Newbie alert, I need help on traditional signage please!

[David Rowland]

Get some lessons from Jodie (Daughter) :lol1: :lol1: :lol1:

[Peter Normington]

Rob,
can Lynn and I join you in your request, good idea, as we are also joining the the meet at the trossachs. What should we bring with us in the way of tools materials etc….

Peter

[Kevin Flowers]

Rob,
you may not like it but you are going to have to do it WET!

Kev

[John Simpson]

nice one Kev (hot)

[Nicola McIntosh]

quote Kevin Flowers:

Rob,
you may not like it but you are going to have to do it WET!
Kev

😉

nik

[Lynn Normington]

I don’t mind wet when it is needed 😀 nice one Kev 😎

Lynn

[David Rowland]

um.. perhaps buy some brushes?

[Lynn Normington]

what sort Dave (?)

Lynn

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Yup, wet it will be.
Typically at Letterhead meets, both panels (usually 12"x18" aluminum) and 1-Shot (sometimes Ronan) paints are provided.
You may want to make a pounce pattern beforehand.
Do you know what that is?
I will be bringing my sticky cruddy brushes with me.
You can borrow ’em if you want.
I never plan a panel, it just happens.
I’m thinking of bringing a panel with me from a friend in South Carolina, Donald Thompson.
He’s hosted a few Dixie meets, and I owe him one.
Usually at a meet I can paint up to 15 panels in a weekend, but I’ve eased up in my old age.
1-Shot is a slow dryer. But if the room is warm, it does tack up a bit faster.
And you can use a mahl stick to keep your hand out of the wet paint.
I usually paint flat (paint can’t drip if it’s flat)
but at a meet I like to act like a real sign painter and paint upright on an easel (provided at the meet)
Don’t be scared.
One of the mottoes of Letterheads is
"Leave your Ego at the door"
So even if your panel is really sucky, Rob, nobody will say so. 😉
Don’t stress. It’s all about the Brotherhood of the Brush.
And Breezers.
Love….Jill

[Lynn Normington]

Jill I am quiet serious now do we need to take any sort of equipment with us ? so we don’t look like complete fools 😳

Lynn

[Jill Marie Welsh]

I usually take a few brushes, some baby oil (for the brushes), my paperback Atkinson book of alphabets, and that’s it.
Most meets have all the paint and panels you need.
Some people bring their own kits, complete with paint, striping tape, stabilos, mahl stick etc.
One does NOT have to paint at a meet.
If there are gold leaf classes, that is usually donated by a supplier.
The best thing you can bring is a sense of humor, business cards, a camera, and an open mind.
People usually wear casual dress, including their shop t-shirts etc.
Expect to see LOTS of eye candy at this meet.
Love….Jill

[David Rowland]

lol… im sure Rob and Peter will dress to suit for you Jill :lol1:

[Nicola McIntosh]

quote Jill Marie Welsh:

The best thing you can bring is a sense of humor, business cards, a camera, and an open mind.

😉

nik

[Lynn Normington]

no worries Jill I’ve got those in abundance

thanks Lynn

[Robert Lambie]

wet it is i guess 😮 :lol1:

ok, maybe i should get some brushes in for this… god i am gonna live to regret it aint i? 😳 :lol1:

i have never painted or anything using an easel, think it might add to me problems… can i do this flat? do many folk point and snigger 😮 😳 :lol1: :lol1:

what the hell… we only live once 😉

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Just make something in advance and bring it!
I promise not to laugh.
Love….Jill

[Shane Drew]

Good onya Rob, Peter and Lynn for stepping outside of your comfort zone. Well done!

[Russ]

I think I have a tin of tartan paint here somewhere I was sent for it years ago and have never used it, it all yours if it will help.

Russ

[Harry Cleary]

Would love to join you all in the Trossacks folks, sounds like great fun, Rob, Lynn, after being a brushie for years I would suggest you buy some brushes for yourself, because no matter how generous the other signwriters are with their equipment, you will be more intimidated by it all, if you are also afraid of damaging brushes that dont belong to you. I buy mine from Wrights of Lymm. Although Jill works flat the best way to learn is by working at an easel, preferably standing as this allows you greater flexibility and the ability to step back to check your progress and with a mahl stick (get to grips with using this ”properly before you go, once mastered it is a resting platform,a straight edge, a compasss, and your best friend, ) Some advice that my father gave me starting out might also be relevant to you, ‘never let the brush dictate to you, you tell the brush what to do!’
Russ what do you put under that tartan paint?? 😀 😀 😀

[Shane Drew]

quote Harry Cleary:

Some advice that my father gave me starting out might also be relevant to you, ‘never let the brush dictate to you, you tell the brush what to do!’
😀 😀 😀

My dad gave me the same advice, but substituted *wife* for *brush*.

Hope Harrys dads advice works better for you than my dads advice for me 😳

[Peter Normington]

Jill, this may be a silly question, but what do you paint on the panels? Are they sort off samplers? or just what comes to mind at the time.

Jill, I know what a pounce is. ( Its what an American with a lisp changes her dollars into on arrival in the UK 😀 )

No seriously if I make a few pounce paterns up, what would you suggest I start with?

Peter

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Some people make panels that say the meet name.
Some make panels that say something about the letterheads (as in IOAFS… "It’s only a f*cking sign!)
Some make joke panels, that’s what I usually do.
Some bring a particular smaller sign in that they need help with.
Some paint on bowling pins or toilet seats and give them as gifts.
Usually the panels are given as a gift to the host, but some just collect their own panels.
There’s no real law.
Love….jill

[Robert Lambie]

i recon ill sketch something out, sorta sign for fun. i dont mind making an ar$e of it, i just see it as a must. you cant go to this sorta meet and not paint a sign of some sort. bit like going to paris and not visiting the tower. :lol1:

do folk swap panels jioll? i know they do on the letterhead site but wondered if they did at the meet. not saying anyone will want mine, but ill want theirs 😉 :lol1:

[Russ]

Harry if it’s real tartan paint the anwser is nothing 😉

I believe a few of the girls ( they know who they are ) have been asking Rob for some evidence about this for quite some time.

Russ

[Peter Normington]

quote Robert Lambie:

bit like going to paris and not visiting the tower. :lol1:

Rob not quite the same, If you are scared of heights, you can see the tower, but you dont have to go to the top of it!

At least I have some comfort in knowing that I will not be the only brush virgin…
I have a good idea for my first panel

Peter

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Yup we swap em.
Typically if someone gives me a positive comment, I just let them have the panel.
Unless it’s intended for a specific victim.
Love….Jill

[Robert Lambie]

well ill swap with peter, that way they will both be equally as bad. 😳 :lol1:

Paris thing… depends how you look at it, making a meet could be bigger than going to Paris. Also, i don’t like heights but i went right to top of Eiffel tower. :baby:

[John Singh]

Sounds like you guys are going to have a whale of a time
Somebody’s got to be taking a video of it all for sure

Oh! You can draw your template by hand or wait for inspiration on the day like in the ol’ days!

but you can also use your plotter to do a template on paper if you have a pen to go in the blade cartridge holder instead the blade.

You then chalk the back of the paper then lay your paper template on the work piece and draw over the top.
My plotter can also produce a pounce. That is a drawing with tiny holes that allow you to pounce the drawing with chalk which will find its way to the substrate beneath. Most plotters do this. My plotter is an old Graphtec CE1000-60

The time it saves us guys is unbelievable to the days when we marked out by hand

[Lynn Normington]

I know about the ponce thing John but Jill said we are supposed to take a panel (Jill if you are looking please explain) what sort of panel how big what shall it say ? don’t want to look foolish 😥

Lynn

[Robert Lambie]

im gonna go with the whole thing free hand. sketch it out and paint.
i think if i am gonna make a meal of it ide better do it right :lol1:
i will probably plan ahead though… doodle it out on paper with a pen a few days before the meet.

[Jill Marie Welsh]

You don’t have to take a panel.
I just always do.
Since I have given Stewart a panel in person tho, and since I have to take a plane, I’m not bringing a panel.
I’ll just wing it.
Love….Jill

[Nicola McIntosh]

quote John Singh:

You then chalk the back of the paper then lay your paper template on the work piece and draw over the top.

thats the way i used to do it too….one time i ran out of chalk and used carbon copy paper……bet everyone remembers that 😉

nik

[John Singh]

quote :

but Jill said we are supposed to take a panel

Is it going to be like the ‘X’ factor

Cos if it is you could take along your Karioke Machine Lynn

[Lynn Normington]

don’t have one John and if I did it would be a very short meeting 😛 😛

Lynn

[John Barr]

Rob can give u brushes, to use! cammy can pick them up of ov me, and return when ure finished JOHN BARR JBS, cant make it up to trossachs, all the best JOHN

[Robert Lambie]

hi john
thats very generous of you mate… i may well do that thank you.
i never seen your post/reply till now. i was actually going to ask…

"what brushes should i buy. i dont mean top end fancy ones, just general painting and lettering, do you paint from the tin or pallet or something?"

i thought i might order some from handovers and keep them for future use.

thanks for any advice. 😀

john, you should try coming up mate, im sure you will love it.

[John Barr]

Hullo again rob, you can buy synthetic brushes, ie, nylon, they dont perform as good as pure sable, but a lot cheaper, if you want to start to dabble? you could start on a size 2, 4, 6, that way you are in between small to medium size letters, 20 mm- 150mm, there is a contact in cathcart glasgow, james laird goldbeaters ltd, ask for Kenny or steven, great service, tel 0141 637 8288. tel youve spoke to me, all the best JOHN JBS

[Robert Lambie]

thanks a million john, ill do that mate 😉

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Don’t be a cheapskate…go for the damn sable!
Synthethics suck, at least when I use them.
Love….Jill

[John Singh]

I agree!
Just go for the sable don’t mess with the other stuff

Some use a palette and dippers, some don’t
Some use small containers

I use palette and dippers for convenience (along with the mahl stick)

[Harry Cleary]

With Synthetic you’ll be pathetic, but with Sable your able!!!!!

[John Singh]

quote :

With Synthetic you’ll be pathetic, but with Sable your able!!!!!

:lol1: :lol1:

With the right paint you’ll be a saint! With the wrong muck you’ll end up stuck!

[peter hardwicki]

rob!! don’t mess about!! just get sables-proper stuff! you will have them for years. get a N02, 4, 6. they should be ok. I’ve tried loads of diferent brushes, but like John Singh, i use handover 2112- the guv’nor of the brush world. good luck mate 🙂

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Even a lesser expensive Luco quill is better than a synthetic.
I just pallette my brush on the edge of my cup.
I rarely thin the paint either, but if I do I use Chromatic Edge.
If need be, I’ll use turps but never mineral spirits.
As for brush sizes,
If you buy a 2, get a 4 and so on…either go by odds or evens but not both.
Sometimes there are brush vendors at the meet.
That’s usually where you can snag the koolest brushes like the Swirly-Q.
But I think that’s longer than your arm Rob.
Love….jill

[peter hardwicki]

jill, tell me more about the "trossachs" thing! how long has it been going, how many people etc?

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Peter, the info is right here on this site!
https://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=16561
It is a Letterhead meet.
The letterheads is a group of signpainters and makers who get together when possible.
We paint, talk about signs, have classes, and party.
It is a life-changing experience.
I hosted the International Letterheads meet in Mars, PA in 2002.
http://www.letterhead.com/meets/mars2002/
I’ve been a Letterhead since 1994.
Stewart McLaren is hosting this one.
He is quite the character.
Famous Heads will be there too, like Mike Meyer and John Jordan.
It is well worth the money to attend…it’s costing me about $1100 all told!
Get those saggy jeans to Scotland!
Love….Jill

[signworxs]

I’m there. got to keep my eye on rob. Rob there may well be some brushes for sale at the meet but Handovers do the 2112 range of sable chisle edge brushes and for a no2, a 4, and a 6 should be about £15/£20 max. Paul

[Robert Lambie]

ok, update from me…
i had to call handovers today regarding stuff for the letterhead meet, so while i was on i renewed my signcraft subscription 😛 and bought some of those sable brushes, 2, 4, 6, chisel and same pointed. "i think" 😕 cost about £35 for the brushes etc guy musta thought i was a right pillock 😳 kept asking was i making sense :lol1:
anyway, came off phone and fogot i hadnt ordered a bloody mahl stick 😕

[Lynn Normington]

so my b & q paint brushes six in a pac no good 🙄

Lynn

[Andrew Boyle]

Rob I wouldn’t worry about the mahl stick…………… When I saw traditional signwriters doing off set drop shadows at Dave’s course I was amazed and useless at the same time………

Still got the one shot in the garage…lookin’ it out …. better open them before heading off…….

I’m looking forward to learning, being embarrased,amazed and remaining sober.

[and off course seeing Peter in a kilt]
😀

[Lynn Normington]

Andrew I understand embarrased ,amazed but sober 😛 😛 😛 😛

Lynn

[Robert Lambie]

i can manage embarressed, but cant mix it with sober. 😕
ive "never" painted a sign ever… last i painted something was at school. but i have dabbled in gold leaf, craving etc when i say dabble i mean playing. :lol1:

[Lynn Normington]

p.s. can’t edit in this post I’m looking forward to seeing Peter in a kilt as well, which Tartan should he choose as a non scot

Lynn

[Andrew Boyle]

are there going to be ANY computers (?)

[Lynn Normington]

Andrew (?) (?) (?)

Lynn

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Somebody will surely have a laptop somewhere….
Perhaps Rob will pack one in his Sporran!
Love….Jill

[Robert Lambie]

i will have my laptop yeh… need it for internet connection 😳 :lol1:

[Lynn Normington]

you must have a big sporran then Rob 🙂 🙂 🙂

Lynn