Bike Art Ideas

July 15, 2010 10:34 PM

Need your ideas for a bike shop mural/art!

So the bike shop walls are really bare and we have a couple cans of acryllic paint lying around (no crazy colors, more like black, red, green, blue and maybe yellow).

I've never done a mural before so I was figuring I'd make some stencils, tape them to the walls, trace the outline and the paint the inside. But stencils are going to be a bit of a pain to make so if you have any other better ideas I'm all for them.

(To make the stencils I was planning to cut out a design I made on a comp program using a laser cutter. I'd probably just be cutting large sheets of white ream paper)

Ideas so far include: sprockets and a bike chain. I'm not so sure about an entire bike, as I'm not so sure I'd really want to trace out all the spokes.....

posted by pulled_levers to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

Having spent time at lots of community bike shops in the US and Canada, I can say for certain that any bike shop mural must have chain rings and cassette cogs of various bcds/sizes used as stencils. Usually just in the background, but if you want to use them to spell the name of your shop, or promote your message (including but not limited to TAKE THE LANE and BIKE PUNX UP THE WINTER) just spell it out, this is a crowd pleaser no doubt.
posted by seagull.apollo at 11:02 PM on July 15, 2010

Use bike parts as your paint brushes and make a crazy abstract wall. Roll a tire through the paint and put tracks up, use a pedal and gears like stamps, dip a chain in the paint and slap it against the wall. Then put your logo right on top.
posted by TooFewShoes at 11:14 PM on July 15, 2010

I've always loved this building's paint job. I don't know how confident you are with this kind of thing but despite looking quite complicated it's a fairly simple design of two patterns, one laid over the top of the other. The top one has brighter tones of the same colours and outlined shapes so it jumps out more. Also, easy to free hand paint.
posted by Wantok at 11:46 PM on July 15, 2010

If you can get your hands on an overhead projector, thats a much better method than a stencil.
posted by Ness at 12:39 AM on July 16, 2010

Technically -- if your design is on the computer already, lay your hands on a digital projector. Project on the wall, trace with pencil, then go nuts with the paint.

Why not let your customers have some involvement with the mural. You could subdivide the wall and let folks paint parts of it during a "paint party" event. Or ask them to submit designs, then vote on them, then have a public painting event. Get in touch with a local high school art department and put together a class project -- schools groove on this kind of involvement.

I guess my point is: you have a community-building opportunity. Use it!
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:58 AM on July 16, 2010

I have always enjoyed MWM's Crystals & Lasers mural, which was done by masking off stripes with tape and spray paint.

If you have an art school near you you might be lucky enough to recruit some young artists who are willing to work just for having you provide the paint and wall. I've seen a lot of really rad shit get done this way; ex Magnolia Thunderpussy's wall mural in Columbus, OH.
posted by Juliet Banana at 6:34 AM on July 16, 2010

If you can find someone with a fair bit of skill I would suggest a cutaway view of an internally geared hub - maybe even a Rohloff Speedhub. How cool would that look blown up and covering an entire wall?
posted by ChrisHartley at 8:30 AM on July 16, 2010

Check out what the guys at Trinity Bicycles in Fort Worth have done. On one wall, they hang paintings from a local artist (yes, they look photographic, but those are paintings) on an old wall with peeling paint and get a very chic gallery effect. On the opposite wall, they commissioned a local art teacher to create a mural.

Just hook up with some artsy folks; they'll do the rest.
posted by Doohickie at 10:05 AM on July 16, 2010