I visited a large number of sign shops and to my disappointment, I never had the opportunity to chat with anyone old or new in this unique art field that even knew what a quill brush was. These sign shops thrived on software, vinyl and masking tape.
The real sign painters are all but extinct, it appears. I have seen some neat signs turned out by computer, but they lack the touch a true artist gives them. Since no two people do things exactly the same, all the sign artist had their own techniques and manner of doing things, this added great variety and an array of colorful eye catching signs on businesses and road sign everywhere you looked.
I know starting in the 70s neon signs all but faded out, except maybe Las Vegas and a few places like that. The plastic internally lit signs replaced them, but now neon is coming back along with led lighted signs.
I am just hoping that the sign painters that are left are training someone to carry on the trade. Because the demand for hand painted signage is on the rebound and there will be plenty of work for those who can paint a sign.
I would love to hear your comments on this, let me know what you think!
Please visit my training website for more information
http://www.signpaintingbasics.net
until next time James Chastain
PS: While your there sign up and grab the free lessons!
I’m so glad that I’ve found this blog, and I hope you keep the posts coming! I haven’t yet learned the art of hand lettering, but am very interested in learning. Using an opaque projector in high school I painted designs onto my walls and loved the process. Hand lettering is so beautiful and interesting. If I have anything to say about it then sign painting will come back like neon.
Thank you for passing along your expertise.
I’m so very glad that I found your website. You are right, hand-painted signage is a lost and dying art. I first learned how to paint hand-lettered and designed plywood signs from my late husband in 1985. He was a self-taught sign painter. He would get the sign job and then I would help out by painting inside the lines that he drew onto the plywood. I learned by doing how to handle a sign painting brush and how to mix the One-Shot sign painter’s paint. I’m not trying to boast at all about my abilities, especially since it has been over 20 years since I’ve used my skill. After my husband passed away, I had to go out to work in the so-called “real” world and work in an office where I had to get all dressed up for nothing. Well, as you can imagine, the work, the pay, and the lack of personal freedom were more than dissatisfying. Now that I’ve put in quite a few years of working in the conventional work place environment, I’ve finally decided to revisit a previous skill, sign painting. But alas, I also experienced the same thing that you did, all of the signage businesses in town are using manufactured signs and vinyl. How discouraging. However, now that I’ve found your website, I feel encouraged to begin anew again at re-learning an old skill. Thank you for your personal dedication to an age-old art form!
I’m a semi-professional artist/photographer, and has built a small home based business with my love for typography and painting. I’m still learning the fine art of sign painting, but have been rather successful with the little talent I have.
This is the reason why I’m searching for a course that will enable me to reteach myself the basics and refine new skills in quill work. I’m hoping that I can incoorporate my airbrusing skills, typography, and a stronger form of letter painting to build a new style for my work.
In the town I live in, when my husband and I mention that we design hand painted signs instantly everyone wants up to work for them. The sign shop here – that mainly works vinyl and vehicle detailing, is slowly losing his business…because of me.
The art is not dead at all, but if us letterworkers don’t heighten our skills and range of design, we’ll lose out again to the high tech stuff. Honestly, I do all my designing on my computer, and then paint everything on my medium. When a customer sees that the personal touches I’ve placed on the finished product looks far better than the mechanical printout they can get from any other company, they always end up coming back to me. That’s so nice to see.
I think what your doing is verry cool. Sharing tips about your experiance with sign paintig.Ive tried learning art on my own but its tough.ive asked around for ways on how to get started on tools i might need but i never seem to get what i need to get started.If you give classes email me or call me.Thank you for the tips.
Hi Orlando
First off, I want to thank you for the comment and I hope I can help you get started!
Sign painting is a very self satisfying trade and takes persistence and dedication to learn. It also has a very high and lucrative pay scale , compared to other skill trades.
If you really want to get started in this form of art, go to my website and order the lesson package. It covers the basic tools etc. you will need and basic layout, paints, materials, letters and so forth. You will get a lot of info for nearly zilch, nothing!
I do not have classes at this time, but maybe in the future. I will answer any questions you have and help you any way I possibly can. Feel free to call me anytime between 10am and 10pm EST. If machine gets you, I will get back with you asap.
Thanks for your interest in Signs
signpaintingbasics.net
706-246-9514