....And if I put up something I really don't like, I have to drive miles to detour around it. Bad stuff makes me cringe, and my own bad stuff does worse things to me....can't stand to look at it.
-------------------- Jeff Ogden 8727 NE 68 Terr. Gainesville FL, 32609 Posts: 2138 | From: 8827 NE 68 Terr Gainesville Fl 32609 | Registered: Aug 2002
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Well, I did one last week that was pretty awful, but I didn't take a picture of it. Those early day attempts are forever lost to history because I didn't have a camera at the time. Thankfully.
One of the most remarkable things that I have experienced was at the 25th Anniversary of the Letterheads that was held in Boise a few years ago. On Saturday night we all gathered in the convention center theatre and slides were shown of the work of some of those present. Noel Weber showed pictures of signs that he had done in Viet Nam...and they were horrible. They were even worse than amateurish. If someone like Noel can go from hideous to masterpieces then there is hope for the rest of us.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Although in my own mind I pretty much deny it's existence, this was in fact my first sign. Almost every mistake in the book. What's funny is that I must have been proud of it to take a picture. (I was in high school at the time.)
Then I met Steve and Barb, and they set me straight on a number of things, and guided me through my second sign, which I'm showing for comparison. Quite an improvement, I'd say.
Well, at least I can honestly say I have never done worse than my first sign.
-------------------- Bob Darnell London, Ontario, Canada
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here is one from the early eighties that sucked pretty good!!! LOL i was trying to imulate one of my early heroes, chester cunningham but it ended up looking like "chester" from gunsmoke did it!
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These old signs are too funny! I am trying to find my very first sign.....it was for a record company...with big lips. I will keep looking...it is really funny.
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ok.....Here is my butt ugly first sign.....I got 20.00 for it. It was 1975. The McDonalds sign was a couple years later.....I cut out shelf liner to make the vinyl letters. Plotters were not invented yet.
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I forgot to get a picture of my first piece. I let this guy named Moses take it down the mountain and he never returned it. It was just a simple carved tablet if I recall.
-------------------- Bob Stephens Skywatch Signs Zephyrhills, FL
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yep....you are right Mark. There are alot of chicken sh*ts with no balls. too bad.....I love seeing the funny first signs. Lookit the bad spacing! Lookit the bad arrow.....it cracks me up. But then I am easily amused. Posts: 3729 | From: Seattle | Registered: Sep 1999
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The truth is I honestly dont have any record of my very first signs. I didnt have a camera back then and never thought to photograph them.
When I finally did start taking pics my signs were looking pretty good and I made a point to throw out any evidence of a sign that didnt reflect well on me.
I can rememember well the first real sign I painted but that was 30 years ago and it has been gone a long while.
-------------------- Bob Stephens Skywatch Signs Zephyrhills, FL
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My first year in the sign biz was drafting up blueprint style presentation & shop drawings for a large architectural sign shop in NYC. Not much of the sort of beginner pic from those days, but then I moved to New Mexico &worked for a quicky-sticky. I still don't have pics, but this is a file of one of the first logo designs I did: 5 years later I moved to Maui & got hired to set up a new signshop. Once it was setup, they didn't want to pay what they had offered me, so they found an excuse to fire me. I had already made arrangements to fly to the Big Island to go snowboarding on Mauna Kea. I almost backed out from fear of no income, but decided to live large & not to worry. I stayed with an old hippie friend from my college days there, & he hired me to do my first "freelance" logo in trade for a handmade drum. I still keep a color print of it in my wallet as a reminder of the beginning of my self-employment. I've done my share of UGLY stuff far beyond what i have pics of, but here is the first sign I did as the owner of Island Sign: And the last pic is the first logo design I sold for cash:
Here's a shot of the first (and I think only) sign I ever made.. (don't do much in the way of signage)
It was for a car/truck customizing shop called Toxic Performance and Off-Road, I produced their decals for them and one day they asked if I could make 'em a sign.. Having never actually made a sign before I said "Sure, no problem."..
I took the decal design, enlarged it and plotted the pattern on paper. I provided them with the cut-out foam, they painted it and installed themselves.. there's more lettering on the wall above their vehicle bays but as you might notice, it's all so ugly I didnt even want to be seen taking pictures of it - I did a drive-by photography session.
Incidentally, that business is gone but a new one is there in its place, but the ugly lettering over the bays is still there.. I have to drive by it every stinking day.
***Edit***:
Hey here's another ugly one, but this was a "my son designed a sign for me, can you make it?" kinda deal.. Hmm.. this business is also long gone now.. What a track record for me, maybe it's best I don't do signage.
**Edit Again!**
OOH! OOH! I found more ugly stuff!
Both the customer and I thought this was pretty cool at the time - even my own logo is ugly as hell!
OK now I'm gettin a little better at this gig...
And this one I like.. I was pretty proud of myself cause I produced and applied it by myself.. the first time I had done something of this size, and had many pieces that needed registration (made entirely of 12"x84" panels!!)
[ April 04, 2003, 02:45 PM: Message edited by: Mike Pipes ]
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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What is amazing that they are still using this sign today. I painted it as my first window lettering in 1978. Took the photo today. Two of these for $75.
-------------------- Wright Signs Wyandotte, Michigan Posts: 2787 | From: Wyandotte, MI USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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Yeah Stephen.....it was a Fiat. I loved that car. Wood dash.....perfect body. Drove superbly. I traded a sign for an excellent paint job...it didn't have any body damage....I just wanted it painted. I was up finishing the sign when they drove it out. I was sooooo excited.
Posts: 3729 | From: Seattle | Registered: Sep 1999
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quote:If someone like Noel can go from hideous to masterpieces then there is hope for the rest of us.
Hey Raymond, See...even the "late-great-Al Zanetti" wasn't always so great! This picture is from August 1962 (he was 18), a month before he joined the army. That sign is pretty bad!!
-------------------- Kimberly Zanetti Purcell www.amethystProductivity.com Folsom, CA email: Kimberly@AmethystProductivity.com
“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” AA Milne Posts: 3723 | From: Folsom, CA | Registered: Dec 2001
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Adrienne, you are undoubtedly the most down-to-earth person I've never met! Also, the most confident!! Have you read some o' yer replies!! You got us shakin' in our boots for even makin' us proud artisans think of past errs!! If I knew how or had the 'quip to do it, I'd show you some o' my stuff....we must'a been sisters in a past life, 'cuz I could'a swore those were some'a my signs, LOL!!
-------------------- Signs Sweet Home Alabama
oneshot on chat
"Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a dog" Posts: 5758 | From: "Sweet Home" Alabama | Registered: Mar 2003
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Shiela, I musta been drunk to post those....but heck, I thought maybe it would give some folks a good laugh....I think we all need that right now.
So.....anyone else brave enuf to post YOUR worst???
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i sent the worst sign in the world..all you gota do is post them.
[ April 06, 2003, 12:39 AM: Message edited by: old paint ]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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I would love to have a pic of my very first sign but that was in 1967 and didn't have a camera at the time. But it must have been bad!! As my Father proud as punch of his sons introduction into the workforce solicited a job for me on my first day as an apprentice, a hairdressing salon and I wanting to please dad did the deed. Cant even remember if I got paid.
-------------------- Don Lopez Signs Signwriter Faulconbridge N.S.W. Australia 02 4751 2158 Posts: 80 | From: Australia | Registered: Jan 1999
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the above photos were done 1982 while i was workin full time at the NAPA store. the south trail tire is all free hand no pattern. the faucet plumbing was a hand drawn pattern for the letters only, rest was just drawn on the truck and painted. no projection/computer. biggest mistakes... dot the i, and E shoulda been e lower case. badddd but i got paid!!!!!!! ok now what do i win?
[ April 07, 2003, 01:43 PM: Message edited by: old paint ]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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Baaaaad O.P., but not bad enuf. Even though it's better then I could paint, I'd still have to give the prize to A. just for letterstyle alone on the word "Blinds"
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mines worse....dottin the i..is #1 NO-NO... only the worst sign painter would do that. although the tree sign is bad...all letters are in the right case.....69 sorta looks like a yin-yang...heheheh
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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Besides....some of it was pretty ug-leeeee!
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