Here's a photo (hopefully) of one of the elephants that Al Zanetti lettered in 1982. I used to go with him on a lot of jobs but this one was unique. Before any of you ask how much to charge to letter two very large elephants - he did them for free! Probably couldn't figure out what to charge. :-)

How many signpainters does it take to paint an elephant? By Al Zanetti

(originally published in Signs of the Times, May 1982)

Anyone who has been in the commercial sign business for any length of time will attest to the fact that uncommon requests are not uncommon. It must be the nature of our craft for the public to assume that a signpainter can create anything from large-scale pictorial illustrations to exquisitely carved colonial signs complete with brickwork, landscaping and electricity…and do so while hanging 50 feet in the air or in 10 degree weather, not to mention occasionally having to do it overnight. I can think of no other business which is called upon to perform such a myriad of tasks. So naturally, when a client of our studio asked us to paint a couple of elephants for a Memorial Day promotion, we didn’t even blink an eye.

Actually, it all started out as a misunderstanding. The customer, ITT-Continental Baking Co. (the people who have blessed Western civilization with Hostess Twinkies) was so nonchalant about the request we assumed they simply wanted an elephant or two painted in a few shocards or canvas banner announcing a “gigantic sale” or some other cliché slogan. (Customers have a habit of requesting illustrations with the same casualness you would ask a gas station attendant to check your oil.) Not until we had committed ourselves and accepted the job did we realize that we were expected to hand-letter two LIVE elephants.

The elephants, which were appearing with the Clyde Beatty–Cole Brothers Circus, would be available inside their tent a few miles away but could be brought to our shop if it was more convenient for us. We thanked the baking company and the promotional people from the circus but decided instantly that we would make an exception in this case and go to the site to do the work. As minor panic slowly over took our small studio we decided that we had better do some research into what we were up against.

Elephants have been painted and decorated for centuries in India and the Far East and figure prominently in the cultures and Hinduism and Buddhism. But, needless to say, the amount of literature available in the area of elephant lettering was less than adequate, not to mention the difficulty we had trying to get the research librarian to take us seriously. In recalling my years as an apprentice with some of the better sign shops in New Jersey, I couldn’t remember anyone with expertise in this area I could call upon for advice. So, in the true spirit of a capitalist entrepreneur, I decided that instructional help in this long-ignored aspect of signwriting was overdue.

I approached a friend of mine, Eric Sonntag, a graphic designer and artist from Somerset, NJ to give me a hand. I knew that he had recently lettered a large hot-air balloon which was as close a parallel as I could find to this job. He reluctantly agreed once we decided we could send in a few photos of the finished work to Signs of the Times for the “trunk of the month” contest.

Our first approach was to drive out to the circus and size up the job – maybe take measurements for a pounce pattern. Lettering an elephant didn’t appear as difficult as I first imagined. An elephant’s skin is very rough and folds of skin appear and disappear when the animal moves, but it couldn’t be any worse than lettering a weathered masonry wall with hair. It looked simple but, as we learned, there are certain techniques that should be observed.

Elephants are big. Well, not all elephants are big; young elephants are relatively small but are very frisky – don’t attempt to letter a young elephant. Chose a female, if possible, at least 15 years old and preferably older. They are more docile and less ornery than male elephants. Some males have been known to be downright mean. Don’t letter a mean, male elephant. Don’t even go near a mean, male elephant. We were told, once we started, that in fact no elephant is trustworthy and every one is to be considered dangerous. They have no natural affection for man and are completely unpredictable. It is always unsafe to go too close to an elephant and impossible to tell when one feels threatened. We held on a little tighter to our brushes.

There are two species of elephants: Indian or (Asian) and African. Indian elephants are slightly smaller and are the kind that are used in circuses. It is not likely that you will ever be called upon to letter an African elephant. If you are – don’t! An average, full-grown Indian elephant stands about eight or nine feet high at the backbone and weighs up to six tons, with a lettering area of approximately 5 x 6 ft. horizontal per side.

Try to avoid painting around the tail area. An elephant’s tail is very active and getting in its way feels like getting hit with a hose covered with sandpaper. Also avoid lettering near the ears. An elephant’s ears flap almost continuously and tend to smear any wet paint they can reach. The ears of an Indian elephant are somewhat smaller than those of the African variety, probably to allow for a larger lettering area. An elephant’s trunk can be lettered, with the degree of difficulty increasing as you work toward the end. Stay around the head area as long as you don’t mind staring into the eyes of a five-ton animal. It’s not worth the trouble to letter the end of the trunk or the feet. Not only are there too many creases and wrinkles to contend with but an elephant moves often and can be dangerous.

It is recommended that an elephant trainer stay with you at all times to comfort and reassure the animal. Make sure the elephant and the trainer like each other.

Before starting, make sure that the elephant is chained securely to the ground, not to a tree or pole which they have been known to remove with ease. Secure one leg in front and one in the rear. This will not keep her from swaying but will keep her from walking away (or over you) while you are painting. Get acquainted with the job. Pat her on the trunk and (if you are smart enough to bring some along) give her some peanuts – popcorn is also good. This is more for your confidence than the elephant’s. Elephants are not afraid of strangers. Ask the trainer for her name. Circus elephants always have names and, believe it or not, they’ll respond to it much like your family dog might. Don’t wear any clothes you wouldn’t want paint splattered all over – you will get splattered. And by all means don’t wear low-cut shoes. Elephants aren’t neat. Remove any materials you are not holding in your hands to a safe distance and keep an eye on then. One of our elephants not only ate the artwork from which we were copying the Hostess Twinkies logo but drank a quart of blue tempera paint while we weren’t watching.

Much like a truck job, have the elephant washed and scrubbed with soap just prior to lettering. They are always dirty, and the colors will have no strength if the surface is not clean. In order to stay cool and keep the insects away, elephants will throw dirt on themselves. Try to schedule your work as closely as possible to the time it will be shown or used. Your job will look its best for no more than a day after it has been painted.

To lay out, simply use white chalk (elephant skin is medium to dark gray) and a yardstick or four-ft rule (forget the pounce pattern) and proceed as you normally would if you were lettering the side of a building in an earthquake. Lay out your lettering or design as carefully as reasonably possible and use a small to medium-sized fitch to outline the letters. Fill in with a larger brush (we used foam throw-away brushes but they tended to be a little too soft). Despite its thickness and roughness, an elephant’s skin is very sensitive. A stiff brush such as a fitch will not only tickle the animal but can be irritating. We noticed tears coming from the eyes of one of the elephants we had just painted. We felt bad at the sight but we didn’t like working over Memorial Day weekend either.

A word about copy: despite the size of an elephant, it will not take heavy copy. Keep it short: no intricate loops or Spencerian scripts – large, bold strokes and colors are best. It is imperative that you use a non-toxic water based paint such as a tempera, not only so the work can be hosed off after the show but more importantly so that you won’t make the animal sick. (The promotional manager from the Clyde Beatty Circus told us that just a few months earlier a national television network commissioned someone to paint its logo on the side of one of his elephants for a new spring season promotion and had used bulletin enamels. Enamel, of course, not only did not come off but almost killed the beast. The beast that should have been killed was the painter. ) We used tempera colors which proved excellent for elephant lettering. It will probably be necessary to double-coat colors such as white, yellow, orange or other pastels, but it’s worth it if you have the time.

Elephants do not stand still, so work carefully but rapidly. Use a step-stool or box to stand on. Scaffolding is of little use because it cannot be moved quickly if necessary. Do not try to push the animal into position for your convenience – you cannot push an elephant. A few gentle taps with a heavy stick will usually do the trick but this flourish of bravery is best left to the trainer.