It is not that muralists love to share their creative secrets. As a matter of fact I forgot to ask a local artist about 3 simple steps to create a mural.  Yet, in the way he speaks, this artist actually tells us the secret for creating a great mural. It is a matter of paying attention to the clues.

Painting meaningful images in an empty wall  may seem a difficult project for some, and taking art classes may certainly help. For local artists it may take just one day or two, and plenty of care and love for the neighborhoods they are reflecting on a big wall.

Local artist Crayone has been painting murals for 30 years. Crayone’s cultural ancestry is “a mix of White”and Korean.” He does not mind what ethnicity his paintings are focused on, for he puts his heart and creativity with every can of spray he uses.

I saw him one afternoon on 24th St. and Folsom St. in the Mission District, while he was working on  a depiction of the Golden Gate Bridge –later he will add the face of a Carnaval lady, and some other elements commissioned by the owners of W-K Market, a groceries and liquor store.

“It is all in the details,” Crayone said when asked how to make a mural. “Parts of this one is taking me longer because I am paying attention to the details in the bridge.”

Want to know more? — Watch this impromptu interview with Crayone.

Content, text, video and images by Lupita Peimbert.

About Lupita:
She is a bilingual, freelance writer covering culture, art, travel, women and immigrant communities.

She was delighted that Crayone painted Lupitanews.com in the mural he was working on, even if only for a few minutes.