Since Mass Mayhem I've been determined to practice lettering and stripeing. I hand paint for sale signs, and add a little pinstripe design to it. I pinstripe on glass and wipe it off to do it again.
For now I ether pounce or use carbon paper to trace the designs onto what ever I'm doing. With the glass I just put the design under and trace.
Can anyone suggest some easy-er fonts that I can learn, so as to learn to paint free hand? Are there other suggestions you can make to help me develop my skills? Any help would be appreciated!
Posted by W. R. Pickett (Member # 3842) on :
...It's great that you want to (invest the time and effort to) learn hand lettering! Practice (using a simple letterstyle like Helvetica) making perfect verticle and horizontal strokes w. clean square corners (using tape and not). And curved strokes (like on S's and O's). Thin your paint alot so it flows down in one stroke.
...Remember, for whatever style you are lettering, consistency is more important than speed. Have fun!!!
Posted by Michael Heaton (Member # 7731) on :
Hi Dana, you could learn a lot by finding something like brush script and practice on that. Turn/twist the brush hairs into the outside of the curves. This will keep the hairs tight together and produce a sharp line. Be sure to use the Helvetica also. Use all of the brush, not just the tip, lay the brush/press it into the body of the letter so you see how wide of a stroke you have and be bold. Perhaps you have a piece of dowl laying around, a couple feet long. If so then wrap some fabric, leather, or apply rubber to the end. You can rest your hand and learn lots of techniques with a mahl stick. Have fun!
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
WHERES JOEY?????????????????he has a web site dedicated to pin-striping.......and if your serious he is willing to help ya....
Posted by Dana Stanley (Member # 6786) on :
Those are good ideas . I do have a mahl stick, and I found some fonts on my cut program that lend them selves to easy brush strokes. I also found a book I bought about 15 years ago on lettering called, Sign Design Easy Type Guide, by Don Dewsnap. He's not a letterhead is he?
Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
Gotta get the Book by Mike Steven's Mastering Layout. In it, it has a bunch of fonts that are extremely brush friendly. And never stop prcticing. Learning to hand letter/pinstripe is like learning to play a musical instrament. I hear that Slash still practices several hours every day.
Posted by Dale Feicke (Member # 767) on :
Good going, Dana. Keep up the practice!
In addition to the books already mentioned, there are a couple available from signcraft.com, namely The Alphabet Book and 65 Casual Alphabets. Both have many relatively easy alphabets, some of which are a little different and add variety.
As far as pinstriping, a good way to practice is to fold a piece of paper in half vertically, draw an idea for half a design on the paper from the fold outward. Then pounce it, unfold it, and you will have a symmetrical design to work from. Do it like that; then try one alongside it without the pattern.
There's nothing wrong with using pounce patterns to do striping, but if you're really serious, the development of "the eye" is very important. Freehand striping is very impromptu and adaptable to a variety of situations. Pounce pattern striping is more planned; but you can vary a line or curve as needed (vary from the pattern)if you feel something else will work better.
Keep practicing and keep having fun!!
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
Casuals are the easiest letterstyle to render when starting out.
As far as a practicing surface, get a prefinished aluminum blank. More of a pain to clean but it will be the same surface as you will be lettering and striping on. One of the keys to mastering lettering and especially striping is learning the correct "pull". Glass, paper and a finished painted surface have far different pulls to them.
Posted by Dana Stanley (Member # 6786) on :
These are all great suggestions thanks! Keep 'em comin.
Posted by captain ken (Member # 742) on :
Dana from what I saw at Mass mayhem, you have the determination and poise to be a good pinstriper. Annd you got the brushes and a cool kit to keep em in, so now you need... technique, practice and cofidence. keep practicing, get those basic strokes down pat, to the left, to the right, backwards, forwards, sidways, learn those strokes, dont try to reinvent them yet. once you get those strokes down so you can pull them consistently, then start working on symetry. You got the most iortant thing already, drive and determination.
Posted by Len Mort (Member # 7030) on :
If you are really seriously interested call me like you said you would. I'll be more than happy to share with you my knowledge of striping and lettering. Never do want to see the art die!
I'm just around the cornor, fifteen minutes away. My number is on the web site.
Posted by Michael R. Bendel (Member # 5847) on :
As quick as the pen could fly! I think you'll find the easiest things to letter are the loosest. Knowledge of letter construction is crucial.
This sample has knowledge without rules. Brushing always looks better than magic markers.
Have fun Dana! Learn your "thick & thins" per letter. Block & casual! Yea... boring but essential.
Emulate styles you like & remember that a good layout supersedes color combinations!
