Just seen a fabulous film about sign painters in the USA. Really gives the atmosphere of painting signs almost as a counter-culture activity. Sign writers in the US seem to be a bread apart and one that was heading for extinction, perhaps this documentary will help save them and their distinctive style. The style of roadside signs in the USA could never be confused with their counter part in Europe, where we have also seen these skills disappearing.
It’s always difficult to find the right wording or image for Christmas, not too religious but without becoming completely secular and forgetting that it is a religious festival.
This year I’ve used a poem by one of my mother’s favourite poets, Seamus Heaney. The Last Mummer also connects with me. Since I was at school I have performed a Mummers’ Play in Sussex every Christmas.
I’ve used a letter style that is traditional but not too formal. A sort of Black Letter script. I started by using a broad nib pen to write out the words and watercolour to paint a background colour. Both of these were scanned and taken into Photoshop. I then outlined the letters and cut them out of the colour area and hey presto letters made up of shaded texture rather than solid black.
As the cards were digitally printed I had no choice in the paper stock’s colour so added a tint across the whole card to make it off-white.
Now, for next year’s…
I recently attended Mark L’Argent’s workshop on cut lettering. We designed and cut-out a template from card and then used this to emboss a white sheet of thin card. The result was beautiful, if rather subtle and impossible to photograph.
I mounted and framed my template and was very pleased with the result.
Something rather different: writing out place name cards at Sainsbury’s in Luton. I was part of an evening event to help invited customers plan their Christmas table settings and decoration. A while-you-wait calligraphy service!
I plan to use my design skills to create bespoke frames for pictures, textiles, collector’s items and anything else. I enjoy a challenge, so am pleased to help with Mock-ups, presentations, displays and promotional material.
I’m also using my lettering and calligraphy skills to create personalised items and gifts.
I’m still offering creative services in the form of Typography, Artwork, and Production Project Management. Button badges and object photography are also available.