A colorful new window mural in Park Slope

After creating a window for their Prospect Heights location, I was approached to create a new, larger window mural for Treasure Trunk Theatre. They’re a Brooklyn business that provides a fun, nurturing and imaginative space for young children, my task was to create a welcoming exterior that acts as a storefront for the daycare.

Designing a storefront for a children’s theatre

As I’d previously worked with Treasure Trunk to develop a visual language from their existing branding, and I was able to revisit the previous design and push it further. I created an eye-catching, jazzy, maximalist window design that combines playful theatre-inspired artwork with on-brand typography. One specific challenge for this design was that it needed to work on both white and black backgrounds, below you can see some of my development work.

Here you can see the white blind that adds a design challenge, as when it’s up the window reads as black.

This is my first window mural mock up design, I personally love a bells and whistles window design! The client loved the overall direction but wanted something a little simpler. Plus it was important that there was clear space around the window for their timetable and posters. I listened carefully to her feedback and simplified the design as so:

The refined, simpler window design with teal text that will show on both the black and white background

The design was signed off and we moved on to the best bit- painting the design!

Hand-painting the mural onto glass - my window painting process (the technical bit)

I arrived at the 7th avenue location, armed with everything I would need to paint the windows. I began by cleaning the windows, using newspaper and window cleaner to get a good shine.

This mural was hand-painted on the inside of the window. Painting on the inside of the glass gives a more polished appearance from the street with a consistent shine. It also improves longevity as it’s not directly affected by the weather. On the other hand, it means everything has to be painted backwards in reverse, which can make detailed designs very difficult to execute. I was pushed to develop these skills working on my most complex storefront window mural for Dogfish Head Brewery and 5WPR.

I began by using my VR Headset to quickly sketch out the main body of the design onto the glass, making rough markings around where the typography would go to ensure I would get it in the right spot.

I started painting murals long before the advent of this technology, and have a few fallback options in my pocket in case it ever fails (my favourite being the tape method). However, VR is just so fast, and feels like having a projector on your face (although a projector wouldn’t work on glass or during the daytime so that’s another bonus!).

Using a fine brush, that holds very little paint, I began sketching the design on the window, matching the colours to the mock up. The final mural stays very close to the mock up, but I never aim for an exact match, and I like to leave a little creativity in the painting process. Painting in reverse also changes the order in which I work. Details that would normally be added last sometimes need to be painted first, as the first layer applied to the glass is the one that will be seen from the street.

Transferring the typography and building up the paint

For the typography, I needed something more precise. VR isn’t perfect and sometimes shifts mid sketch. So, I went to my local printers Park Slope Copy Centre -who are an incredible asset to have just down the road- and they printed out a pounce (like a large paper template).

Using my rough VR markings as a guide, I positioned the template on the window and checked it with a spirit level before transferring the lettering onto the glass.

Once the design was sketched up, I began building up the colour with BEHR latex paint. I’d also to experiment with the enamel paint traditionally used by sign-painters, particularly as I’ve had more and more clients looking for permanent window murals instead of seasonal ones. For this project, however, I found another way to improve the mural’s longevity, which I’ll explain shortly.

Applying multiple layers of paint is key to creating an opaque finish, and it’s important to keep checking the design from outside the window as well as within. Expect it to take longer than on a wall to get that opaque finish, I recommend investing in these Zibra brushes to get there quicker.

One thing I’ve noticed with hand-painted storefront windows, is that they really let the local community know that there is something new and exciting coming. Unlike vinyl graphics or storefront installations that appear almost overnight, a hand-painted window develops gradually over several days. Passersby can watch the artwork take shape, ask questions and become excited about the new business or space opening in their neighborhood.

The challenges of painting storefront windows

You may have twigged earlier- but the teal i used for the text in the mock up was too dark. I realised this when I applied it to the window. So, I listened to my creative instincts and switched it to a mid teal, which was much more effective on both the white and black background.

The other really bizarre thing that happened on this project, and something that I’ve occaisionally come across when public facing work, was an unusual member of the public. I was indoors with the two ladies who worked there, and a man came to the door. He knocked and we opened up to see if we could help him. He asked if any of us spoke Spanish; and one of the ladies and myself let him know that we did. He asked if we could translate a note for him, so he could give it to a man on the street. We thought maybe this was going to be a nice little thank you note- but it turned out to be a stream of expletives and threats of violence! He wanted to start a beef with a guy on the street and use our language skills to really drive the message home. Needless to say we politely declined to do so and claimed there was no paper on site…

Finally, as I previously mentioned, this type of window mural is not permanent and the paint is particularly vulnerable shortly after it’s painted to scratches. To make things easy for the client, I left them with a little “touch up kit” of all the branded colours labelled to show which part of the design could be retouched.

The finished Treasure Trunk Theatre storefront

The design changed the window from a non-descript space into a colourful, recognizable presence on the street. It also helps build upon their existing branding and draw attention to their Brooklyn business.

Do you have a window you’d like to transform?

Are you considering a hand-painted window mural for a shop, school, theatre or creative business? I design custom storefront murals throughout Brooklyn, Manhattan and the wider New York City area. Get in touch to discuss how original artwork could transform your space.

Hand-painting a window mural for Treasure Trunk Theatre in Park Slope