Ok heres my first try at sign painting with brush and it sucks. My hand has the worst bumsteer and no ackerman principle in sight. I'm thinking about starting a part time shop and was thinking about names and signs .mexicano customs was my first thought but I think theres one in california some where so I went with chiko's since one of my buddies calls me that. Can someone photoshop it or a real sign pro design me a quicky .what would be a good name.
Chico's but with a "K" Does Chico know what a "K" is? (Just jokin' around with the Spanglish...since there aren't any K's in Spanish.) Just some ideas... Try laying it out with a hard pencil. you can make even elipses with a couple of pins or nails and a loop of string, put the loop over the nails and the pencil and trail it around the oval. change the size by making the loop a different length and the pins different distances apart. Use a some measurements and outline the letters and numbers then fill in. layout with a china marker on a hard painted surface. Make the numbers not so flaco.
Ok,Ok....trace the elipses with a nail on a fresh painted surface, then outline letters,fill in and go over them with a china marker....got it ...could I use a local marker? I been practicing and still suck. but I'll use your tips and see what happens.. thanks. What would be good brushes for lettering? The ones I got seem too stiff I got them from eastwod.
Looks like your on the right track. It takes ALOT of practice. Plan on burning alot of test panels before you get it. Practice, practice, practice, practice........................you get the picture.
My girl prefers the stiffer brushes...Says it doesn't leave as much slop and feels better. If I can find them in her mess box...I mean art box, I can get you the company names...
The shop I used to work at had their trucks hand lettered and even the pro that did the lettering would layout the sign in pencil the get the proportions right. Good first try. Keep working at it'll come to you.
I do signs for a living, yours looks okay for not having a layout when you started. Your best bet to get good results would be to have a sign shop make you an adhesive backed stencil or a pounce pattern. Or you could draw it out on a computer and use an overhead projector to trace it on to the sign blank. when I do hand painted signs I usually use a pounce pattern, It is a design on paper that has had little pin holes punched on all the lines. then you take a chalk bag and beat the pattern, when you remove the pattern you have a dotted chalk line to use as your reference. Gary
Ahhhh, looks like I am one post too late. so "Yea, what he said ^ "..... But seriously, there's no way a human being can freehand a perfect ellipse. Use a computer and make your shape layout then project it - even if you are going to freehand the lettering, project the shapes. Or take your business to a sign shop, they can at least design your logo for you and it'll be done by someone who understands the factors that make a sign legible from good distances and reflect the image of the business. I like what you have done there - it looks good for a start. Might be a little hard to read some of the details that are in the thinner lined text from a distance, and technically red on white is hard on the eyes. If you feel strongly about the red/blue design change the thinner stuff to blue and make it a little more thick. And the red outline that you have around the Chico's logo is too close, you should leave some white space in between the blue and the outline red. One trick for lining up hand lettered signs is to use masking tape in the sam manner as you use lined paper. Put the tape down in properly spaced rows and just paint between the lines. Pull the tape up when done and bingo straight, level, even looking letters.... Hope this helps.
Yea, do it on a computer and then pro-ject it onto the paper with an overhead projector. Don't have an overhead, go down to a school and ask to use one. Oh yea, and before you open up a shop... you're gonna need a shop truck! Sam.
How'd you get a business license if they took your green card away??????? sign needs some work, how abbot vinyl? you'll get it, keep practicing
What ya need first is some WORK-Screw the sign for a spell! Hit all you"friends" or aquaintances up till you get a first job THEN do it cheap- from there it will spread like Aids....You all know our "friends" will use us to get cheap work! Then after it swells to a point where you are busy -you can be a little more picky and choosy and thgings will work in your direction from then on! Thats when you really need that sign.
Hey Kenny...where's YOUR shop sign? 40 years in the same location and still no sign? I would find the dumbass that is working on it and punch him out.....
True,true....but he hired some jerk in Tx to do a round metal sign about 5 years ago.....still ain't finished..... I'll pay him a visit!
If ya need some help drop me a line. How far are ya from Rock Hill SC? Just played around with it for a few.
Now we're talking!! Nice layout Indocil. J el Oh and BTW; that logo he did is worth $350.00 to $500.00, right now!
Yer right choprods I do need the work first, but I had nothing better to do so I just played a little with the sign Idea. I figure once I find a shop, a lost soul may walk in if they see signs of life. I'm hunting down some work and I'm supposed to go look at a shop tomorrow and go look at a corvette (Is that a sin here) monday for a 2-3 panel repair. Ratster, It's hard to believe but I had a good job with health ins and 401k before, so I'm sure I'll manage.....not right ..but gota do what I gotta do. And a lawyer dude said he can "probably" help me for "only" 2500-3500 and that is his I feel sorry for you price. Why didn't I stay in school??? oh...yeah. Well see what happens I guess. thanks Indocil that looks very....professional. I'm a computer idiot among other things so I probably will need more help , but I'll try to copy your design and practice with it. I'm not sure how far I am from you , I'll find out. That sign would really make people think I now what I'm doing... .I like it. About the shop truck I have a 53 5-window in need of a frame so I may have to do the S-10 deal (I'm still not sold on it) if I can't find an original frame for it. I like the Border Jumper Customs , but It may be hard to pronounce while on the run with a couple buckshots flying my way, I think I'll lay low for a while.....thanks guys .
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