PROJECTS

Complete painting of Oregon Trail by Chris Shields

Drawing of the Oregan Trail mural on tracing paper

Oregon Trail Mural

Commissioned by The Oregon Historical Society

PURPOSE:

To create a mural depicting the Oregon Trail for display at the Oregon History Museum

YEAR:

2018

MEDIUM:

Watercolour and Gouache on Stretched Arches Watercolour Paper 300gsm - HOT

SIZE:

12m x 3.5m

SUBJECT

The Oregon Trail, stretching over 2,000 miles from Missouri to Oregon, served as a crucial route for mid-19th-century American pioneers. Central to their journey were covered wagons, or "prairie schooners," built with wooden frames and canvas to withstand harsh weather. These lightweight yet sturdy wagons were typically drawn by oxen or mules. Pioneers dressed for practicality: men wore durable trousers, broad-brimmed hats, and long-sleeved shirts, while women opted for long dresses with aprons and bonnets, made from resilient fabrics like cotton and wool. This blend of robust wagon design and functional clothing enabled pioneers to navigate the challenging journey, marking an important period in American expansion and frontier life.

SYNOPSIS

This mural, commissioned by The Oregon Historical Society, was executed in watercolour and gouache on stretched Arches Watercolour Paper - 300 gsm - HOT. I use this medium for most of my illustration work.

As the final image was to be blown up to a considerable size (around 12m x 3.5m), I needed to create the illustration a little larger than I usually work (1500mm x 400mm). Because of the constraints of my workspace and the practicality of stretching such a large piece of paper, I decided to paint the scene as two separate pictures and then stitch them together in Photoshop.

Each stage of the process undertaken to create this mural is explained below.

THE PROCESS

Image of client briefing notes for the mural

Example of a preliminary drawing of a pioneer on horseback with waggons in the background

Image of the alterations required by the client

Final drawing of a pioneer family which will be painted later in the design process

Image of the third and final drawing ready for painting

Image of the mural on desk with the individual figures masked off

Image of the mural read for the background to be painted

Image of the mural with the background completed

Photograph of the completed mural in situ

Hover over the image to magnify it...

Stage 1

The client's brief was received, which consisted of detailed written information, including photos and sketches. This image shows the mural's location and the position of physical exhibits.

Stage 2

Before any painting took place, it was necessary to conduct extensive research into all aspects of the Oregon Trail, from the design of the wagons and the type of oxen used to pull them to the type of clothing worn by the pioneers.

The next step was to produce preliminary line drawings. At this stage, the client could make changes to the layout, which makes my life a lot easier than making changes at the full colour artwork stage. This is an example of a drawing not used in the final image.

Stage 3

Several preliminary line drawings were produced.

Stage 4

Drawings were often produced as separate images and only added to the scene later on in the design process.

Stage 5

Here, the client requested various alterations to the initial drawing.

Stage 6

This is the third and final drawing, ready to be laid down for painting.

Stage 7

Before the illustration could commence, the individual figures in the scene were masked off, allowing the background to be painted without obscuring the drawing's details.

Stage 8

At this stage, I was ready to start painting the background.

Stage 9

The background was now complete, and the masks were removed one at a time so I could colour in the figures.

Stage 10

The scene is now complete.

Stage 11

The mural was installed. The museum floor was landscaped to match the scene in the painting.

Stage 12

Installation completed.