Baltimore Muralists Adopt VR for Design Transfers

Artists are replacing traditional projectors with virtual reality headsets to scale designs for large building surfaces.

Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Painting

Baltimore Muralists Adopt VR for Design Transfers

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Do you find that integrating new digital technology generally improves your creative or professional work?

In September 2026, Baltimore muralists Caroline Lampinen and Camila Leão utilized virtual reality headsets to scale and lock designs onto walls. This digital approach allows artists to bypass the need for nighttime work associated with traditional projection methods.

Why it matters

By shifting to VR technology, muralists can perform intricate scaling work during daylight hours while significantly reducing equipment costs. This innovation streamlines the creative process and offers a more accessible alternative to professional-grade projection hardware.

A Meta Quest headset retails for approximately $300, offering a cheaper alternative to $2,000 professional-grade projectors. Muralist Caroline Lampinen now integrates this VR technology into 75% of her total mural projects.

The players

Caroline Lampinen

Caroline Lampinen is a muralist based in Baltimore who incorporates virtual reality into approximately 75% of her artistic workflow.

Camila Leão

Camila Leão is a Baltimore-based muralist who began utilizing virtual reality headsets to assist with her design transfers in 2025.

The details

Using the app Contour and hand controllers, artists position virtual sketches in space to serve as precise guides for tracing on large surfaces. This method eliminates the constraint of working in low-light conditions typically required to see projected light, enabling greater scheduling flexibility for public art installations.

Camila Leão first adopted VR headset technology for design transfers in 2025.
Lampinen and Leão used VR design techniques at the Brush Mural Festival in September 2026.

Culture Shift

The adoption of VR reflects a broader movement toward digitizing traditional physical crafts to improve efficiency and reduce overhead. This shift parallels the findings in the Lockheed Martin research on motion sickness in VR environments, which documents the physical realities of integrating immersive tech.

Residents in Baltimore may notice muralists working during daylight hours using headsets rather than waiting for evening light to use projectors. This change allows public art to be created more frequently throughout the day without blocking access during late night or early morning hours.

The takeaway

Using virtual reality for mural design allows artists to replace expensive equipment with accessible consumer hardware. This workflow adjustment helps creators optimize their time while maintaining precision on large-scale canvases.