A Perth artist is helping small businesses by painting murals for free as they reopen.

Steve Browne has painted for many businesses in Perth, including Rhubarb Records in Victoria Park and the Rosemount Hotel in North Perth.

He says the murals are his way of ‘paying it forward’.

“People are going through a bit of strife,” he says.

“We can forget there are people behind these businesses.

“It’s more about putting hope back into people.”

As part of the WA Government’s easing of restrictions from coronavirus, cafes and restaurants are permitted to resume dine in service with a maximum of 20 patrons at any time.

Murals have become popular in Perth, with over 200 street art locations in according to the City of Perth.

Steve Browne says murals help create an atmosphere in cafes.

“When I came in, street art started popping a lot,” he says.

“Cafes have murals all the time now.

“They’ve gotten on to how cool the street art theme helps the vibe to the kind of place it is.”

Exclusive Wall Design manager Natasha Taslow says murals help businesses attract customers.

“When people come to a restaurant, people want to see something nice,” she says.

“You can be really creative to make the business stand out.”

Ms Taslow says making eye-catching murals has helped a variety of businesses, from restaurants to hair dressers to dental surgeries.

Mr Browne says the murals can help prevent graffiti tags, as there is a mutual respect among artists.

“The hope was that if I painted something on the outside, it would help with graffiti prevention,” he says.

“If you can see two or three tags in the same area, it means that person belongs there.

“Having a voice among the art is very important for graffiti artists.”

Steve Browne says he has been contacted by a number of small businesses seeking his help.

The average estimated cost of one these murals is $3000.