To me there is nothing cooler than seeing a pickup that is 60-70 years old and still seeing the lettering from whatever business or trade still on that door. Or seeing a hand made and handpainted sign. I ended my career recently (not my choice) when I got hurt, and I can't do what I used to do, but I have taken up pinstriping and now looking into sign painting as well. I painted my fist sign yesterday, it's a small address sign but its wood and with the one shot paint on it, it is something that can be seen and looked at for years. Vinyl lettering is so monotone with no flair, flavor and certainly no tradition. To me a hand painted sign said something about who we were, a hands on society.
What a beautiful documentary, I give it a 10! great job! I am not a sign painter but appreciate the craft as what I do is the cousin of sign painting and shares some of the skills.
Yes - feeling pretty much like a relic these days, passed by and covered over with not only the vinyl computer lettering but even the prevailing mentality of the culture I'm surrounded by that doesn't know or even care whether or not the work is "hand lettered" or not and value only the bottom line which means the cheapest and fastest ! It is great to see the ones holding on to the old and dying craft that I hold on to , but reality moving forward holds little to no concern of what was left behind !
You need a new customer base because hand lettering is far from dead on race cars , big Mack trucks , Striping on cars faded letters on old trucks .Not a dead art by far. Are Glenn Weisgerber and MR J out of business NO WAY ! They are doing funny cars.
The leaf on the tattoo parlour window looked as if it was dutch gold, loose leaf and was done like one would do matted centers. I learned the craft from Larrey Albaugh, who's sign shop in Colorado was the start of the Letterheads movement, and we did windows with both water guilded outlines and matted centers using quick size, or resin size.
Some pretty rough work represented here. Do you know Rick Flores, one of the originals from Colorado. Seems like your name came up in our conversations. Worked with him at Disney, played in his band. He retired on medical leave, and moved to Idaho. I retired with 28 years with Disney. 46 years total in the craft.
I always dreaded it when I knew I would be working on concrete, stucco or any texture like those, it was a bitch. I never did much of the golf leafing but you do an amazing job. Keep it alive there's nothing like it.
Nathaniel, thanks for replying. I realized after commenting that you made the film. Very nice by the way. I heard you went to AI Dallas. Thats where i graduated from. Thanks for the info and for making a great film. - Cody
The old/classic it's on fashion again, so don't loose this oportunity and don't let this art die, please! If you have the knowleage... Teach new students and creat new jobs that way that art leaves. I'm sorry for be far way from there...because I will love to learn that art. Congratulations 😉
I am a sign painting hobbyist but if I were in the trade I figure I would be a third year apprentice by now. Once you find the methods for doing lay-out it is much easier. I also have an electro-pounce as pictured. One you do good lay-out it is filling in a coloring book . Carefully. Then you can do leaf too.
Cody, Sean Starr, owner of Starr Studios is based out of Denton, Texas. He does do a lot of work in Dallas, and all over the world. You would have to ask him about being a apprentice though, I'm just the filmmaker. Thanks for Watching! Nathaniel
I have been studying sign painting for a few months now. I thought i had seen every video on the internet. I got most of my tattoo work from Stainless Studios.I always loved there windows. I was shocked to see it in this video. Are you based out of Dallas. I would love to meet an actual local sign painter. Do you take apprentices? Thanks, Cody
Sooooo could someone PLEASE tell me how to make stencils with a computer? I have reached the end of the internet and I can't find ANYTHING. I'm assuming people use coreldraw? Making stencils for the outline takes me twice as long as painting the Damn thing.
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