Mural or Fresco - What's the Difference?

People often use the terms ‘mural’ and ‘fresco’ interchangeably. However, if you’re commissioning a wall painting of any kind, you need to know the difference.

Fresco

Fresco is a special technique of painting directly into fresh plaster. The plaster is spread on the surface in sections, then the artist applies the paint to the wet material which absorbs the colour. When the plaster dries, the resulting image is permanent. Many well-known classical murals were done in fresco, including those in the Sistine Chapel, and there are still fresco specialists working today.

Mural

Mural is a generic term for a painting done on a wall or ceiling using any of a number of techniques including fresco and oil, gesso, acrylic, tempera or water colour paint. Murals can also be done in other media, such as tile or mosaic. Today, most mural painters use modern paints for their work because they are vibrant, durable and easy to handle.