First Hand Painted Signs

[SignosaurusRex]

Rest assured, you did fine for a first attempt. Back in the day of hand painted signs only, if you came into my shop and presented this as your first attempt, we'd hire and train you based on this job. Stick with it, but be warned - hand lettering is highly addictive. The more you do it, the more you look forward to your next project.

Ditto

 

[Billct2]

Look a round for some videos of hand lettering, it really helps to see how it's done.
This guy uses the hand over hand technique I was taught.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocMQHC8Nmnc

 

[Rick]

I must be missing something....

 

[Mosh]

MDO and oil background for hand painted stuff. Not bad for a first hand painted job, but it will have to have a way more eye catching design to compete with a vinyl sign. I could have made all three of these simple designed signs in an hour and a half, including design time, either print or vinyl.
I remeber when I stopped hand painting, I was so happy, NO I do not miss it, except wood carved painted signs we used to do alot of, I miss doing that kind of work.

 

[SignosaurusRex]

I must be missing something....

Why do you say that?

 

[luggnut]

Why do you say that?

i thinks its because if this sign had been presented as a layout for a vinyl or printed sign he would have got slammed, but because it's hand painted ... no slamming

 

[Rick]

If this was a printed sign or vinyl, this would be a poor layout and there would probably be a general consensus that it is.

The poster said they have graphic design, animation and illustration experience.. enough to question the design solution they came up with. It's a poor layout or logo or logo-ized layout, even though it's painted. When I crit a layout, I try to take into account the persons experience. I expect more from a seasoned designer so I am a little more critical.

They asked what could be done to make it look better... it's obvious on the painting part, practice... practice... practice.. then practice some more. Maybe suggest a plotter to use as a stencil. But the other thing is the design/concept is really bad. We always suggest an ancient book on design, and it has it's place in most sign design application, but in this case, the book would work perfect on the layout of this sign.

I forgot to add, this person wants to learn to sign paint... go to a letterhead meet.

What I appreciate about the poster, is that they did a good job for the first time without any real practice. I can imagine with a few weeks of doing it what they could do, but tighten up the layout and concept.

 

[Rick]

Okay so I whipped out a quickie layout, using the basic principles on "Mastering Layout".... then I jacked the image up with a simulated bad brush job.

Painting is a skill that comes with practice. A decent design can still work, even if the production is executed poorly.

 

[SignManiac]

Rick that's a good point you're making there. I learned a long time ago, a strong design will carry poor lettering but, great lettering will not carry a poor layout. Or something to that affect.

 

[SignosaurusRex]

Okay so I whipped out a quickie layout, using the basic principles on "Mastering Layout".... then I jacked the image up with a simulated bad brush job.

Painting is a skill that comes with practice. A decent design can still work, even if the production is executed poorly.

I think you have conveyed along with a visual display what was needed and I hope the OP was looking for. A very nice, simple and straight forward
constructive critique. Nicely done!

 

[visualeyez]

When in doubt, in a situation like this, just put your signature in the lower right-hand corner. This turns it into a piece of art rather than a sign, so it can only be "critiqied" by those who are not artists such as the business owners. This gives you the ability to claim artistic desicion and not change/fix it, if the situation arises Ok, maybe not.. I have had a few tall cold ones tonight but it seems like a good idea.

 

[BobM]

why you get so much crooked lines is your not using the QUILL the right way. i would guess your painting with the TIP of the brush, from the look of the letters.
#1. QUILLS, will pull perfectly straight lines, IF you know how to.
load up the quill with paint, there is twisted wire on the furrel, this wire tells you the FLAT of the brush. the wire tie...........needs to be parallel with the board your painting. you also need to "palette" the brush. this is tkeing the brush looking at the wire tie, and making the quill flat BY PRESSING THE HEEL.........on the palette board, plate, paper. then you will have a brush that is wider then it was when you loaded the paint.
2. NOW TO PULL A LINE............place brush tip about a 1/4" form the line you wish to make straight. NOW..........lay brush down on board, till the HEEL...........IS HITTIN THE BOARD like it was a pencil tip. now start to pull the brush down or back to you, while wathing the line you want to paint...and move brush to that line AND DONT STOP the down or back motion. when you STOP YOU
MAKE BUMPS IN THE EDGE!!!!
but you got to get used to painting from the HEEL, NOT THE TIP!!!!
i commend ya on how you did this, thats how we did it, the key to straight lines is RELAX...............the more you tense up to make a straight line the more it will look crooked. the good thing with paint, if you dont hit that line with 1st pull..........go back and pull it again!!!!!
CIRCLES & CURVES...............little more practice..........this involves ...........learning to twist the brush between you fingers as you pull the curve! one of those things that is best learned from another old brush guy.
if you was closer to me...........got no problem teachin ya....iam sure if you was in LAMIRADA, CA. sometime, si allen would also be glad to show you how to.............

OPeee..............))))))))))))))))))))) That was the most instructive and constructive post on brush lettering I've seen. Thank you.

 

[Todd-sta]

100% better Rick....

Re: the original post - - I give the poster kudos for putting his work up for critique, because that's how you can learn and improve....

But I agree that the original samples are lacking in many respects. This would have been a great one to post up *before* it was executed as it could have been a great learning experience, plus yielded a finished piece you'd be much happier with.