NEW WORK

Showroom Window Painting

Commonly called "Splash Art"

Spring, Summer, Fall 2011

Fluorescent paint is simply brighter than regular paint.

From The Day Glo website, they have concluded:

1. It is seen 75% sooner than regular color

2. It is three times brighter than regular color

3. Your eyes go back to fluorescent color for a second look 59% of the time.

I noticed fluoro signs grabbed my eyes. I became curious about those window signs and began my career in window painting many years ago.

Window painting (or Splash Art) has been a passion of mine for many years. I did my first window in 1979 and learned it is not exactly as easy as it looks! Since beginning it full time in 1989, I have found this type of work very interesting and enjoyable, plus it allows me to afford my other creative adventures. I travel from St. Louis to Albuquerque doing this work to help pay my artistic existence. Actually, it is a great pleasure to do as it is large scale and bold color, which I love.

Scroll down to the bottom of this long page to see other display products I offer.

If you have come to this page to see my window work and are interested in hiring me to do some, please contact me directly at 816-289-7112 cell. I will be happy to discuss with you how this works and my pricing.

Typically, a showroom campaign is changed several times a year and I encourage clients to keep them fresh and urgent to draw traffic. The key is to grab eyeballs and increase traffic. Compared to the perforated vinyl campaigns cut on a computer, these are simply much more vibrant in fluorescent colors. They can't print fluoro color to last like thick hand-painting. The computer cut perforated signs look good, but actually, they look just like all other billboard media out there and get lost in the miasma of visual clutter.

Fluoro hand done signs POP out, considerably more and genuinely produce urgent results.

Generally, I get a call or an email, hear what the client has in mind and email out some ideas. I arrive and bang it out in a few hours...sometimes all day. The costs run generally $750-2500, depending on size, distance from home and complexity. Removing the old paintings runs more, and your commercial window cleaners charge less. Pay me for the artwork, not the cleaning.... but either way, I will get 'er done. Trust that in doing these for 20+ years, I really have learned a few things about which messages work and which messages are BORING. You want that zippy kind of zippy look to grab those 35 mph peepers.

I have heard all sorts of reactions to these. "We don't want to look too much like a car dealer!"..."We want that super finished look, like the perforated signs, all in blues and greens"... "Can you do our logo and a minivan with Donald Duck driving it?" Truth is that you want to look like a car dealer, if you are and the key to building traffic is to make it look like something urgent is happening. "Giant Sale" really does work better than some generic mission statement, matching what some Madison Avenue ad agency provides for the manufacturer for Vogue magazine! Make it bold. Make it look like you are doing something very spectacular, if you want to grab those eyes, driving by...you know, the eyes not reading the newspaper or watching TV while driving! Got to poke 'em in the peepers!

816-289-7112 or email me at preston.mccall@.att.net

WINTER/SPRING 2011

Fall '10 recent work

New Stuff 2012

Spinner sign wind driven

new stuff 09

May 2011

Here is a new idea. Poles signs... They hose clamp onto the pole and are a great way to attract some possible 'buys'

permanent sign installation

The 'Chevrolet' is 3-D cut out of aluminum laminated sign plywood.

Motorsigns custom made to order

Obviously, I paint many windows. The impact of doing it does dramatically increase traffic to your location, if you have the right windows. Turn those drive-bys into Drive-in-and-Buys! It works best if I have a rough idea of what your windows look like and I can send you a basic sketch and a price for free. A digital photo of your front helps, but if you just tell me what you have in rough terms, I can generally get an idea and send a design.

Costs vary with how far I have to travel and how much I have to do. I charge everyone the same basic rate, as I have learned over the years that repeat business what keeps me busy. A typical New Car Store will call and I lay out a design which generally runs $750-2500 completed. Adding the side windows, painting windshields, supplying MotorSigns or other work runs more. A typical fast food chain or Grocery Store chain will run less with many locations and usually simpler window layouts. Amazingly, over the past 15 years my prices have remained very stable as I have increased the volume and speed of being able to do them. The paint has not remained stable in price. Today, I pay over $140 a gallon for my fluorescent enamels!

I recommend 'simple' over 'elaborate' wording as it reads better and costs less. You want them to be able to read it in just a glance as that is all they generally have, if they are driving by. For 'Walk-up' windows where they come up and have a bit more time on foot, you can do more elaborate schemes. Do the big front windows with a simple message and the side 'walk-up' windows with more info and you will get better results.

I use very durable paint. It is an oil based product and holds up well against rain and hail. They do make water based paints, but they wash off too easily, in my opinion. You want it to hold up against the weather, so I recommend the good stuff.

Fading does occur with fluoro paints. In the sun a typical sign will last three to six months and still work. Under and awning or in the shade they hold up very well (years). It is possible that I add one more step at the end with a coat of clear that does add months to a sign in the sun, but it is rarely requested.

Removal is done by professional window cleaners who use chemical paint stripper and razor blades. My price does not include removal as it varies from company to company. As a general rule, it typically runs roughly 10-20% of the sign cost. Having it done by pros is generally much easier than having your own people do it as it is less messy and much faster.

HAND-PAINTED WINDSHIELDS

Hand painted windshields have been a proven way to make car inventory stand out. I either do this on a one time basis or schedule monthly visits. Generally, a new car store has me come in and paint several dozen new cars and several dozen used cars. On a one-time basis, I charge today $15 a car, locally. If done on a regular basis it runs $12, but this is negotiated at the beginning. Some dealers have me come in and just do it once and then call me every several months, once they see how effective it is. This is fine as I want my customers to get what they think they want. Once you see it works, we can easily change you to a one-a-month basis.

I have painted over 170,000 windshields in my lifetime. I have learned a few things about what works and what does not. I recommend you let me use the messages that work and to stay away from a low price or a payment scheme. You have to keep it simple and direct. A low price may seem smart, but invariably the buyer has a trade-in value in mind and seeing the low price makes the trading problematic. I recommend messages that emphasize other issues than price or exact payments, however cutsie-wootsie messages get you no where. Use strong messages and bold emphasis on why that particular vehicle is hot.

MOTOR SIGNS

Motor Signs are an easy way to broadcast a message and make a vehicle look hot. These come in three sizes: 2x4' , 16"x48" and 2x2'.

The bigger ones are 2x4' and fit over the windshield with bungee cords over the mirrors. They are nicknamed the "80 mile-an-hour" signs by some as they can be read t 80 mph along a highway. The best part is that they are real easy to put on and take off, just slipping over the mirrors. The 16"x48" run $420 a dozen and the 24"x48" run $480 a dozen and can be custom messaged. I generally have a few dozen of mixed messages on hand and am glad to sell you just a few. Honestly, they really do work and I have many satisfied clients who order more.

48x48" Big Motorsigns with bungee cords on 1/2" thick heavy coreplas

These generally are custom messaged and run $200-450

These are waterproof and hold up very well with daily use. I have some dealers who have had them out there for 18 months and they are still working. I can also make these up with special messages, which some want. Call for exact prices on special orders.

If you want to really jump the look of your display cars, try these! Everyone who has tried them, loves them. So much easier than balloons and really light up your look.

Here is a 4x8' larger one that work well. Any custom message works, as long as it is kept fairly simple. These run $200-500, depending on the complexity.

RV signs all custom messaged and different sizes

BANNER SIGNS

Here is a big one I just did. This is about 60 feet across and at night, the showroom lights really make this glow from behind. These all have to be custom fitted to the windows and making these up in my studio takes twice as long as painting directly on the inside, so therefore the higher prices. This one ran $1800 but for the money, nothing beats point of purchase billboarding. Compare the results to a full page, one day ad in the newspaper...these are very effective in getting traffic and grabbing eyeballs.

I have also done these on Tyvek, which hangs from hooks on a cable inside. These roll up and store in a big mailing tube to be used next year. You can mix and match these...."PT CRUISER" " CLEARANCE" and change to "MINI-VAN" "CLEARANCE". They last for years this way and can be very cost effective, plus give you a constantly changing message, easy to change. The last set of these ran $1400 per side with two sides (left and right) per showroom front.

Are you in a town which does not allow painted window signs? You can use Banner Signs! I measure your windows exactly, paint the individual pieces, come out and install them with 3-M clear tape. I keep your measurements on file and can easily do additional Banner Signs when needed. If you want to reuse them every year, I can do them on Tyvek, which is reinforced paper that easily store in the large mailing tubes I provide. I even label the tubes, so you easily find them next year!

TOPPER SIGNS

Topper Signs are a very professional looking display tool. They are two sided and come with bungee cords to attach to the luggage rack. Generally, these are done to look more like they came from the factory, than done by hand as I usually use vinyl letters and can even do photographs, specific to what your factory marketing materials show. These are a step above Motor Signs in look, however are made from the same weather-proof materials. They hold up well in the wind, however I do recommend they be removed for traveling on the road. Want something for the road? Try Bed Signs!

BEDSIGNS

Bed Signs are two sided, mobile billboards. They are built for mobile use and are very sturdy. These are two sided, sign plywood displays that work well in traffic or especially off-location. Park one of these at that mall on Saturday or drive it around to large building sights. These run $1500+ depending on the artwork.

Preston.McCall@ATT.NET

2011 mural on interior wall of a Chief's fan.

Talk about a zany deal. These really made the place jump!

Heavy coreplas signs to hang on light poles for Midnight Madness sale

Wall graphics hand-painted directly on building

Mac the Night on a McDonalds

Typical Osco project that works even when security door is drawn at night.

Permanent Sign painted directly on bricks

Wall mural with truck cut-out and permanent sign

Here is a perfectly good example showing the difference between painting the sign on the outside and hanging paper signs on the inside. Outside is simply more brilliant, but only during the day. At night, the paper sign glows and works better as an illuminated sign.