Murals are scenes or objects painted on walls or other surfaces such as floors, countertops, and furniture which may or may not be life sized or realistic looking. Murals of a scene from an animated movie are often painted on the wall in a child's room, for example. Trompe L'oeil, means "fool the eye" in French and refers to the technique of painting something to look realistic, such as a window painted onto a solid wall or a playing card painted onto a table. Therefore, true Trompe L'oeil is life sized and includes shadows and highlights to make the object look three dimensional as opposed to flat. Preparation of the area or object to be painted is very important; some effects cannot be achieved on a textured wall, for example.

It's advisable for the specialty painter to consult with the builder and/or traditional painter on a new construction project to properly prepare new walls or other surface and for project scheduling. In older homes, consumers may need to repaint their walls or hire a drywall specialist to smooth them before the specialty painter arrives. As is true of all painting, it is important to hire an experienced, licensed professional. Many special products are only available to professionals. Mixing paints and applying them over existing finished surfaces involves chemistry and sometimes, in spite of careful preparations, results may not turn out as intended. That is when the expertise of a professional is crucial to get a job done right.

Murals and Trompe L'oeil projects are usually bid individually to establish a price.