A while ago I sold one of my van trailers to a friend of mine. As part of the deal I designed him a cool logo for his new business.
He named himself 'Captain Concrete' The logo features a caped superhero type guy in tights brandishing two gleaming trowels as he flies over the shaded lettering. Primary colors in a comic book style.
I was pleased with the logo. It was fun.
And my friend liked it so much he had the trailer reskinned and came back to me to ask that I paint the logo on the side. I tried to talk him into vinyl. He would have none of that and insisted that I was the guy that would paint it.
So I stocked up on some OneShot colors I was missing and dusted off the old brushes. It has been a while since I have done this kinda thing.
He took the trailer to a buddy's place and left it there as he headed out the door to Mexico. He was going where it was warm! The good news is that I have a week to do the job.
The bad news is the shop isn't heated. It's not that cold, but it is kinda damp. Oh yeah... and the shop doesn't have lights or power... but there is ample room
So I strung out a power cord from the neighboring barn and set to work. The projection went real quick. And I thought to myself... this is gonna be a snap. Hmmmmm...
The van trailer is now navy blue, not white like the last time I painted it. I quickly discovered that I was going to need a minimum of two coats to cover and three coats on the lighter colors. And the logo has a lot of yellow in it.
I got into the swing of things quickly... like riding a bike. After a few unsure, wiggly strokes I was off and running... just like the good old days. Swish, swish!
Well, not quite. As soon as my hands were covered in paint my cell phone began to ring.
And I had brought along my nephew, we had him for the week. He enjoyed rollerblading on the smooth floor in the big shed for a few minutes, and then announced he had to go to the bathroom. You guessed it, no bathroom anywhere in the vicinity.
I convinced him to wait until I finished the first color on one side. And then headed home for an early lunch.
After lunch it was back to work, alone this time. Watching paint dry wasn't my nephew's idea of a fun time, and he was cold too.
I worked on through the afternoon. I could hear the rain pounding on the tin roof. And I was getting a little colder myself. The paint wasn't setting up as fast as I would have liked, but by putting it on a little thinner I found I could minimise the sags.
As I stood there with my little masterpiece I found myself remembering back many years to when I first started professionally painting signs in my teens... way back in the early 70's.
I didn't have a big shop then either. My biggest account was a trucking outfit. I would get a late afternoon or evening call saying that a truck or trailer had come into their shop and needed to be lettered before it went out the next morning.
I would throw my sign kit into my car and head out into the cold and rainy night. The trucking company shop was a big lean-to affair... no doors and no heat. And I would stand shivering into the night lettering the cold trucks and trailers.
My car keys are multi-colored again - just like the old days, like my steering wheel and shoes and door knobs...
Ah, the memories!
I'm happy to report my brushwork has improved immensely since those early days. And my deadline isn't rushing this job.
I am able to work a few hours and then head back to my desk and warm up. The trailer is going to look pretty sharp when it is done. And aside from the cold, and rain, and lack of power and proper light it is going well. I'll post a picture when it is done.
And I think I like this idea of sign painting with real paint and a brush. Only I think I'll build me real shop with real power, light and heat before I take it up full time.
-dan
[ March 19, 2003, 10:45 PM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
Posted by AdrienneMorgan (Member # 1046) on :
Dan...good post!!!
I'm lettering two signs for a thrift shop today. I'm doing them in trade for an antique cabinet I want....
I know I could have done it in vinyl....and it would have been done by now, but I really wanted to get out the brushes and paint it by hand!!
I'm fortunate enough to be in a heated, well lit garage with a bathroom upstairs for now....
I'm really enjoying it, I'm having some trouble with the yellow letters on the light aqua backround....but,think a second coat will do it.
I find doing it by hand is more satisfying than vinyl...(not that there's anything wrong with that! )
Someday I hope to have my own shop, well lit, warm and gotta have a wash/bathroom!!
Oh! and sounds! gotta have music to paint!
A:)
Posted by Ray Skaines (Member # 3702) on :
Hey Dan, good post. When I started the early 70's I didn't have a shop big enough for vehicles. If the job ended late I had to cover up the finished lettering job with a board or paper to keep the moisture off or I'd lose the gloss. I use to tape paper cups around the lettering to keep the paper off the paint. umm, glad I don't have to do that anymore.
Posted by Dawn Ellis (Member # 3529) on :
Dan, what a lovely post, so rich and nostalgic. It belongs in a collection of short stories. My dad was a sign painter and I loved going out on jobs with him. This was in Zambia in the 50's and early 60's. We would travel either "up the line" or "down the line" - a reference in relation to the direction of the railroad tracks. He would let me help(?) him paint. I remember, from a young girl's perspective, how L-O-N-G it took him to clean his brushes! Your comment "My car keys are multi-colored again" reminded me of my dad's wristwatch face - it always had specs of paint on it. Thanks for the memories.
Posted by bill riedel (Member # 607) on :
Hi Dan, another one of many good posts. As far as second and third coating, try adding a little black to your white and yellow colors. You will be surprised to find that only one coat is necessary when you do this. The white may look like a light gray in the cup, but when put on a dark background it looks as white as snow.
Been doing this for many years and saved many hours in time. Try it, you'll like it.
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
Ah....the good ol' days.
Thirty-four feet up in the air standing on a 14" wide scaffold attached via ladderjacks on a pair of ricketty ladders and me not wearing a safety harness as the billboard gently sways in the breeze of passing semi's.
The August sun glaring down a cozy 95f with humidity so thick you could swim in it smelling like coconut oil and car fumes.
Nothing but me, some paint, a beatup old radio with a stuck volume switch, and a 2-litre bottle to pee in so I wouldn't have to climb down into the bramble-bushes.
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
Dan,like most, I once had a borrowed three sided shed to protect the big trucks from the rain when I needed to do them. I don't wish to go back to that. Lettering on dark background like you're doing is most easily accomplished by doing the first coat with block out white. It covers well and dries quicker than lettering colors. When applying any bright color over dark background it requires several coats and never seems to have the brightness as one coat over white.
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
Bill yer old Fart! A drop of black in the white is older trick than us both hahahahaa Teaching yer grand-ma to suck eggs?
I work a lot painting banners with screen inks and have found WHITE works better for coverage than black in light colors like yellows and greens. Dosn't tend to "muddy" them and covers better.
Best trick in the world is if you know you are going to have to double coat ... put the first coat down "grey" tinted with the top coat
Back to the main Thread here .... "The Good Old Days" ...
Remember when we had lead in paint! Who licks signs?
Remember when yer gave a customer a thumnail sketch and price on the site and not a print out design and copy rights!
Public Liability cover of $100,000 was overkill!
Your Sign supply shop knew you personally.
Customers didn't want things yesterday!
And they started giving you home-computer printed layouts and font's. !!!!!!!!!! Where do they find those suckers?
You had more paint on yer jeans than odd scraps of weeded vinyl?
Your wife stopped hassling you about using your hankerchief as a paint rag?
The first time you could wear work jeans to a restaurant with your wife!
I could go on forever .. thems were the "Good old days"
Luv paint ... When I depart this life I love and make a comfortable living, they going to plant me vertical with a brush in hand Maybe a keyboard in the other .... just love creating any how!
Sorry about the "edits" to this post;) Must be jet-lag Or the old age saying ,,, "Signwiters can't speel"
[ March 20, 2003, 09:49 AM: Message edited by: Jon Butterworth ]
Posted by J.G. Kurtzman (Member # 1736) on :
Back in the 1950's there was a lettering paint available from the East Coast suppliers called "Keinel Coat".... The white paint "never" required a second coat, and the colors only oxydised after 4 to 5 years. Good stuff, was bought out by, from what I thought at the time to be "One Shot". Back then after Keinel Coat wasn't available we used to add silver to the one shot white paint to get it to cover better , much like "Hamburger Helper" with Julia Childs.
J.G. kurtzman
Posted by John Lennig (Member # 2455) on :
Dan, good to hear you with a brush in hand! A change from a cement trowel!!lol
Re: double coating, the tinted paint always works, plus, I use Darby's Thinner, formulated by Roy Darby (R.I.P.) in 1945. Ric Steed and I made a trip to Portland, Ore. in '81 (sss trip) to meet Roy and see his shop. He was a real Gentleman, Old School for sure, his thinner enabled you to double coat as you go, do a letter, another, go back whip second coat on, move ahead, etc, etc. It smells like automotive reducer somewhat. It's sold at Pacific Coast Paint Supply in Portland. A great "real sign supply" place, at least when I got my second gallon in '93. The last gal. I had sent up to Bellingham and picked it up at a bike shop. It's great for cutting in too, that's what we used to use it for alot.
Well, i'm gonna use some now, have a couple of '52 Mopar valve covers to do...painting the raised letters red, "CHRYSLER firepower". and this after a 12 hour day , I'm working on a TV series, as a signwriter/painter/w.h.y.
Dan,I saw your old trailer in Abbotsford couple months ago,a guy was doing fancy stamped concrete, I believe. Same guy??
all the best, John Lennig / SignRider
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
Thanks for all the suggestions with my painting. I appreciate the help.
As always this is a learning experience, just like every thing I tackle.
The job continues to go well and as I got my digital camera back today I will start to document things and post a pic as soon as it is done. I will finish one side of the trailer tomorrow and the second side the next.
My whistle has been whet for more hand painting with lettering enamel... I miss those old days!
-dan
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
BRO! You're "jones'n" fer the fumes! Which I assume actually DO exist....at least people who walk into my shop say they exist! ....kind'a funny how that's memory lane for you and everyday stuff fer me! see ya! hope to meet you and so many others! Sheila ferrell, AKA: oneshot
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