Sign Painting by Carla Gruber

Sign Painting

History Sign painting began about 150 years ago. What started as a way to identify buildings and products turned into a major industry and craft in America, with a wealth of knowledge and tradition. From a small shop window to huge wall murals, hand-painted signs were everywhere. Early sign painters were self-taught, but it evolved into a practice of apprenticeship. It took a number of years for a student to learn the necessary skills. Mastery of brush control was fundamental, but techniques also included gold leafing, carving, glue-glass chipping, stenciling, and silk-screening.

“ Don’t you think a sign is something that every person, somewhere along the line, has tried? We’re the ones that kind of just kept on going.” » Ed Otten 2

“ I could do whatever the fuck I wanted to do, and make a living. All sign painters were drunk and crazy dudes back in them days.” » Ernie Gosnell

“ Just to feel that… that brush and just a little bit of drag on the paint. You could make that brush do anything you wanted it to do. I mean that’s power. That’s real power.” » Kieth Knecht

A Way of Life Sign painting possesses a rich subculture of creatives and collaborators. It seems all sign painters have a story to share, and — in keeping with their craft — do so with eloquence and authenticity. Many sign painters traveled frequently to support their business, and lived creative lifestyles. Some were also tattoo artists or carnival workers. Sign painting was a way of life that enabled artists to do what they loved, create quality work, and make a fair wage.

Narrative Every hand-painted sign tells two stories — the first being what it literally spells out, and the second is the story of an artist, a 4

style, and a moment in time. Sign painting is deeply embedded in the urban landscapes of America. Like many great designs, if it is done well it will be so seamless it becomes hardly noticeable. Sign painting proliferated alongside the advent of capitalism, marketing, and advertising. A well-done sign that served it’s content could have it’s own merits overlooked. When vinyl letters came out in the 1980’s, the sign painting industry experienced a dramatic decline. The vinyl letters were cheap and quick, and made for a shallow replacement of an industry steeped deep in tradition, craftsmanship, and artistry.

“ It’s an invisible art. It’s an invisible industry. People just take it for granted.” » Doc Guthrie

“ I once saw a bumper sticker that said: Drum Machines Have No Soul. It made a good point!” » Nick Barber

Legacy Many hand-painted signs have outlived the service or shop to which they give title. They exist today as a testament to the history and life of buildings and places. They leave a mark on a the urban landscape of past companies and services, and with time have faded alongside the industry of sign painting itself.

“ Old signs become art. I want to make signs that turn into art.” » Phil Vandervaart

“ The great thing about a piece of lettering is there’s a warmth and an individuality to it.” » Ken Barber

“It’s a very strict program. At the beginning, what Rich would teach, some of these kids would be dropping at the second week of just doing lines and they would get so sick of it. But you do get to see who is into it, who wanted to do it. You know, their lines got perfect, their letter-strokes got perfect, their alphabets got perfect. They’d do five pages of perfect ‘S’s’ — they looked like they were Xeroxed.” » Jim Birmingham

Butera School of Art The Butera School of Art in Boston started in 1910, and taught the traditional method of sign painting to students in a two-year program. The school had a strong reputation and was the leading school for sign painting in America. It ran for one-hundred years, closing its doors after it’s last graduating class in 2010.

“ I think that every human being has the capability of altering their environment for the better with their bare hands.” » Ira Coyne

Sign Painting Today Although the industry of sign painting has greatly declined with advancements in technology, it is not a lost art. Albeit on a much smaller scale, activity in sign painting still exists today. There has been a resurgence of interest in handmade, authentic, craft that stands the test of time and add character and style to it’s surroundings. Some artists are also repurposing sign painting techniques to apply to more than just signs, such as posters and smaller scale graphic design creations that can be sold as prints.

“ On my gravestone it’s going to say: He Died For Greater Opacity.” » Justin Green

Bibliography

Image Credits

Angell, Carl. “BLDGWLF.” BLDGWLF. 6 May 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http:// bldgwlf.com/carl-fredrik-angell/>.

Pages 2-5 “Sign Painters”

“Sign Painters”. Dir. Faythe Levine and Sam Macon. Radar Studios, 2012. DVD.

“MEAT • LET’S OM NOM.” LETS OM NOM. 14 May 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http:// www.letsomnom.com/2014/05/14/meat/> Rich, Sarah C. “The Return of the Hand Painted Sign.” Smithsonian. N.p.,2 Nov. 2012. Web. 20 Oct. 2015. <http:// www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/ the-return-of-the-hand-painted-sign106902373>.

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