double paned window issues

[Andrew Paul]

Hey Guys -

I've been a member of this forum for a while, but never had the guts to post any of my work - there's waaaay too much talent here for a beginner like myself.

I've been gilding and painting for about a year now, and I've come across the first problem I can't find any tips or advice for solving. There is a ton of info about double paned glass, but I think I have a new twist on them.

So, I was hired to paint numbers and building name on a transom here in Pittsburgh. When I went to look at the building, it was really shady, covered by a couple of trees on the edge of the sidewalk. Now, when I painted to job yesterday, the trees decided to bloom with amazing white flowers. And, as you can hopefully see from the photos, the double paned glass has an intense glare that obscures the lettering on the inside of the window.

My question is - the client wanted ivory letters on the window with not outline or shadow. Is there anything I could have added, or any color I should have tried to make everything stand out more? Did I do myself a disservice by cleaning the outside of the window so well?

Or should I just wait until the blooms go away, and hope it all returns back to "normal"?

thanks a lot,
andrew

[Mike Jackson]

Andrew,
You probably did fine on this project. The tree will lose their flowers soon and be back to dark green and all will be fine.

I might have just lettered it on the front of the glass since it is just a one color enamel job. You wouldn't have as much of a glare issue. An outline might have helped...but if the client didn't want it or didn't want to pay for it, I don't know how else you could have done it.

Good luck,
Mike Jackson

[erik winkler]

Andrew,

Like Mike mentioned, I would certainly do the job on the outside of the window.
Here an example I did in Amsterdam, look at the glare in the glass and how well the lettering pops out.

[Andrew Paul]

Thanks Guys - the client is happy with it, but we'll see if I can handle it - I have to drive by it pretty regularly!

a quick follow up - If I use one-shot when painting the outside, should I varnish over it for extra protection?

much appreciated.

[erik winkler]

No you should not.
I think that is the reason why they named it ONE-shot.

[Mike Jackson]

In my "early years" of sign painting, most glass work was done on the outside. I remember it that way anyway. With heavily tinted glass now, working on the outside makes sense. If you are dealing with the color shifts due to two or three pieces of glass, working on the outside makes sense.

On an upper window like yours, you wouldn't have to worry about anyone scratching it.

[Brian Denahy]

Andrew,
Congrats on getting out there and painting! Your work looks excellent! I was shocked when you said you had only been painting for a year.

Keep at it. I hope to be able to get some work doing this somewhere down the road.

-Brian

[Andrew Paul]

Thanks for all the help, guys.

I'll definitely consider the outside next time!