What happens when a sketchbook idea is given the space to become something much bigger? Each year, students from University of the Arts London (UAL) Graduate Diploma Illustration course explore exactly this through the Design-led Murals project with course leader Angela Hogg and Lecturer Rory Wynn, supported by Winsor & Newton.   The programme invites emerging artists and designers to move beyond the page and into a public space, transforming creative ideas into large-scale, site-specific artworks. The result? A double-sided campus mural adorned in Galeria Acrylic.   

For Winsor & Newton, this an opportunity to support the next generation of creatives to create ambitious work that could otherwise be prohibitive through cost, while showcasing the use of Galeria Acrylic beyond fine art. Bringing together painting and spatial design, it invites students to rethink how acrylic paint can exist today.  

The results have been transformative personally and recognised globally. In the case of student and artist Yuanyuan Liu, her 2022 mural won in the Site Specific category of the World Illustration Awards in 2023.

Mark-making, colour and composition are explored using a wide range of graphic media. Students begin experimenting with dry media and move through to water-based, using markers, inks, gouache, pencils, pastels and acrylic. 

At the heart of the project is Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylic. Known for its versatility, colour strength and adaptability across surfaces, the acrylic range becomes more than a painting medium. It’s the perfect tool for tactile experimentation and demonstrating how acrylic can move into spatial design. “I picked up so many practical on-site lessons,” mural artist Ruofei Shao explains, “such as adjusting paint consistency and correcting the subtle colour difference between the palette and how the paint appears on the wall. These small but critical details are things you only encounter when you physically bring a design to life.” 

Creating work that goes on to live in the public eye is no mean feat. But what makes a piece of art resonate in a shared space? 

Mural artist Qianhui Xie explores communication through Common Language, a mural centred on the exchanges between students, teachers and campus staff. “The central theme of my mural project is communication,” says Qianhui. “I was drawn to this everyday yet essential aspect of campus life.” Her mural featured layered translucent colour blocks of contrasting purple and orange to reflect lightness, fluidity and ease. “I aim to enhance the humanistic spirit of the campus and encourage more meaningful, empathetic connections in daily interactions.”