish with
A record per wall: site, surface, inside or outside, width and height, label coverage, coats, primer, people painting at once, six permission and safety checks and notes. Works out area, gallons of color and primer (rounded up) and feet of wall per painter, and totals area and paint across walls; flags no primer on a bare surface, smooth-wall coverage on rough masonry, a crowded wall and an outside wall with no written permission.
Who it is for
Art teachers, art club sponsors, community arts organizers and student mural teams in middle school, high school and college.
Format
Browser planner with a saved record per wall. Prints one wall, every wall in a table for the supply order or a blank planning sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$5 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Arts & Creativity collection ($69) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Arts & Creativity space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Get written permission from the wall’s owner before you design anything.
  2. Measure the wall and add it with the surface and the label coverage.
  3. Buy the gallons shown, split across your colors by how much of the design each covers.
  4. Plan shifts so each painter has about 3 feet of wall.
  5. Clear every check, then print the table for the paint day.

Add a wall

How a group mural comes together

A mural from idea to wall1Ask the ownerWritten permission before anydesign work.2Design togetherSketches from the whole group,one approved design.3Grid it upDraw a grid on the design andthe wall to scale it.4Prime, then paintBackground first, then shapes,then details.5Seal and signA clear topcoat outside, andevery painter’s name.A mural from idea to wall1Ask the ownerWritten permission before any designwork.2Design togetherSketches from the whole group, oneapproved design.3Grid it upDraw a grid on the design and the wallto scale it.4Prime, then paintBackground first, then shapes, thendetails.5Seal and signA clear topcoat outside, and everypainter’s name.
The grid method has been used to scale murals for centuries: each square on the sketch becomes one square on the wall.

How the paint math works

Area is width times height. Gallons of color are area times coats, divided by the coverage for one coat, rounded up. Labels often give a range; use the low end for textured walls. The total covers every color together, so split it by how much of the design each color fills.

Permission is the first step

Painting a wall without the owner’s written permission can be treated as vandalism, even with good intentions. For school walls, ask the principal and facilities office; outside a school, the property owner, and ask the city whether a permit is needed.

Safety on the wall

Use proper ladders or scaffolding for work above shoulder height, with an adult in charge. Ventilate indoor spaces, read the paint label, and keep food and drinks away from paint. Follow your school’s rules on who can use ladders.

Sources

  1. Paint manufacturers’ product data sheets: spread rate in square feet per gallon for smooth and rough surfaces (read the label of the paint you buy).
  2. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Ladder Safety and Stairways and Ladders guidance (osha.gov).
  3. Americans for the Arts: public art resources and community mural guidance (americansforthearts.org).
  4. National Art Education Association: community art and collaborative art-making resources (arteducators.org).

The worked example is made up. Paint estimates depend on the label, the surface and how you apply it; buy a little extra for touch-ups. This is not legal or safety certification advice; follow your school’s and city’s rules. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.