A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. There are many different styles and techniques. The best-known is probably fresco, which uses water-soluble paints with a damp lime wash, a rapid use of the resulting mixture over a large surface, and often in parts (but with a sense of the whole). The colors lighten as they dry. Murals today are painted in a variety of ways, using oil or water-based media.

Once completed the mural can be given coats of varnish or protective acrylic glaze to protect the work from UV rays and surface damage.