FriendBurst Blog

Sweet Geezusssss DL……Now what…..oh what the hell Lemur….a friggen blog about sign painters….oh wtf…?

Well no…but yes,….but no not really….it’s more a blog about how we perceive those signs,
or if you will that art form…..Yes ,yes, I know your saying ….what art form…?

Painting signs is not exactly painting the Mona Lisa …ya know…
Or is it…… ???????????????????

*The Incredible Lost and Found Art of Hand-Painted Signage
Article by Delana, filed under Graphics & Branding in the Design category.

While technology usually makes things faster, it rarely produces the kind of unique and soulful results that come from the hearts and hands of

humans. The sign industry fell as a casualty to a world obsessed with technology’s quicker, cheaper, utterly identical products. But a new

generation of traditional sign painters is revitalizing this amazing trade, bringing the soul back to the business of storefronts and billboards.

*A new book from filmmakers Faythe Levine and Sam Macon details the history and current state of the surprisingly fascinating sign painting

industry. (Princeton Architectural Press, the book’s publisher, provided WebUrbanist with a copy of the book for the purposes of this article.)

The book tells the stories of sign painters, both young and old, and their take on their unique industry. Each segment of the book includes

examples of the painters’ work and often glimpses into their work spaces.

As recently as the 1980s, it was impossible to walk down any street in America without seeing hand-painted signs of some type. Storefronts,

billboards, murals, banners, and even street signs were hand-lettered with brushes and paint, relying entirely on the skill of the painter to make

them readable and eye-catching. And their skill is considerable. Just imagine trying to paint a professional-looking sign – one that can not only

rival a vinyl sign but outstrip it in terms of individual style – using nothing more than a toolkit of brushes and some jars of paint. The vast

majority of us couldn’t do it.

In more recent years, distressingly homogeneous signs have largely – though not completely – taken the place of these carefully hand-

lettered ones. The technology used to create signage today is fast and cheap, but lacks that human touch. Entire streets full of store fronts in

any given city look exactly the same – laser-cut vinyl letters don’t allow for any type of personality or variation, and that is to the detriment of

not only the sign painters, but also the general public and – maybe most significantly – the store owners themselves.

According to Sean Barton, one of the sign painters featured in Levine and Macon’s book, many business owners don’t want to invest in their

shops like they used to. They would rather slap up a vinyl sign that costs next to nothing than take pride in their livelihood. A great-looking

storefront with hand-painted signage is bound to attract more business than a shop that looks exactly the same as 20 other shops on the

street. This is beginning to dawn on many business owners, says Barton – they are realizing the power of hand-painted signs and showing a

new appreciation for this nearly-lost craft.

Well never mind Lemur….wtf is all this about a painting signs blog….?

Well how many times have you been on the street and seen a sign somewhere and said to yourself,
“Good Gawd almighty …that sign is just remarkably good….no kidding….whoever did that should become an artist….”

Well that is my entire point to this blog my friends…………..

Because our perception is really what is at fault here….because you see whoever did paint that sign you just thought was so

remarkable….well…..
truth is….whoever painted that sign …already is an artist !!!

Art is all around us…..everywhere….and in everything…….don’t even get me started on art in nature….

*And that is what this resurgence of hand-painted signage is about: the power of individuality. Seeing the same lettering, the same color

schemes, the same type of signs everywhere we go has made us immune to the sad fact that uniformity has taken over our cities. This is

never more apparent than when we walk by a shop with carefully hand-painted signs. It, almost without fail, will seem like the coolest and

most interesting shop on the street, even before we walk through the door. Why? Because that store owner took pride in his or her business

and chose to display the individuality that other shops are missing.

Many sign painters working today began their painting careers under very different circumstances: as graffiti writers. It makes sense, in a

way, to move from the illegal side of painting in public to the legal side. But can they possibly get as much enjoyment and satisfaction from

painting the letters and logos of their clients as they did from tagging boxcars? Apparently, the sign painting business offers enough of a

challenge to keep these modern-day artisans fulfilled. In sign painting, as in graffiti, planning and spacing are key – and in both, the painter’s

personality and humanity shine through.

There is a deeper message here, not only for business owners but for all of America. When corporations began taking over the towns and

cities with their homogeneous style and predictable experiences, we lost something. We lost the personable nature of Main Street and the

colorful mish-mash of downtown. As our culture begins to pull away from the trap of corporate sameness, we will no doubt see at least some

businesses return to the traditional art of hand-painted signs. And the sign painters will, as always, remain behind the scenes as the people

who dramatically impact our buying habits, but about whom we rarely stop to think.

*Source ; http://weburbanist.com/2012/10/24/the-incredible-lost-and-found-art-of-hand-painted-signage/

Well how many times have you been on the street and seen a sign somewhere and said to yourself,
“Good Gawd almighty …that sign is just remarkablly good….no kidding….whoever did that should become an artist….”

Well that is my entire point to this blog my friends…………..

Because our perception is really what is at fault here….because you see whoever did paint that sign you just thought was so

remarkable….well…..
truth is….whoever painted that sign …already is an artist !!!

Art is all around us…..everywhere….and in everything…….don’t even get me started on art of our natural world……………which in case you haven’t noticed we are doing our damn level best too repaint over with our own perception what is worth saving and what is not.

Well I know most people do see it….but for those of you who do not see it……..
You ought to get out more often……oh yea and work on those perceptions o.k.

Thank you
DL

P.S    Yes ,yes,yes, I know…but then on the other hand some of you may have to be told things at least twice….Oh stop it Lemur….lol
Yea but perceptions……those just do not change so easy at times ya know….:)