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a couple years back you posted a You are a signpainter if the posts were great i shared them with the man who took the time to teach me this art. He no longer can paint due to a stroke but we enjoyed the posts they brought back a lot of fond memories
i will start hope we can recreate some of the great posts
YOU KNOW YOU ARE A SIGNPAINTER IF
you have burned your butt with a mineral spirits soaked rag in your back pocket
you been asked whats a mahl stick
you have cashed a check at the bank using multi colored hands with the the covering sent of mineral spirits
hope you can all add something from your experiences
You know you are a sign painter when you go on vacation and most of your photos are of signs.
Your five year old grand daughter points out all the good looking signs when you go for a drive.
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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you know your a sign painter when some says"man wish I could paint like that or do that for a living." or Did you do that with a brush? while your standing there with brush in hand.
-------------------- Pat Welter Masterhand Signs and Designs Unity, Saskatchewan.Canada Posts: 1304 | From: Unity, Saskatchewan.Canada | Registered: May 1999
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thanks everyone i have always enjoyed this site this was my first post but hope for more in the future
its fun to sit back and read the posts because i can relate to so many of them and I admire the people in this business and their willingness to share their stories what a great community
just also wanted to thank Ed Terranova for taking the time to teach me this trade when i graduated from h.s in 1984.i worked with him for about 10 years those experiences cannot be replaced and was the bests time of all
. Signpainting isnt my full time career but it what i enjoy doing the most
If you've heard "must be nice to not have to work for a living"by passers by.
-------------------- John Byrd Ball Ground, Georgia 770-735-6874 http://johnbyrddesign.com so happy I gotta sit on both my hands to keep from wavin' at everybody! Posts: 741 | From: Ball Ground, Georgia, USA | Registered: May 1999
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Someone says,"Hey, you miss spelled that word!"
-------------------- Judy Pate Signs By Judy Albany, Georgia USA 229-435-6824
Live simply...Love generously...Care deeply...Speak kindly...Leave the rest to God. Posts: 2621 | From: Albany,GA,USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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You collect the works of the "old" greats that have passed on.
-------------------- Lynda Yoder Wayne Yoder Signs & Designs 4735 List Rd Grass Lake, MI 5176884951 Posts: 154 | From: Grass Lake, MI | Registered: Feb 2007
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When you have actually been approached by some teenage stranger asking if you would sell your paint covered sweatshirt hoodie.
When you see mineral sprits go on sale at HD.
When you have more half used cans of One Shot than anyother type of paint in the garage.
When you can claim to own at least four different snaplines.
When you realize that old lightweight rickety aluminum ladder is better than the new fiberglass one that weighs about twice as much and is so rigid that it is dangerous.
When you cannot resist keeping any interesting jar or can from falling into the trash can.
and when you have to check Letterville more frequently than the new page or the stock market report.
-------------------- Preston McCall 112 Rim Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 text: 5056607370 Posts: 1552 | From: Santa Fe, New Mexico | Registered: Nov 1998
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when they say 'make something happen' and everyone can see it & read it...
-------------------- aka:Cisco the "Traveling Millennium Sign Artist" http://www.franciscovargas.com Fresno, CA 93703 559 252-0935 "to live life, is to love life, a sign of no life, is a sign of no love"...Cisco 12'98 Posts: 3576 | From: Fresno, Ca, the great USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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When you've heard another Jay Leno wannabe say "Hey, you spelled that wrong!" so many times you don't even acknowledge it any more
-------------------- Eric Elmgren ericsignguy@comcast.net A & E Graphic Signs Park Ridge, IL "The future isn't what it used to be" -Yogi Berra Posts: 192 | From: PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS | Registered: Aug 2009
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When you've heard another Jay Leno wannabe say "Hey, you spelled that wrong!" so many times you don't even acknowledge it any more
-------------------- Eric Elmgren ericsignguy@comcast.net A & E Graphic Signs Park Ridge, IL "The future isn't what it used to be" -Yogi Berra Posts: 192 | From: PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS | Registered: Aug 2009
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You hear, "You went to college and now you paint signs" And while creaming up your coffee at Starbucks, you grap about a dozen stir sticks and put them in your pocket. While dining or driving, you'll stop to quickly draw up a design for a sign, while the idea is still fresh in your mind. You hoard cans of lead based paint. "The little stasholoa" You look at people, with your nose held high, and say proudly " No, I don't have any cheap brush for you to take and touch up your car paint with" And last, if you ever see any BonAmi cake soap bars at a store, you buy up their whole supply, walking out of the store as if you found gold.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3812 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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...if you can still work when the electricity is out.
(& for a country that has been metric since 1972, your 'little stashola' still has cans with pints & fl.oz written on the labels)
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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-if you have a plastic squeegee in your shirt pocket! -if you have stuck yourself with an exacto knife putting it your pocket pointy end first -if you have a mountain of left over vinyl stuck to the backside of your weeding table -if you have more than three dedicated computers in your shop -if you have framed your putter shaft mahl stick with your fav brushes -if your "number one" asks what "kerning" means
I knew this was going to happen when I had my meet and the 4B was the WOW thing. And my old books are worth more than ME right now.
-------------------- Bill'n'Annie Davidson Heathcote, NSW, Aus. my Aussie wife, a Toohey's Old, my Holden Ute, Retired from the rat race! Posts: 309 | From: Heathcote, NSW, Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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-if you have a plastic squeegee in your shirt pocket! -if you have stuck yourself with an exacto knife putting it your pocket pointy end first -if you have a mountain of left over vinyl stuck to the backside of your weeding table -if you have more than three dedicated computers in your shop -if you have framed your putter shaft mahl stick with your fav brushes -if your "number one" asks what "kerning" means
I knew this was going to happen when I had my meet and the 4B was the WOW thing. And my old books are worth more than ME right now.
-------------------- Bill'n'Annie Davidson Heathcote, NSW, Aus. my Aussie wife, a Toohey's Old, my Holden Ute, Retired from the rat race! Posts: 309 | From: Heathcote, NSW, Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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Alicia, I hear ya, I have some old, unopened cans of 1-shot and and for some reason I just cannot get myself open them. Bon Ami cakes too, real scarce these days, although I very seldom get to use it.
-------------------- Curt Stenz Graphics 700 Squirrel Lane Marathon, WI 54448 Posts: 590 | From: Marathon, WI 54448 | Registered: Dec 1998
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You can't watch tv, read the paper, darn it, go ANYWHERE without noticing fonts!
You walk around with straight lines inked across your cheeks from sticking your ruler in your teeth. (I did this once & shopped in Walmart like that, not knowing it!)
-------------------- The Word in Signs Bobbie Rochow Jamestown, PA 16134
724-927-6471
thewordinsigns@alltel.net Posts: 3485 | From: Jamestown, PA 16134 | Registered: Oct 2002
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You have altered your 8' ladder with bigger wider,feet to work in gravel.
You are amazed at how no matter what, there always seems to be some weird color of one shot on your exterior door handle of your vehicle.
You have misspelled at least five words on signs....and let one actually pass through to have no one notice.
You imagine in the future special lettering brushes with 'spell check' built into the ferrules.
You keep all the split-tail brushes, thinking someday, someone here might mention how to recover them....and have at least a dozen of them.
You hate having to find a font out of a list of hundreds in Corel Draw....and know it is there.
You are always amazed how many others complain of the odor of mineral spirits, but that it never seems to bother you.
You are continually assaulted by some 'designer' who sends you a jpg of some great design for a sign and realize they no nothing about signpainting or about how hard it is to letter half inch copy just to make the thing pass regulation Z of the Federal Trade Commission.
That 'WAC' for car dealers is supposed to stand for With Approved Credit, when the public thinks it means We Are Crooks!
-------------------- Preston McCall 112 Rim Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 text: 5056607370 Posts: 1552 | From: Santa Fe, New Mexico | Registered: Nov 1998
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when some ask did ya get any paint on the sign ?? when you still get the sign done after forgetting your ruler. when still get the sign done and forgot your drawing pencil.
posted
Quote "You have misspelled at least five words on signs....and let one actually pass through to have no one notice. "
I have one reverse-lettered window I did in 1986, in black ('open hours' for a barbershop), backed up in white enamel on a door glass pane. Try lettering small script in reverse- I got 'an' painted, instead of 'am' for the morning hours-I must have lost count of the number of ups and downs before the end of the letter!
It's still up there, as fresh as when I painted it- haunts me every time we drive past!!!
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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You're in the National Gallery of London to see Van Eyck's Arnolfini Wedding Portrait, and your main interest in the picture is his elaborate signature.
-------------------- dennis kiernan independent artist san francisco, calif, usa Posts: 907 | From: san francisco, ca usa | Registered: Feb 2010
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You stop in a parking lot to check out the striping on some car and look for the signature. You feel more comfortable in those paint pants than in any other clothes. Someone doesn't recognize you in nice clothes and says something like.."I didn't recognize you without your pants on". You can always find your lettered vehicle in a parking lot. When people meet you and you tell them what you do, they know you by your signs. You have a box of one hair brushes that you can't part with. When people think it's funny to make faces at you as you paint in reverse on a window. Course...that hasn't happened for a long time. You can't stand the smell of vinyl. When people stop and ask you where you got those neat painted pants. When there has been at least one time that you have placed the wrong end of the paint brush in your mouth to get off the ladder. Yick!
-------------------- Judy Grossman JG Signs & Designs 226 W. Jackson St. Sonora, CA 95370 Posts: 207 | From: Sonora, CA, USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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When your surprised at stuff you find in your 70 yr old Gerstner, (former tool box) from when you left the toolmaker trade to go back to sign painting. OR... You don't care if the bee stings you while you are finishing a serif on the last line of copy of that sign. It is sitting on your collar and waits while you finish, then flies away. Or.. You hope that Bull, (who's been watching you for a while) goes away before you finish the billboard job in the pasture.
-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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Or you know people like Jack Wills, Bill Davidson, Kent Smith, Moon Mullins, Rick Glawson, Mike Clines, Jim Moser Gary Rhodes, Rick Sacks, Megan Sacks, Bill Diaz, Nancy Bennett, Dan Sawatzsky, Bill Riedel, David Butler, Sonny Franks, Carole Bersin, Carl Rohrs, Brent Logan, Mark Oatis, Alicia Jennings, Tony Segale, Dale Manor, Ray Guzman, Cisco Vargas, Dave Petri, Patrick Smith, and hundreds more that have shared their wisdom, their stories, their lives with you....Gotta know your a signpainter then.
-------------------- Judy Grossman JG Signs & Designs 226 W. Jackson St. Sonora, CA 95370 Posts: 207 | From: Sonora, CA, USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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You still have that box of patterns that has signs from businesses that are no longer in business, thinking that you might someday be able to use just part of it.
-------------------- Preston McCall 112 Rim Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 text: 5056607370 Posts: 1552 | From: Santa Fe, New Mexico | Registered: Nov 1998
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You know you're a sign painter when, (and I,can tell how many years you've been one), by looking at the half moon paint smears on your pants, from pushing up the paint stroke that over shot the base line, and then cleaning your middle finger on your pants, so you don't finger print your surface.
This observation will tell if your a righty or a lefty, also. Mark Baty
-------------------- Mark Baty Mark 1 Studio 1980 SE Leeann Drive Waukee, IA 50263 Posts: 45 | From: Waukee, Iowa | Registered: Aug 2008
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