Hi from aspiring sign writer!

[Robert Lambie]

Hi mate & WELCOME TO THE SITE!.. Thanks for joining in, your more than welcome…..

Im not the one that will be able to give you much advice, if any. On traditional signage. But there are many very very talented traditional sign writers on this site..
You know who you are guys 😉 SHARE some of your well-earned experience. 😉 😀

[Henry Barker]

Hi John,

Welcome to the site! I just had a look at your site….you do some great work there. I am going to go back and look some more later.

I have a book here Signwork by Bill Stewart ISBN 0-632-03365-7, thats a very good book for traditional work, then there is Mike Stevens Mastering Layout ISBN 0-911380-68-X, I have some good pictorial books by AJ Lewery Signwritten Art, Flowers Afloat (longboat art), and his Popular Art.

A.S Handover in London make all their own brushes, and have a good range, they also sell loads of other signwriters and art supplies, lettering enamel, books gold leaf etc. They have a good catalogue call and speak to Micheal Venus 0207 359 4696.

There used to be a place in Crewe that did courses in signwriting but we’re talking 25 years ago when I first thought it might be fun to do, I am sure people in the UK can fill you in there. Pete Witney, Steve Broughton
etc.

Edit:

I just wanted to add that even with a move to London, independant pub signs, with your illustrative skills, would be a possible niche for you, I believe even with all the advent of computers and digital this and that, there is still a good market for old fashioned skills. People like to see life and quality in signs not just a digital print with a bit of vinyl on it.

It depends on what you want to do, Stanley Chew painted over 600 pub signs, there’s a book on that too by John Martin Stanley Chew’s Pub Signs, ISBN 1-85421-225-7 It may be out of print but his wife had some and I got mine through a secondhand bookshop.

Good luck

[Lee Attewell]

Hi John, welcome to the site. WOW I’ve just had a quick look at your site, amazing stuff.

Lee

[steve]

Welcome to the UKSG John I TOO HAVE HAD A GOOD LOOK AT YOUR SITE YOU HAVE AN AMAZING TALENT i can signwrite in the traditional way but like so many of us the talent tends to get pushed to one side when computers can do what the hand does in a fraction of the time .. and time is money!
You , in my humble opinion are wasting your undoubted talent in even considering trad signwriting although it will no doubt be very satisfying for you to master a new skill it will not pay the bills especially if your intended move to London happens.
This industry is cut throat and is getting worse by the day.
Trad signwriting is not a way of expanding your skills by the look of your skills you would be far far better off in the high end graphics market as an illustrator or visualiser in a top Design or advertising agency of which there are many in the capital.Conference and Exhibition design/visualisers are like gold dust.
You could also ply your trade doing commission work especially for the States painting English landmarks and selling online or on e-bay, taking an e-bay worldwide shop.
The sign trade is great with a vast amount of satisfaction but with business as it is there will be few takers for the type of skill that you will develop it is not cost effective any longer.For a comaratively small finantial outlay coupled with advice and help from the members on this excellent forum you can , I am sure start to swell your income in a more cost effective way as most of us do GET A COMPUTER AND PLOTTER…. BUT PLEASE DO NOT HANG UP YOUR BRUSHES your skills are mind blowing and needed by many big agency names in this country.
The very very best of luck whatever you decide to do your dogs are stunning would you paint the wife ?? 😮 😮

[John Carwithen]

Many thanks for all your compliments, comments and advice Robert, Henry, Leeroy, and Steve.
I didn`t expect such quick responses.

Yes Henry I was thinking of pub signs in particular and am glad for any tips from anyone regarding that. Know any other people who do this with a web site I can see?
Thanks for such detail Steve and ironically I turned down visualising in ad agencies 20 years ago, because I didn`t want to burn out London style! That doesn`t rule it out now though. Worth considering.
I need extra income whilst building up some exhibition work (could take a year) and figured sign writing may not wear me out as much as visualising say, so I still have energy to paint. But then it could pay better so I slog a while then live off the money a year and paint those pictures.
Lots to think about.

Thanks all.

[Steve Broughton]

John, contrary to what Steve said there are still plenty of signmakers out there making a very good living with a brush, they have a computer and a plotter too, I know personally at least a dozen or so making brilliant signs using traditional tools and techniques, give AS Handovers a ring and ask them if they have a copy of “Letterheads” magazine Volume 6 No.1 “The British issue”, its an american publication but features the skills of 15 excellent british signwriters, especially a bloke called Terry Colley who is one of the best pictorial pub sign painters you’ll find.
It really depends on the market you want to aim at, if you’re going for the full blown commercial signmaker then Steve’s dead right the only thing you’ll paint is the walls in the workshop, but on the other hand if you want to go the way of the signmaker that wants to do tradional as well as modern signs then I suggest you buy 3 things, a subscription to Signcraft magazine, subscription to Letterheads magazine and a copy of “The Secrets of Design” by our Mike Brown Mike, commision? Mike! Mike!!!! 😉 😆

[John Carwithen]

Thanks for your help Steve and I`m onto it as they say, but maybe you can save me some web hunting?
Do you have any idea about what I may have to spend on a plotter to suit my needs, supposing I`m keeping it simple for say pub signs, facias, sign boards etc.?

Knew I should have tried male escorting, much simpler, but now the belly has kicked in…

[Steve Broughton]

Oh bugger thats like the kind of question I get from the punters “how much is a sign” buy the best you can afford mate, they start about £1100 I think, I run a Roland PNC 1200 610 mm wide but will only cut 560 mm wide, if I was to buy a new one then I’d probably get a 750mm wide one, Roland, Graphtec, Summa all good manufacturers, you know what they say, “you pay your money and take your choice” although you don’t need a big one (ooh err missus 😮 ) to make great looking signs, just ask Mike Brown how big his is 😮 😮 😮 😆
This truck I did about 5 years ago and that leaf is nearly 8 feet high’ it was cut in sections on a my plotter and tiled, a bit like horizontal wallpapering. 😎

[Pete Witney]

John, welcome to the site.Wow some cracking work.Can,t really add much,from a signwriting point of view I think Henry and Steve have most things covered.There was a course at Hammersmith and West London College in Shepherds Bush up until a couple of years ago,run by Bruce Barber, and I think there was another in Lewisham.I do believe there is a call for hand painted work but it seems to take quite a time to build a reputation which is something you may not have(time that is)A friend of mine does very well painting backdrops for themed party and corporate event organisers.My wife used to work for a company called Sign Emporium in Barking, Essex, painting advertising hoardings,they’ve probably gone digital by now but might be worth a try.If I can be of any help on the signwriting side please feel free to call,good luck

[John Carwithen]

thanks for that Pete.
Saw your site and like your stuff and you probably define the way I want to go most.
But I wouldn`t mind betting that Vincent is yours, in which case jealousy entitles me to take all that back!

Couldn`t get links to work on your pub sign?
Wouldn`t mind help there – what paints do you use, wood, preparation, varnish etc. If you prefer me ring you, just say so you are not typing all day!

thanks,

[Pete Witney]

John, certainly give me a call.01947 604423,you’ll probably get my beautiful assistant(wife Jo) or 07775774323.Jo actually painted one of the pub signs on the website,she tends to do anything with people or animals .Unfortunately the Vincent isn’t mine,I’ve never progressed any further than Triumphs.Talk to you soon

[Joe McNamara]

Just had a quick look at your site John 😮
Wow! Amazing work there sir!
Anyway you must be mad to want to be in this game when you can do the work you do! 😀
Cheers
Joe

[John Carwithen]

Glad you like the art Joe!
Don`t worry, I`m not giving it up, just looking for extra income while I build up stock for exhibitions end of 2004 and maybe beyond that.
Never had a one man exhibition before for this reason of having to spend a lot of time painting without `repayment` much later and a failed attempt to move to Ibiza has lost me momentum at painting commissions in the dog world.
Also want to move to London and so need more income.

All about money.

Thanks again.

[steve]

John have you thought about setting up an art shop on e-bay? that way you could sell your work worldwide at very little outlay you could also attract commissions.
I have been dealing on e-bay.com for about 3 months its like winning the lottery slowly!
Has anyone else got the e-bay bug ..if you haven’y you should!

[John Carwithen]

hi Steve and yes that idea you mentioned about ebay has played on my mind.
I had been so focused on other things recently, but it`s worth a serious look because my work comes across well through a monitor and is small enough to post.
Funnily enough, I had decided to look tonight at ebay and get some info.
Any tips about dealing with ebay?

many thanks,

[steve]

John firstly you must register, there is a wealth of information on their site giving tips on every concieveable e- bay info you will ever need- it is addictive after your first sale on there it is easy- if i can help with any specifics please ask- there is an extremely good helpline on there covering all types of Q AND A combinations.
First tip is to put a reserve on your work do not be tempted to sell cheaply it wont be long before potential buyers will hit you with bids it really is great fun watching the bids mount up on screen.
Dont expect it all to happen quickly itsall about waiting and watching what other people do treat all the mountains of tips as gospel the whole thing is extremely well run and interesting and can be very very profitable there are several sections that deal with art and collectables my advice is to set up a shop AFTERr you are totally familiar with the way its all done make sure you read all about the scams that exist as there are unscrupulous dealers on there as well as very very nice people to deal with
Good luck keep me in your loop im very interested in how it goes
regards

[John Carwithen]

many thanks again for your time Steve.

I will get to it and let you know how it goes, but nothing to sell for a little while because most work is promised to my gallery man, but it won`t be long.

Got one 4` square Tiger`s head though that needs a big USA type house to cope with it`s impact.

[steve]

GRRRRRR GREAT take 2 good digi pics, major detailed description, of it bang it on in collectibles section with a reserve of min £250 get a very accurate despatch cost to say California and wait!

[flyingsplash]

Hi john, if your thinking of getting back to roots, get hold of a copy of signcraft magazine (usa) or contact the uk letterheads movement links at http://www.letterheads.com, ive being painting signs now for 18 years, ive had cutters, sold em & now selling a d60 as the only time it gets used when im cutting blast masks, & most of them get cut by hand. for me its workedout best, most (all) of my work is painted carved sculpted etc. its a specialist market but by combining exellence in layout with traditional painted airbrush enhanced work & dimentional stuff take it from me john dont let this oppotunity pass you by, any advice you need feel free to get in touch. So long for now. peter brooks .signtheme

[Bill Dewison]

Hi and welcome John 😀

Had a quick browse on your website, you do some smart work, wish I could do that. If the requirement of my subject was to look like a badly drawn matchstick man, I’d be knocking out portraits quicker than you could say jack rabbit 😕 😉

Look forward to seeing your input on the boards John 🙂

Cheers, Dewi

[Robert Lambie]

ive been looking at your site also mate.. some cracking stuff, i really mean that..
why not posts something in the “show us your stuff forum” would love to see it.
like the others say there is lots of brill traditional sign writers out there.
we have some from the usa visit us also. if your looking on the web you wont go wrong by visiting letterheads and asking around. 😉

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Wow John what a talent you have there!
*What Henry said…maybe high-end pub signs could be your forte!
*you want to get A Magazine About Letterheads?
It is produced near me by a guy named Jeff Lang…
he has been across the pond before but I was with him
at the Cork meet last year. Contact info is:
oldelangsigns@msn.com
It is $32/year and worth every penny. It is geared towards “artsy” signs.
*SignCraft is also a magazine I would recommend to anyone.
http://www.signcraft.com $38/year
*There is a man I met at Cork named Paul Hooper,
a traditional signwriter from Bridgend (or however you spell it)
in Wales. He is a Letterhead
who would probably like to see your work.
Maybe look him up!
I think you have great potential.
Remember a plotter is only a machine.
It is great for making pounce patterns tho.
Computer-assisted design can be great fun.
But nothing beats being able to paint!
(just slightly prejudiced)
Love-JILL & pleased to meetcha
(Robbie…hope the magazine plugs are OK to post) 😉

[AaSk4Stickers]

Awesome John

Stay with the brushes as the others have said.

Kind regards from just accross the border

Alan in Shropshire

[Nicola McIntosh]

fantastic talent you have john! i love your abstracts, what method did you actually do to get the effects? (if you don’t mind me asking!)

Nik

[Gazza]

Hi John, i am amazed at the quality of your work! amazing what a good eye and a few brushes can do. I’m all fingers and no thumbs so can never do things that big. I keep trying though…….. Can i end this with a small note on your website please. Can you ask who does (or if you do it yourself) you site to disable “right click” as this is an easy way of stealing your work!, also a digimark in the graphics will enable you to trace them wherever they are in the world if someone does blag the images!. Keep up the good work mate!

Gaz