Traditional Sign Painting

I am traditionally taught. I have spent most of my life in pursuit of good sign painting and design. I learned the craft from my mentors: older sign painters and draftsmen who learned from their mentors. I built positive learning relationships with the people who built the industry before me and I maintain connections to my teachers to this day. This is important to me because while art and creativity knows no bounds, there is an ethos to sign painting that helps to elevate creativity in an accessible manner that contributes to our environments. Hand painted signs come from a network of those malleable guidelines which can only be taught by mentors with decades of experience.

My work celebrates an ancestral lineage of craft.

The blanket of design in our rural and urban environments dictates the qualities of life that we live. Hand painted signs are a highlight of the fabric of our society and culture. Whether it’s your design or mine, the stroke of a brush can breathe life into your business. In the tradition of my trade, let’s collaborate and make your business sing.

Below is an assorted collection from my portfolio.

Hand-painted custom signage on brick for a storefront in Olympia, WA. Designed and painted by Ira Coyne using traditional sign painting techniques.
Hand-painted custom signage on brick for a storefront in Olympia, WA. Designed and painted by Ira Coyne using traditional sign painting techniques.
Large-scale industrial graphics and building signage for Yakima Chief Hops. Lettering applied with brush and roller over painted exterior.
Close-up of hand-painted gold leaf signage with custom serif lettering. A traditional sign painting application for high-end branding.
Bold, hand-painted Bingo sign featuring vintage-inspired block lettering and vibrant color contrast. A playful example of custom signage with retro flair by Ira Coyne.
Detail of Barton Springs direction hand-painted sign showing precise brushwork and clean lines. A showcase of traditional lettering techniques in Austin, TX.
Hand-painted vintage store sign reading “Dumpster Values,” created for a curated resale shop in Olympia, Washington. Retro-style custom sign with playful typography and artistic brushwork by Ira Coyne.
Storefront of Olympia Tattoo Co. featuring a bold, stylized hand-painted sign with custom lettering. A distinctive vintage-inspired storefront sign designed and painted by Ira Coyne for a local tattoo studio.
Custom vintage coffee shop sign for Filling Station Espresso, hand-painted by Ira Coyne. Features classic retro lettering and design that nods to mid-century gas station aesthetics with a Pacific Northwest twist.
Hand-painted window sign featuring the Statue of Liberty’s head, designed with bold lines and vintage-style brushwork. A custom artistic piece by Ira Coyne blending Americana imagery with classic sign painting technique.
Large hand-painted Seattle sign welcoming visitors to the waterfront, featuring bold white and blue lettering, a school of leaping salmon, and a directional sign to Pike Place Market. Designed and painted by Ira Coyne in a bold, retro sign painting s
Custom hand-painted vehicle lettering for Walter F. Toth Construction, featuring elegant script and clean type on a gold Ford truck. Designed and painted by Ira Coyne for mobile branding and professional identity.
Ornate hand-painted window sign for Revival Motors and Coffee Co., featuring vintage-style lettering, scrollwork, and gold leaf details. Designed by Ira Coyne to reflect the brand’s retro automotive and artisan coffee aesthetic.
Bright and colorful hand-painted pizzeria window sign for Vic’s Pizzeria Westside location. Features bold script lettering and business hours in a classic diner-inspired style by Ira Coyne.
Rustic hand-painted wooden sign for The Sherwood Press, featuring carved lettering, evergreen trees, and a Robin Hood silhouette. Custom sign design by Ira Coyne for a traditional letterpress and design studio.
Custom hand-painted vehicle lettering for Freeman Building Company LLC on a navy blue service van. Features classic serif typography with floral illustration, combining professional branding with artisan sign painting.
Elegant hand-painted interior mural for Olympia Federal Savings, featuring stylized golden linework and clean lettering with the phrase “Our Friends Call Us Oly Fed.” Designed by Ira Coyne to create a welcoming, branded atmosphere for this local Wash
Bright and festive hand-painted Halloween window sign for The Reef, featuring a cheerful jack-o’-lantern, bold lettering, ghosts, and a vibrant color palette. A seasonal custom storefront mural by Ira Coyne to attract attention and boost foot traffic
Bold hand-painted vehicle lettering on a gray work van for Custom Door & Window Services. Designed by Ira Coyne to enhance brand visibility with clean typography and professional commercial fleet signage.
Retro-style hand-painted window sign for The Brotherhood Lounge, featuring bold block and script lettering with operating hours. Designed by Ira Coyne to give this Olympia bar a welcoming and vintage storefront identity.
Vibrant hand-painted storefront sign displaying restaurant and lounge hours in colorful lettering on a downtown Olympia business window. Designed by Ira Coyne to add character and visibility to a local establishment.
Custom hand-painted vehicle logo for Lukens Tree Preservation, featuring a stylized tree illustration with surrounding foliage on a tan truck. Created by Ira Coyne to promote a local tree care company in Olympia, WA.
Hand-painted glass sign for Fish Tale Brew Pub in Olympia, WA, featuring a stylized fish illustration, business hours, and entry policies. Designed and painted by Ira Coyne to reflect the brand’s Pacific Northwest identity.
Hand-painted sign art featuring the words "Vegan Chocolate!" in bold script, mounted above a storefront entrance. The sign uses a deep brown background with cream and green lettering, showcasing artisan hand painted signage with a retro flair—ideal f
Hand-painted wooden sign reading “The Walker Building – 1916,” with vintage-style gold lettering carefully applied on a stained wood grain background. A timeless piece of hand painted signage that showcases expert sign art for historic properties and
Hand-painted retail storefront sign reading “Thank You for 20 Years” in bold blue and cream script, celebrating a small business anniversary in downtown Olympia. This custom sign painting highlights Ira Coyne’s signature style, blending expressive ty
Vibrant hand-painted mural for Olympia Coffee Roasting Company featuring bold retro typography over a lavender textured background, framed with an orange border and a black umbrella graphic. A standout example of artistic murals seattle and hand pain
Hand-painted window sign for “Rainy Day Record Co.” featuring vintage-style lettering in blue and red with the phrases “Buy Sell Trade Since 1973,” seen on a storefront under a vivid rainbow. A nostalgic nod to hand painted signs seattle, ideal for c
Eye-catching hand-painted storefront window art for The Reef, featuring a cartoon rockstar eagle with a red electric guitar, standing beside an amp and surrounded by musical notes. A fun, bold example of sign painter seattle craftsmanship that blurs
Hand-painted storefront door for Olympia Seafood Company, featuring elegant turquoise script and decorative scrollwork displaying business hours, contact info, and the phrase “Fresh Daily!” A sleek example of signs in offices and custom signs PNW tha
Whimsical hand-painted restaurant crest for The Reef, featuring two crowned chickens with outstretched wings holding utensils, centered around a golden waffle-textured shield. A quirky example of custom sign shop la style and hand painted signage los
Large hand-painted wall sign for The Reef, featuring retro teal and coral lettering beneath a circular tropical island illustration with palm trees and ocean waves. A musician with a guitar stands below, adding streetlife charm to this example of vib
Hand-painted display inside a library designed like a cartoon book truck, featuring a playful otter on a floating book and the phrase “You Otter Be Reading!” alongside a motivational rhyme about the power of reading. This whimsical piece blends sign
Hand-painted wall mural for Quality Muffler and Brake, featuring a pair of chrome mufflers illustrated as rocket boosters with flames, painted above a service bay on a white brick building. A dynamic example of commercial signage seattle that combine
Hand-painted exterior mural on a white auto shop reading “Muffler & Brake Service,” with a cartoon muffler speeding along a blue stripe, trailing smoke and a bright red explosion. This energetic design adds visual impact to custom building signs seat
Hand-painted sandwich board sign for a tattoo studio, featuring bold retro lettering and a scroll ribbon design that reads “Tattoos – Walk-Ins Available Today.” A striking display of sign art commercial style and custom signs los angeles craftsmanshi
Sign painter on a scaffold hand-lettering a mural that reads “Locally Founded, Locally Owned, Locally Serving” on the side of a beige commercial building. A behind-the-scenes look at the craftsmanship involved in creating custom building signs seattl
Hand-painted wooden entrance sign for West Central Park, featuring playful lettering, trees, and house silhouettes with a blue sky backdrop, surrounded by fresh flower beds. A charming showcase of community mural projects seattle designed to enhance
Hand-painted mural on a cinderblock wall for Benjamin Moore, featuring two detailed paint can illustrations and the slogan “Paint like no other” in bold black lettering. A polished example of commercial murals san francisco used for national brand pr
Hand-painted storefront sign for Deschutes River Cyclery, featuring bold block lettering with gold drop shadows on a cream panel, framed by an olive green building facade. A refined piece of sign painter san diego–style work that brings timeless char
Sign painter perched on a ladder applying finishing touches to a hand-painted storefront sign that reads “Bicycles,” in bold gold-shadowed letters with a gear logo. A work-in-progress example of custom signs seattle that captures the hands-on artistr
Hand-painted A-frame sidewalk sign for Rainy Day Record Co. in Olympia, WA, featuring a retro vinyl logo and bold text promoting “Buy · Sell · Trade” for vinyl, CDs, and turntables. A standout piece of hand painted signs seattle perfect for drawing i
Hand-painted sign for Olympia Timberland Library, mounted on a brick wall above a wooden bench, featuring bold golden lettering over a scenic river landscape with trees, rocks, and an otter. A vivid representation of sign painter seattle skills, perf
Hand-painted black-and-white wall sign reading “Olympia Knitting Mills” across the second story of a clean, white industrial building, with bicycles parked below and a person exiting the doorway. A strong example of hand painted signage los angeles s
Hand-painted storefront sign for 35th North, with large block lettering in shades of blue and white on a bright blue background, framed by a red brick building and partially obscured by leafy green trees. A standout example of custom signs los angele
Hand-painted Native-inspired salmon design on the wall of a gymnasium above red bleachers, featuring bold black, white, and red shapes that echo traditional Coast Salish art. A culturally rooted piece of indoor murals seattle work that brings identit
Hand-painted Buffalo Trace whiskey advertisement in a storefront window, featuring a large illustrated buffalo in front of a stylized golden landscape with bold vintage lettering. A striking example of sign art commercial work designed to capture att
Hand-painted wall signage for Mission Moto Harley-Davidson, featuring minimalist lettering inside a red geometric frame above the entrance of a white commercial building. A sharp, modern take on commercial signage in San Francisco that blends iconic
Distressed-style hand-painted mural on exposed brick for Olympia Brewing Co., featuring ornate vintage lettering and the phrase “It’s the Water” in faded black paint. A beautifully weathered piece of painted murals washington that captures both histo
Hand-painted sign for 35th North displayed above a storefront window, featuring bold athletic-style lettering in cream with navy drop shadows on a blue and teal background. A crisp example of custom signs seattle used for streetwear and skate culture
Hand-painted seasonal sign for Johnson’s Christmas Trees, featuring bold red and white lettering with holly accents and the message “Open Thanksgiving Weekend til Xmas Eve,” mounted on rustic wooden siding. A cheerful example of custom signs californ
Hand-painted wall lettering in a workplace break room spelling out a vertical acrostic for “OLY FEDDERS,” with motivational phrases aligned horizontally across a beige wall above a table with coffee supplies. A polished example of signs in offices us

I.C. SIGNS

  • My signs are 100% hand made in the traditional of classical sign painting. Whether you need one sign or ten signs, with your design or mine, I can help your business achieve an approachable and iconic identity.


  • Murals are a powerful method of speaking to the public in a sophisticated, yet accessible manner. When words aren’t enough for conveying your business’s attitude and vibe: illustrations, pictorials, graphics, and creativity can pick up the slack where letters leave off.

  • I offer design services for your signage, branding, and logos. I can provide guidance from the ground up, an improvement on your ideas, or activation of your existing design package with consideration to your storefronts architectural style and presence. As an optional addition to custom sign design, I can provide your business with the correct files for print and online representation.

  • I have 30 years of experience painting houses and commercial buildings. I provide these services for new construction, repaints, and remodels. Does your building require a paint job before we begin on your signs? We can incorporate this unique opportunity into your identity.

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Hand Painted Murals