Our son John works for John's towing and his friend owns a 1949 tow truck.
There was an old car show in Fergus this past weekend. They decided it would be cool to enter the old tow truck.
John remembered his Dad used to hand letter years ago, so they asked him to pull out his brushes and make it look old.
Steve grabbed a grease pencil laid it out and proceeded to paint it, he then grabbed some sand paper and rubbed it to make it look old.
Here are the results
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
Yep. He's still got it! Looks great!
Posted by Mick Samsel (Member # 311) on :
Nice!
Mick
Posted by David Wright (Member # 111) on :
I always thought Steve's hand lettering was some of the best. Excellent job.
Posted by Pat Welter (Member # 785) on :
Awesome for a young fella...
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
Steve paints one of the best casual scripts I've ever seen.....
Posted by Janette Balogh (Member # 192) on :
Great to see! Love it!
Posted by Bevin Finlay (Member # 2159) on :
Still one of the best in my book! Nice job Steve.
Posted by Michael Clanton (Member # 2419) on :
It always makes me a little nervous to spend all that time painting, and then whip out a piece of sandpaper to "fix-it"- haha
great looking job
Posted by Pete Payne (Member # 344) on :
whoa, Steve, looks like you're regressing, remember when we had to double coat for coverage and customers actually hated brush marks?
Posted by Robert Carney (Member # 2016) on :
I got to see this first hand on the weekend. After talking with a few others i found out that Steve had done it. Thanks for posting this Barb!
Posted by Craig Sjoquist (Member # 4684) on :
Very nice indeed just perfect
Posted by Rodger MacMunn (Member # 4316) on :
Sonny is absolutely correct .. his casual script is to die for. At Shirley Carron's meet in Renfrew in 2003 , he did an alphabet for Alicia Krey from Fulton NY. I kept a photocopy, always intending on scanning, vectorizing & sharing but I've misplaced it. It would be cool if someone could get Steve to do another, & someone convert it to a font. Someone like Michael Gene, perhaps? LOL
Posted by David O'Hanlon (Member # 2754) on :
Who's that skinny bloke?
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
Just like riding a bicycle ... you never forget how! Just takes a minute to get the wobbles out of the way!
Posted by Jean Shimp (Member # 198) on :
Nice! You can't beat hand painting.
Posted by David Wright (Member # 111) on :
There really should be a Shortreed font out there.
Posted by Duncan Wilkie (Member # 132) on :
Wonderful job Steve. I love it.
Posted by Pierre Tardif (Member # 3229) on :
GORGEOUS!! Don't get why you drop the brushes. You really should get back at it!!
Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
Stunning! I love it.
Posted by Steve Shortreed (Member # 436) on :
I have to admit that I really, really, enjoyed this project. It has to be 12-15 years since I did something like this. Never even bothered with a pattern. Just hand bombed it Pierre Style!
I've always loved brush lettering...especially scripts. Oldtimers will obviously see the influence of Mike Stevens, Bob Behounek, Keith Kneitch, Ken Millar and a whole list of old showcard artists. Many have required expensive surgery to remove my nose from their butts.
You know it's been almost 15 years since the public saw real sign painters at work. I felt real proud for my Sons and Grandsons to see that I was more than just a sick old man that spends his days hiding out. I thought it turned out great. Mu kid figured 30 minutes at top, but it was closer to 6 hours. Overall I had a great day!
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Good to know Barb...
Sweet job Steve, kinda like riding a bicycle? You really ought to do that alphabet I'd been bugging you about....
[ July 25, 2012, 02:01 AM: Message edited by: Kelly Thorson ]
Posted by Pete Payne (Member # 344) on :
hey, who you callin an old timer?
Posted by bill riedel (Member # 607) on :
Not only is Steve a great sign painter, but while at Shirley's meet, he actually painted his own portrait. He has spent so much time showing all of us the works of others while we were missing all of his fine work.
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
Very nice!
Posted by jack wills (Member # 521) on :
Shomkin'...
Posted by Joey Madden (Member # 1192) on :
I totally agree with Bill Riedel for his use of words
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
quote:Originally posted by Rodger MacMunn: Sonny is absolutely correct .. his casual script is to die for. ... It would be cool if someone could get Steve to do another, & someone convert it to a font. Someone like Michael Gene, perhaps? LOL
+1
Nice work Steve!
Posted by Rodger MacMunn (Member # 4316) on :
Thanks Doug ...... I didn't think anyone noticed that. No offence to anyone else, but Steve's script is my all time favourite. I'd gladly pay 3 or 4 times the going rate to have that in my repertoire. It should be just called "Shortreed". 40 years from now, very few of us here today will be around, but I'll bet that someone will look at that script & say "WOW ... it's perfect". Few of us could have such a legacy.
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
*Like* Posted by Sal Cabrera (Member # 1236) on :
I love the way the script flows! Beautiful work Steve!
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
Steve, those opportunities to go to Disneyland are so wonderful!
Posted by Bob Peach (Member # 2620) on :
Wicked nice!!!
Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
I echoe all the above Statements for sure.... so why has'nt this style been digitized and offered for sale??????????
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
I've always loved Steve's script. I give another vote for digitizing that. Notice that I'm real free with other people's time...
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
Very nice! It is like riding a bike...
Posted by Judy Pate (Member # 237) on :
Always loved Steve's script too...wonderful job!
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
I'll volunteer to digitize it if someone can put it into a suitable font format. Steve, get your brushes back out- we got some legacy work to do......
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
I'm serious, bro.....
Posted by Deri Russell (Member # 119) on :
Great Work Steve. Glad to see you are out and about too.
Posted by Charles Borges de Oliveir (Member # 3770) on :
I would love to help make this into a font!
Posted by Rodger MacMunn (Member # 4316) on :
Charles, I think I know where there's an alphabet Steve did 9 years ago. The girl Steve did it for is in Mississippi but her parents are in Vestal NY & it's probably there. I hope Steve likes this idea ...... If I can get hold of it, I'll send it to you.
Posted by Steve Shortreed (Member # 436) on :
I still say my scripts are all just variations of Mike Stevens, Bob Behounek, Keith Kneith, Bob Harper and others I woulds call showcard artists. For many years, I struggled to try and make my scripts "bounce" and flow. Great handwriting reminds me of a wave.
Many of Mike and Bob's scripts are already available from Dave Simpson at Sign DNA, but if there is still an interest, I'd be willing to give it a go.
Mike at The Fontry has always been great support, as well as a friend to Letterville. So how do I do this Mike? Give me a call. Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
Steve, I would guess any good brush style is a combination of what the painter has picked up from others - you just happened to hang out with the BEST!
Let me know how I can help make the "Shortreed Script" font a reality.....
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Yay!
Posted by Mark Fair Signs (Member # 289) on :
You still have the "snap" with the old brush Steve! Great job!
Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
Really lovely work. You have always been so talented, it's nice to see you putting your skills to good use. Love....Jill
Posted by Steve Shortreed (Member # 436) on :
I've been doing some thinking lately. Do you realize that it has been 15 years since computers changed our craft forever. There's a whole generation out there that has no idea what a sign painter was. That includes many of my own Family and friends.
It's suddenly hit me that some of us have dropped the ball. In my own case I have been sitting on my ass waiting to die and generally being miserable. Time for a change while there is still time.
I have Sons and Grandsons that want to learn to hand letter. Just my own opinion, but my love of Letterheads is based on hand lettering, goldleaf, wall dogging, showcards, pinstriping and all the little tips and tricks I was taught by my heros.
Consider this an appeal from a guy just waking up from a long sleep. Get out your paint and brushes. Grab yourself a pounce wheel, projector and all those other cool tool sign painters use.
Pass on "the old ways" to those that want to learn. I have a feeling the day will come when hand lettering will be cool again. The new popularity of pinstriping is a good example. I've discovered a couple kids locally that have "discovered" Ed Roth, Von Dutch, Alan Johnson and others that were my heros at their age. My Son John has a huge ratfink tattoo curtosy of his big Brother Adam.
If this Letterhead thing has a future, we must look back to the birth of the whole dream. Big meets are wonderful, but I still prefer inviting a few people over to the 18X24 old sign shop and just share everything you know. Hamburgs and pizza are great. You don't need door prizes and all the frills. A few guitars are always nice in case a jam breaks out. Mark knows what I mean.
Anyone have any red sable shocard brushes squirreled away? Contact me.
[ August 03, 2012, 06:35 PM: Message edited by: Steve Shortreed ]
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
Renaissance time......
Posted by Terry Whynott (Member # 1622) on :
I have some showcard brushes I'll send you, Steve. I haven't used them since college. I HATED showcard class. Maybe I'll drop them off in person and you can show me how they're supposed to be used!
Posted by Steve Shortreed (Member # 436) on :
Love to see you Terry. It gets boring just sitting around here in Fergus. Love to see some of the old gang show up. Be nice to see the old shed full of Letterheads and Pinheads again.
Posted by Terry Whynott (Member # 1622) on :
Sending out an "SOS"? Posted by Michael Berry (Member # 2604) on :
I've never done hand lettering.....hmmmm, maybe I should give it a whirl!
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