So how do you learn to letter by hand?

[David Wright]

Reminds me about 12 to 14 years ago the city engineer and assistant stopped by my shop. It was about some inquiry into the repair needed on my sidewalk at home but what was really a hoot was the assistant's comment. He looked around at said basically my days were numbered because he saw a machine that cuts letters out of vinyl!

Really, you don't say. I just happen to have one of those too to augment my hand lettered work so just maybe I will survive.

What got me from this glorified sidewalk spraycan painter (engineer) was the relative glee he displayed seemingly telling me of my demise. It really comes down to envy by folks like this thinking technology is going to even the playing field and bring down us arrogant asses from our perches.

I remember when at my first sign shop job about 30 years ago my boss looking at a picture in Signs of the times of a hand carver. This was just when my boss discovered wholesale sandblasted signs were the way to go and he remarked about the poor bstrd becoming dodo bird.

They don't get it, or if they do they want you brought down because of their envy.

 

[Pro Signs & Graphix]

What do you offer that can't be done digitally?

Paint always has and always will outlast vinyl, especially digital. Paint also allows the availability of any color. Therefore the answer to the question is "longevity, and depth".

My hat always comes off for those that can twirl a brush.

 

[Whit]

Had to computerize to be competitive !!!
It ain't tha same as it was,,, 'ol school
had a charm to it,, you recognized others
by their work,, their own unique style,,,
Go for it Pat,,, opens up a whole new world
to you,,,
you become familiar with each letter,, what
makes it tick,, moreso than a keyboard will,,,
gives a new appreciation for what is replicated
in vinyl on a computer ,,,
hard to put into words,,, just go for it,,, you'll
be glad you did,,, many times over !!!
Good Luck on it !!!

 

[Showtime19]

I'm sorta new at this posting stuff, but certainly not new to hand lettering. I've been in business for 23 years, and hand painted everything
for the first 12 years. I admire Pat's willingness to learn. Practice often.
The vinyl/digital era is upon us. We can now work smarter, not harder.
Plus we have definitely increased volume digitally. But the thing that lacks
today is character...every hand letterer has their own style. you could tell who lettered what back then just by their style. Now with all the fonts
and all the fills, we're all just producing the same stuff for the most part.
Many (not all) things look so generic. Back in the day your skills and talent
earned you respect, you couldn't buy your skills and talent in pre-packaged software and equipment like you can today. Hats off to anyone
wanting to learn the craft. So what can you do with a brush you can't do
digitally?....many things, but the main thing, is add character to your work.

 

[Joe Diaz]

If anyone doubts how hand lettering helps improve your abilities in other areas of this industry, just look at Charles Borges de Oliveira. I read one of his articles in SignCraft a while back. Here is a guy who spends an hour or more everyday practicing hand lettering. He is dedicated to the craft and is rewarded with the ability to create clean and elegant designs, and in my opinion some of the best fonts in the industry. He has taken the knowledge gained from doing things by hand, and applied them to his digital creations.

Most of the people I really look up to in this industry, aren't always the most popular or well known names, but they are great sign artists that have mastered hand lettering and are eager to share what they have learned over the years.

Pat or anyone else interested in learning how to hand letter, I would recommend going to panel jams, and letterhead meets. They are becoming few and far between, but in my opinion are the ultimate sources of a high quality education. It's the responsibility of those who want to learn to keep events like this alive. You can learn about the right brushes for the job, the paints, the techniques.

Then, as others have stated, it's all about practice. I doubt I will ever be a top notch hand letterer because to this day I have yet to put in the time needed to become really good. But the little bit of practice I have done was an awakening that was followed by more respect then I will ever know what to do with for the folks that make hand lettering look easy.

 

[sjm]

Hey, asshole, pay attention: I WANT TO LEARN TO HANDLETTER. There, is that too hard to understand? You need me to translate that into Canadian for you? "I WANT TO LEARN TO HANDLETTER, EH?"

I never said anything about making a living at it, I never said anything about even offering the service to my customers.

I learned how to sail when a motorized boat would be faster. I learned how to add even though there are calculators around.

Based on your reaction am I to assume you're still using internet porn to replace actual women?

Purchase a Letraset. Or is that to advanced for you?

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

If anyone doubts how hand lettering helps improve your abilities in other areas of this industry, just look at Charles Borges de Oliveira. I read one of his articles in SignCraft a while back. Here is a guy who spends an hour or more everyday practicing hand lettering. He is dedicated to the craft and is rewarded with the ability to create clean and elegant designs, and in my opinion some of the best fonts in the industry. He has taken the knowledge gained from doing things by hand, and applied them to his digital creations.

Most of the people I really look up to in this industry, aren't always the most popular or well known names, but they are great sign artists that have mastered hand lettering and are eager to share what they have learned over the years.

Pat or anyone else interested in learning how to hand letter, I would recommend going to panel jams, and letterhead meets. They are becoming few and far between, but in my opinion are the ultimate sources of a high quality education. It's the responsibility of those who want to learn to keep events like this alive. You can learn about the right brushes for the job, the paints, the techniques.

Then, as others have stated, it's all about practice. I doubt I will ever be a top notch hand letterer because to this day I have yet to put in the time needed to become really good. But the little bit of practice I have done was an awakening that was followed by more respect then I will ever know what to do with for the folks that make hand lettering look easy.

Joe... thanks for posting this. I hadn't heard of that guy but checked out his website - very impressive stuff. He definitely shows the levels to which hand letterers can attain. Your comments also made me remember I created a typeface with the brush years ago I had forgotten all about ever fully developing. Think I'm gonna make that an ongoing project. It started with signs I did for Walt Garrison of Copenhagen/Skoal for the indoor bull riding arena in Billy Bob's Texas nightclub. They wanted bullet holes in the main copy, so I invented a western typeface completely off the brush that is quite unlike any other western typefaces available. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

Purchase a Letraset. Or is that to advanced for you?

Man, you are a thick skulled imbecile aren't you? Why don't you find a thread where you can contribute in a positive way? Aside from that, I'd prefer you simply get lost.

 

[sjm]

Man, you are a thick skulled imbecile aren't you? Why don't you find a thread where you can contribute in a positive way? Aside from that, I'd prefer you simply get lost.

Having cut Rubylith I understand the challenges ... why bitch if you live in the past?

Are your skills unique of course? Are they current, no.

Sorry if that's not what you want to hear.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Come on SJM .. if your words would be more positive or are just trying to raise some hell.

This forum is a free spirited as you can get which makes for a fast moving and very interesting forum from positive to negative it's all out there, much like when you design a advertisement your free to do what work's, there are many of us who still HAND LETTER most, some or little of our work and ENJOY this form of skilled advertising, as well as our customers.
This thread was about how to learn hand lettering, since the question was answered it has turned into everything else.
I applaud anyone wanting to learn hand lettering and will gladly lend a hand at teaching

 

[sjm]

Come on SJM .. if your words would be more positive or are just trying to raise some hell.

This forum is a free spirited as you can get which makes for a fast moving and very interesting forum from positive to negative it's all out there, much like when you design a advertisement your free to do what work's, there are many of us who still HAND LETTER most, some or little of our work and ENJOY this form of skilled advertising, as well as our customers.
This thread was about how to learn hand lettering, since the question was answered it has turned into everything else.
I applaud anyone wanting to learn hand lettering and will gladly lend a hand at teaching

Fair play mate, while we disagree we applaud those who learn new things.

 

[luggnut]

why sketch or paint a picture now that we have cameras... why scuplt when you can order a premade cast... why make music with an acoustic guitar when we can do it all on computer electronic music..????

there is always something special about creating by hand, even if it is less than perfect. maybe some people can't or don't get the joy of any form of creativity?

 

[Fitch]

Hi Pat

There are many great and some stupid (ridiculous) comments to this thread.

I for one cannot simply go up to a wall and "paint" it old style.

But to pounce, trace, project and paint on a blank substrate... probably up there with the majority (not best) of them.

What I can say to you is this: There us ABSOLUTELY nothing so peaceful, so calming, so therapeutic, so pleasing as hand lettering signs. Sure there is digital, and we can ALL do this. The thing is that MOST cannot hand paint. So because this thread is about hand painting, let's totally disregard those that can't. And often that is where the "loudmouth, objectionable, sarcastic, behind the times", comments come from. Those that can't.

I have yet to meet someone who can hand letter that wishes they could not. I have met more than my fair share that cannot who wish they could.

I don't know what you want to do Pat or for what reasons, to what level.

I look at hand lettering as only a skill that I can call on. That skill can earn me a lot of money in a poor week. Just yesterday I hand lettered for 2 hours for $720. The reason I "commanded" this was because every other "digital" guy was not undercutting me simply because they could NOT do it.

Hand lettering is a great addition to your arsenal. Whilst it is great to be great at it... sometimes just being "OK" at it will be more than enough... and very self satisfying.

Cheers - G

 

[Perks]

Sam Stone a righthanded showcard sign writer from Boston would hold his chiseled sable or brown quill at the ferrell close to the hairs while leaning at his 40 ft long 30 degree easel to brush out his script to a rough charcoal layout.... thick downstroke and thin up stroke.

 

[artsnletters]

Having cut Rubylith I understand the challenges ... why bitch if you live in the past?

Are your skills unique of course? Are they current, no.

Sorry if that's not what you want to hear.

It's all in marketing your skills. Sorry to disappoint you but hand painting skills ARE still current. Can you hand paint or pinstripe, probably not. If a job comes in requiring such, you gotta send 'em down the street. There is a market for everything. Not everyone in this MODERN world demands a schlocky digital printed banner or wrap. I don't pull my brushes out every day, but i sure as hell can if i need to. Todays work consists of finishing touches on a 2 color pinstriped motorcycle helmet, laying out the graphics on a custom Harley tank and fender set, then gold leafing numbers and outlining that with PAINT. Can't hardly do that with a computer....and have the same REAL look. Sure the corporate world has embraced digital printing en masse, but there are still the discerning types who DEMAND hand painted lettering on their Custom Boat, Truck or anything needing the touch of a brush, THAT YOU CANNOT REPLICATE with your plotter or printer.

You just like to argue and stir up shit don't you...:Big Laugh
Tim

 

[ddubia]

To the infamous sjm

Let's see, what can be done with a brush that can't be done digitally...

For one, a nice wall job. Not a sign anchored to a wall. Lettering on the wall.

Assume we both take an equal wall lettering job across the street from each other. We both arrive at work at the same time. Only your destination is your chair in front of your computer and my destination is the job site. Yeah, I keep my paint kit and paints in my truck and work out of it on site or in the shop.

While you are searching for an appropriate font for whatever layout you have in mind, I am having a blast using charcoal to draw my layout right on the wall. I don't need to look for an appropriate font because I can hand draw any number of appropriate fonts. I learned that over the years; to draw a lot of letter styles since I couldn't just pull something out of a folder. Many of them I made up on my own if I wanted to give it a bit more style. You don't have anything like those in your fonts folder.

So I layout my design on the wall. I'm done with that. If you're as quick as me you have yours on screen.

Mine is both appropriate and artful. I've included a graphic that I drew in place that fits this customer to a tee. Yours probably doesn't. If it does then you dug through various clip art files until you found something that would do. Something that's been used many times over for other customers. Mine is original and every bit as professional as your clip art. Maybe more so. Yours is stiff and computer-looking. Mine is lively and personal like a human being did it. Oh sure, there's a place for chip art. I use it myself sometimes. Usually budget constraints on a job call for a quick graphic and clip art fits the bill. But you're likely using clip art because you've never actually had to hone the skill of drawing your own since it's all in the computer.

You go to your vinyl rack or digital printer.

I'm putting paint on the wall.

You load your media and set up your machine.

I'm putting more paint on the wall.

You're waiting for your machine to get done and you're probably getting antsy because you're not to be outdone by the brush.

I'm putting paint on the wall.

All the while I'm peacefully tranquil enjoying myself as one enjoys himself while fishing. I'm taking in the outdoors, listening to the sounds of the area and allowing my mind to wander to past jobs and old flames. People walking by smile and say, "Looks good." I acknowledge them saying, "Thanks", as I always do knowing that they spoke up because they appreciate the skill involved. I rarely get that when I'm sticking up plastic stuff.

You are having the time of your life weeding the layout your machine cut out of your plastic material. No one passing by would say, "Good job", because, frankly, there's just not enough skill involved to acknowledge it.

I change colors a couple of times throughout the job. One in particular is a shadow that I didn't need to draw and is a perfect, darker shade of the wall itself which makes it look more realistic than anything that comes off a roll; printed or cast.

I'm cleaning my brushes after a job well done and see you pulling up to a stop across the street. You are ready to begin sticking plastic to your wall.

We nod to each other but do not share conversation. That's because you have a certain distain for "old school" sign guys so we'll never be friends. You don't let on but you're envious of the richness of the colors on my job that you know never show up in any of your vinyl or printed work.

My customer comes out and is well pleased with his job. He smiles big when he hands me my check. He sees you across the street scowling and struggling with your plastic and thinks to himself how glad he was to have hired me. We shake hands, I get in my truck and drive off, leaving you to your good luck in making your sticker stick.

I figure, if I don't count the gas in my truck, I've got probably $2 invested in materials for that job. Hate to think what you paid for all that plastic. And that clip art CD.

If you printed you'll need to laminate so you won't have showed up until tomorrow and I wouldn't have had to see the scowl on your face. When your guy pays he may be satisfied with your work but he'll be secretly wishing his popped like the one across the street and he'll feel that since the computer did all the work on his job that he might be paying a bit too much even though you've got more time in yours than I had in mine.

You'll take the check but you'll feel your customer was dissatisfied in some way he wasn't saying. But you won't give a damn like the little prick that you are and you'll drive away thinking him a jerk. As you drive away you'll begin to plan the next job back at the shop for that other jerk who haggled you down on your price.

Me? I'm smiling all the way to the next job, which, by the way, is some pinstriping on a badass hot rod. A job for which you'd have never been called. Fun as all hell too! Oh...

...and another thing that can't be done digitally.

 

[artsnletters]

The above post is AWESOME!!!! I can't do walls or choose not to, but i appreciate your sentiment. Especially the last few sentences!!!:U Rock:
Tim

 

[Fitch]

I generally find that those that have disdain are those that can't do it. Simple.

But yes I CAN plot and print vinyl - same as the other person.

 

[GAC05]

I generally find that those that have disdain are those that can't do it. Simple.

But yes I CAN plot and print vinyl - same as the other person.

I don't really have a dog in this fight but I find the exact opposite true.
Those that can hand letter seem, almost to a man, to look down on those that don't/can't.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[Deaton Design]

Everything has its place, and hand lettering and pinstriping are something that will be around for years to come, mainly because of us old guys who started that way and wont let it disappear, and because of the world of custom painting, especially on bikes. I have this painter that does bikes,and he calls me every now and then to pinstripe some flames or whatever, and its great.
Digital has become popular, but the hand done stuff has that look that cant be copied. Mike Lavallees stuff is so great in the world of custom painting, and in signpainting, Todd Hanson still does every one of his signs by hand, either hand lettering or carving and painting, etc. Check out his stuff at www.hansondidit.com . Ive followed his work for years in Signcraft and he was just in a recent issue. Its good to have it in your repotoire if you can, and also airbrushing. Just recently Ive thought about going back to hand lettering alot of my signs because of all the waste with vinyl. If I can get rid of this lazy streak I seem to have, I may just do that. Just ordered me a new Paasche Talon too. Cant wait to try it out.