posted
I am getting ready to propose a new sign for the church where my daughter goes to school at their request. They want something really nice (finally). I have a lot of ideas but I just can't seem to figure out colors to go with the building. It is very light grey with white trim. There will be a new message board in front of the church office as well which is painted the same colors.
Current sign (see below) is black/white. I really don't want to do black/white. I would like to have something dark enough that I could incorporate maybe some v-carved gold leafed lettering into the design with chamfered gold leafed edges. Than again, gold leaf may be too much for this old colorless church!!
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
[ September 25, 2003, 09:24 AM: Message edited by: Amy Brown ]
-------------------- Amy Brown Life Skills 101 Private Address Posts: 3502 | From: Lake Helen, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Amy, maybe a real dark, warm charcoal grey panel with gold leaf and white posts/trim with some of the light grey accents.
I would pick up on the big arched window and make the sign that shape and vertical with new posts in 6" for a little heavier look. Gilded finnials for the posts would set it off, too.
posted
I like those ideas, Mark. Had the same colors ideas running thruogh my thick skull while you were posting them...haha. The lettering could be gold leafed and a thin black outline around it would bring it out nicely.
Amy, Pick a nice serif letterstyle that is easy to work with. The church may seem colorless, but the fonts don't have to be. lol
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
| IP: Logged |
posted
I think it's a nice looking church. The colors and shingles are coordinated well. Is that grey vinyl siding? You could make two square columns and cover them with the same grey vinyl siding(if that's what it is) Mount the sign in between. Use HDU, blast it with a grain fraim and paint dark(almost charcoal) grey or blast without the grain fraim for a flat stone look with dark grey. Or you could cover the background with dark grey smalts. Use raised letters, round the faces and gild. Make everything coordinate with the building (except the gold). Only a suggestion.
The window pattern is interesting. Looks like a Star of David.
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7404 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
| IP: Logged |
Wayne, the church was built in the 1800's and has individual shaker shingles (I think that's what they are called) on the entire building. Everything in our town has to be made similar to the period of time the building were built. No modern looking signs around here!! And no vinyl siding!!!
They just recently has the church and office buildings repainted. The used to be a weird light green color. Much better now!!
-------------------- Amy Brown Life Skills 101 Private Address Posts: 3502 | From: Lake Helen, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Dark Blue with goldleaf in the shape of the window
-------------------- Terry Baird Baird Signs 3484 West Lake Rd. Canandaigua, NY 14424 Posts: 790 | From: Canandaigua, New York | Registered: Dec 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Are you sure? Those look like asphalt shingles from up here. The "architectural" asphalt shingles simulate cedar shakes somewhat. I know one thing.sure wouldn't want to have to put the roof on that baby....mighty steep.
Well, you could side your columns with wood and paint them grey.
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7404 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Amy, if you go with blue, use a muted blue with grey tones. I think a glass insert with the Star of David in gold leaf would be elegant. I like the ideas about the posts, just be careful not to get them too massive looking for the building. Can't wait to see what you come up with.
-------------------- Kathy Joiner River Road Graphics 41628 River Road Ponchatoula, La.70454
Old enough to know better...Too young to resist. Posts: 1891 | From: Ponchatoula, LA | Registered: Nov 2000
| IP: Logged |
If you wanted to ad a color other than what the building uses, a dark green might be nice.
Say, sandblasted redwood, essex green background with a black fade on the outside, gold leaf & white copy, post & caps & border & trim matching the building color.
The dark green corresponds with the landscape.
-------------------- Glenn S. Harris
....back in the sign trade full time. Posts: 293 | From: Baton Rouge, LA, USA | Registered: Jul 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
take some maroon vinyl and see how it looks against the gray background of the building....and do the sign background the color of the church. if you want to add gold leaf, against the gray background you will need a thin outline of black/d.gray around the leaf.
-------------------- 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
| IP: Logged |
posted
Ok, here's what I've come up with. Seems Bob Stephens and I were sort of on the same page.
I want to make the hour board where it can be removed. The main sign I hope to be v-carved and gold leafed and the star portion either a seperate piece of HDU or maybe a stained glass piece. Kathy and I were thinking the same too!
We'll see. Meeting her this afternoon. Probably scare her to death with the price tag!!
[ September 25, 2003, 01:53 PM: Message edited by: Amy Brown ]
-------------------- Amy Brown Life Skills 101 Private Address Posts: 3502 | From: Lake Helen, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Amy if they balk at the price then offer them a carved version with no gold leaf. Paint in the letters instead. Find out what they are willing to spend and work backwards but whatever you do, dont give them more than they are willing to pay for.
If they are really cheap you can v-carve that white styrofoam insulation foam and paint it with latex paint. It will be good until the winds blow hard or the birds get hungry.
-------------------- Bob Stephens Skywatch Signs Zephyrhills, FL
posted
Amy, I like Kathy's idea of muting the blue-kinda a deep somewhat heather blue. But would plum be too wild? A deep muted plum with gold....It will stand out in the snow real good. Hey wait are those palm tree there?
-------------------- Laura Butler Vision Graphics & Sign 4479 Welch Rd Attica, Mi 48412 Posts: 2855 | From: Attica, Mi, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, they love the design but aren't sure about the blue. They want to look hard at the stained glass windows in the church to see if there is a dominant color.
Bob, that's my plan to give them a gold leafed and a painted price structure. Either way they will be having a fund raiser I'm sure. They put almost all of the church money into running the school where my daughter goes so I'm sure that couldn't just cut a check.
We'll see what happens. Anyone know how much stained glass would run on something like cross at the top?
Thanks again!
-------------------- Amy Brown Life Skills 101 Private Address Posts: 3502 | From: Lake Helen, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hi Amy, Your design is exquisite. Working with a gray building is difficult, and limits you to an extent.
I like blues, and the burgundy suggestion seems to fit with a gray building, also to use it somewhere. They may think it adds just a little bit much contrast and weight to the whole picture and need something that ties into the building color. I also agree that the suggestion of adding a third color somewhere is great too, maybe use it somewhere or use the muted blues. However, when you have a toned down background, be careful for muted contrast too, as it can look heavy and unlegible too. I like the posts and the way the sign fits those. The addition of the insert of the artwork is really classy. Really a beautiful, well-designed sign. A few years back I saw a really beautiful church sign in Ohio, (even though it may be too bright for this era of a church), of course, but it was blasted, with a blasted, medium, crisp blue background and gold leaf letters and some artwork, or an additional section where the art was encapsulated, their logo or something, to add to the interest and balance the colors. The letters were large enough to balance the background. The goldleaf bright letters and the blue were really eyecatching. I think it was in upscale Westerville, and yet it had an innocence and reverence effect along with a more contemporary look. Just an element that may or may not go with this post subject, but it was crisp and worth remembering. Good luck, as I am excited to see what you do come up with too. Churches seem to need a facelift too every now and then!
[ September 25, 2003, 06:05 PM: Message edited by: Deb Fowler ]
-------------------- Deb Fowler
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible - Walt Disney (1901-1966) Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
If they don't like the blue, I'm kind of thinking a burgundy (or plum) would be nice too. I like the effect of burgundy and gold - seems very rich and "churchie" too me - I think that was the color of the pulpit cloths in the church I attended as a child.
[ September 25, 2003, 07:11 PM: Message edited by: Kelly Thorson ]
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Your design looks great. Maybe if the church doesn't want to spend the extra money for gold leaf you could work out a deal with a partial trade for your daughter's tuition. It might be the ticket for you to showcase your talents and sell more similar work.
-------------------- Jean Shimp Shimp Sign & Design Co. Jacksonville Beach, Fl Posts: 1266 | From: Jacksonville Beach, Fl. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
Last summer I had a similar job and two of the church goers were carpenters and donated the fabrication of the posts and helped with the installation to help defer the costs to the church. Might be something to consider and could leave more $ in the budget for the gold leafing.
Just a thought 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
| IP: Logged |
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic