This has been one of the more interesting projects in recent years for me.
I have often noted that in magazines like ‘signcraft’ that signs carry a tag that mentions that the sign was made by so and so in conjunction with somebody else. In other words someone like Gary Anderson was involved in the design stage of the sign. This is the case with this project. Tomas Tuipear has been in the business for a bit longer than me and has insights and skills that are at this stage beyond mine but he is someone who enjoys being involved in areas that are his forte and besides that he is only one man and so can’t do everything! We have worked together on five or six big jobs and I think the results are dramatic.
This customer came to me because I do some work for a canopy (awnings) company. She thought that she needed a canopy to help her business appearance but she was open to other suggestions.
Tomas would tend towards beginning with a logo so that was the first thing to get done. As he lives about an hour away I tend to liase with the customer and relate the project to the client. (also I project manage the work as it progresses with the various tradesmen involved).
Once the logo was sorted the changes in the physical structure was settled upon. In Ireland there is still a lack in understanding in regard to the traditional shopfront and the job of designing them can be in the hands of people who don’t really know what should be done. (Architects, Engineers, joinery shops) Tomas has been involved in many shopfront jobs and has made it his business to understand the process and intent of the various elements required to create a pleasant and appealing look to a business shopfront.
With that under way it fell to me to recreate the logo in 3D format. I turned to a company three hours away who machined the letters and the ‘chip shop’ panel and cut out the upper scroll panels, the bottom left and right purple scrolls are folded from 6mm foamex and it was fun to work out how to cut them flat and then fold them to their finished look. I just used a heat gun to get the plastic to flexible state and bent and allowed to cool.
The elements of the logo were mounted onto dibond and screwed to the wall with some little anxious moments on my part. But it’s done and looks good. I am recovering from the stress of the culmination of the whole job which spanned over 4 months or so but the client is happy so that means so am I.
Tomas and I are hoping that since this is the first sign of this type in Cork city (population 136,000) we may start a trend and a flow of future projects.
Any questions or critiques?
The Fascia board is dibond sprayed with a 2 pack auto paint and the goldletters were routed foam pvc which were fixed from the back of the board and installed as finished product then the timber moulding was placed over the dibond edges to hide the fixing screws.
[ April 12, 2003, 01:20 PM: Message edited by: Miles Cullinane ]
-------------------- Miles Cullinane, Cork, Ireland.
From the sometimes sunny south of Ireland, Posts: 913 | From: Cork, Ireland | Registered: Jul 1999
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That's about as beautiful a sign can be! What kind of paint did you use to finish the pieces(sprayed?). Also, what design program(s) do you use for logo/sign design? Again, incredible work!
-------------------- Alan Dearborn Dearborn Graphics Hampton, NH USA Posts: 271 | From: NH USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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-------------------- "Don't change horses in midstream, unless you spot one with longer legs" bronzeo oti Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801 www.imagemakerart.com jack@imagemakerart.com Posts: 1549 | From: Joplin, MO | Registered: Mar 2000
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-------------------- Terry Baird Baird Signs 3484 West Lake Rd. Canandaigua, NY 14424 Posts: 790 | From: Canandaigua, New York | Registered: Dec 2002
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I can see that sign on the cover of Signcraft. Very striking job Miles. My toungues hanging out.
-------------------- 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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Absolutely beautiful job, right down to the details on the corbels! I agree, this needs to be on the cover of SignCraft. This is award winning work!
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The kind of job I WISH I could do. <G> Awesome.
-------------------- Bill Smith Sign Age 509 E. Main Street Salisbury, MD 21804 Posts: 17 | From: Salisbury, MD USA | Registered: Sep 2001
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The work is really totally great. I have three critisms: I would not have covered up the wood it is softer and more welcoming than paint. There is a lot of room at eye level that is not taken advantage of. The entire structure is very unfreindly looking, I don't know what I would have done differently, but something to try add some feel of curves to it somehow. The signs look great though.
-------------------- Brian Crothers CR Signs 1790 C Tamarac St. Campbell River B.C. V9W 3M6 briancrothers@crsigns.ca Posts: 82 | From: Campbell River B.C. Canada | Registered: Apr 2002
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-------------------- 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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Brian there is a panel yet to go up in the future on the blank space at eye level on the right hand side of the building. It will tell the history of the man Jackie Lennox.
in regards to the wood, we actually replaced the columns and corbels with new timber and since the premises had had timber for so long it needed a change.
to address your last comment, actually, to some extent means we suceeded in solving a certain problem. there is a band of concrete with re-enforcing steel that runs the length of the front and returns around the corner. We had to disguise that and try to prevent the overhang of the fascia from being imposing.
Thank you for the comments brian and i hope that makes it a little easier to understand our reasons for the different approaches.
This business which is a traditional chip shop is famous in the city. It uses seven tons of potatoes a week. the place deserved this kind of reworking!
one more close up
[ March 29, 2003, 04:40 AM: Message edited by: Miles Cullinane ]
-------------------- Miles Cullinane, Cork, Ireland.
From the sometimes sunny south of Ireland, Posts: 913 | From: Cork, Ireland | Registered: Jul 1999
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SEVEN TONS A WEEK!! That's a pile of potatoes, even in Ireland!
Seriously, Miles, this is stunningly gorgeous work. I'm pleased to have made the acquaintence of both Tomas and yourself, and it's clear that this is a productive relationship.
See you in Cork in August.
-------------------- "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
Cam Bortz Finest Kind Signs Pondside Iron works 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988" Posts: 3051 | From: Pawcatuck,Connecticut USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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-------------------- Jeff Vrstal Main Street Signs 157 E. Main Street Evansville, WI 53536 1-608-882-0322 Posts: 670 | From: Evansville, Wisconsin | Registered: Sep 2001
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Hope their Cod & Chips are as good as their signs because there are going to be a lot of signfolk hanging around outside in August, brilliant job mate absolutely gorgeous.
-------------------- Steve Broughton Alpha Grafix Signs Lowfields Road Benington, Boston Lincolnshire, England Posts: 315 | From: Boston, Lincolnshire, England | Registered: Aug 2001
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Miles, you have really done yourself proud. The work just broadcasts the finest quality in design and workmanship. We are very proud to have you among us.
-------------------- Bill Riedel Riedel Sign Co., Inc. 15 Warren Street Little Ferry, N.J. 07643 billsr@riedelsignco.com Posts: 2953 | From: Little Ferry, New Jersey, USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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of potatoes a week. the place deserved this kind of reworking!
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