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I was called out to Illinois State University to hand paint 6 inch letters in grayish green over an office door way. "DEAN OF STUDENTS OFFICE" 6" Helvetica letters. Had to be hand painted because every door in the building has 6" hand painted letters over the top of the office doors.
So I made a pounce pattern, gathered my gear and tried to find a parking place at the University. (another story for another day)
So I tote everything to the 3rd floor of the building, get set up, and then out of no where are 500 students tring to get in and out of the office. (another story for another day)
Almost every signartist out on a job gets the usual attention of how they can paint with a brush and make everything look so good, like " I could never paint anything to save my life" and so on.
Well, not this day. I didn't get any of the usual sign related questions or comments.
I was standing on my LITTLE GIANT ladder, and everyone was asking me "Is that the one I see on TV? Some even asked me to demonstrate all the features! What am I? A Sellsman for Little Giant?
Nobody gave a care about what I was doing!
When onlookers get more excited about what your standing on than what your doing, its a sad day!
One even told me it would be quicker to do that job in vinyl! (DUH)!
We sign writers are done for!
[ April 01, 2006, 01:24 PM: Message edited by: Dave Draper ]
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...And you could tell the punk that the vinyl would only get picked off by student vandals.
...College kids (these days) are a poor audience. Other than partying, all they are focused on is studying, passing and then getting on with the "carreer".
...But, If you had a few obvious TATOOS and various PIERCINGS, then they would all be interested.
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6713 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Don't let that one bug ya, Dave. Think about the job you were doing... Replicating a sign with a fairly straight forward font in one color. I'm sure if you were up there guilding the letters or doing a nice script, they'd have offered to hold the ladder.
It ain't always glamourous, but it pays the bills. Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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Just when I think that dave, someone comes in the shop and sees something I hand lettered or airbrushed, and goes woopy over it. That makes me realize there is still a place for hand made signs.
-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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I was doing a window splash and I think I do some pretty nice splashes, well I actually had a guy say to me (with my sign scientist truck sitting next to me) "so are they paying you for that?" So, I say, with a perplexed look on my face..."I don't work for free" Thinking to myself,Is this guy trying to be funny?? Well, I looked at the expression on his face, it didn't seem to be a smart ass remark. I think, in peoples minds, when they see you out there painting youre either the owners nephew or brother in law doing him a favor or you are from an art school doing a charity project or something.
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Maybe YOU'RE done for. I had to import talent from Minnesota to help hand-letter a job out here. Not because I couldn't do it myself, but the time restrictions required a lot of work in a short time - and having MM here is a hoot!
I know what you mean about the Little Giant though. I get asked about it all the time. They make great ladders, best I've ever used, and they are made in the USA!
-------------------- Mike Meyer Sign Painter 189 1st Ave n P.O. Box 3 Mazeppa, Mn 55956
We are not selling, we are staying here in Mazeppa....we cannot re-create what we have here....not in another lifetime! SO Here we are!!!!!!!
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Dave, I remember many years ago when I was trying to decide what to do with my life. I was a young artist and liked to paint pictures, but there was no future in that, at least not for me. So I eventually decided that I wanted to become a sign painter and applied for an apprentice job @ a large local sign company. At that time, sign painters were rapidly being replaced with vinyl plotters but CAD was not prevalent yet. I was hired as a designer, where I stayed humped over a drafting table, pushing a pencil and a T-square. They had a Gerber SignMaker IV that could cut about 6 inches an hour. I still work as a "sign man", but I never did get to brush on a single stroke and I've always admired guys like you 'cause I still think a well-done hand painted sign is is more engaging than anything that was ever done off of a vinyl plotter. However, I ain't about to pay $500.00 fer a ladder!
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I had to import talent from Minnesota to help hand-letter a job out here. Not because I couldn't do it myself, but the time restrictions required a lot of work in a short time - and having MM here is a hoot!
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