Brush Skills, Vintage Signs, Podcasts, and More from BLAG Members

A Call for Help

First, some tragic news from Rhode Island, where the brilliant Shawn Gilheeney at Providence Painted Signs (@providencepaintedsigns) has had an accident putting him out of work for the foreseeable future. His friend has set up a Gofundme, which I hope you'll donate to and share within your network.

Shawn at Pronk (Providence Honk) from when I was lucky enough to visit in 2015.

Here is Faythe Levine commenting on my corresponding instagram post:

"I just want to remind folks that ANY amount can make a difference in these mutual aid fundraisers—it all adds up. So think of it like buying a coffee for a lovely human if you can kick down $5 ❤"

Vintage Signs, Painted

Katy V. Meehan (@katyvmeehan) has just opened her online shop where she's selling limited edition prints of her paintings of vintage American signs. (And flowers, one of which is already sold out.)

Detail from Katy V. Meehan's Solo Cleaners print.

Katy was one of the contributors to BLAG Meet: Inside Issue 04 earlier this month, and I've now published the recording from her demonstration. In it she talks about her inspiration and process, and shows how she works with different tools to create her painted signs.

What’s Inside Issue 04 of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine)?

Between the covers of the adventures in sign painting in Issue 04 of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine).

BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & Culture •Better Letters

Brush Skills Online

Liane Barker (@barker_signs) has opened enrolment for her new online course, Mastering the Art of Signwriting. The first unit, Mastering the Art of Brush Skills, is now available with a series of short videos detailing brush technique, tools of the trade, and brush care.

Mastering the Art of Brush Skills is the first unit in Liane Barker's new online course.

Stay tuned for more from Liane when I share the recording from last year's BLAG Chat: 40 Years a Sign Painter.

Single Stroke Practise Poster

Shortly after publishing Jenna Homen's piece on the foundational strokes for the Gothic alphabet I got the news that John King (@johnking101) has released another in his series of practise posters. This one is for single stroke block lettering, and I've added it to the further resources on Jenna's article.

John King's single stroke block lettering practise poster.

Intro to Foundational Sign Painting Strokes: The Gothic Alphabet

Building the Gothic (Block) alphabet with tips on brush technique, materials, and practise strokes.

BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & Culture •Jenna Homen

A Pair of Podcasts

Kelsi Sharp (@sharpsignco) in Minneapolis appeared on the JoContractor Show. She talks about throwing herself in at the deep end on her first big hand-painted sign, the challenges of bidding jobs, her tools of the trade, and more.

Kelsi Sharp (yellow hat) and team JoConstructor Show.

Meanwhile, Mark Josling (@spectrumsigns) was interviewed for the Wayfinding X Change podcast from Endpoint. He discusses his own learning journey, the contemporary ressurgence in sign painting, and the diversity of work that he continues to undertake for his various clients.

For more podcasts, check out the 'Sonic Sign Painters' post at bl.ag online.

Sonic Sign Painters: Ten Podcasts For Your Enjoyment

Podcasts featuring interviews with sign painters around the world sharing their lives and work.

BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & Culture •Better Letters

The Complete Commercial Artist

Letterform Archive’s (@letterformarchive) latest publication looks a treat, including a chapter on ‘Designs for Practical Sign Boards’. The Complete Commercial Artist: Making Modern Design in Japan, 1928–1930 by Gennifer Weisenfeld is a retrospective of "the most important Japanese design publication of its time".

Spread showing the opening of Chapter 7: Designs for Practical Signboards from The Complete Commercial Artist.

'Inside Letterform Archive' is a regular BLAG column and you can catch up on the first two via the digital back issues.

BLAG (Better Letters Magazine) Back Issues

Back Issues for BLAG: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & Culture.

BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & Culture •Better Letters

BLAG 02 also contains an extended feature on the history of sign painting in Japan, including profiles of those working in the trade today.

What’s Inside BLAG (Better Letters Magazine) Issue 02?

A taste of the adventures in sign painting inside Issue 02 of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine).

BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & Culture •Better Letters

Three for the Road

• Sthlm Signs (@sthlm_signs) hosted a huge workshop-cum-letterheads in Stockholm earlier this month with an international cast of instructors: Pieter Liedberg (@letter_boy), Kenji Nakayama (@kngee), and Ged Palmer (@theluminorsignco). Keep in touch with future happenings via the BLAG Worldwide Events News email list.
• Michelle 'Meng' Nguyen (@allthingsmeng) and her partner Jeffrey Larrimore (@okayjeffrey) have custom built a dream pouncing/sign painting station for their new studio. They shared the process here on instagram.
• Tozer Signs (@tozersigns) is hosting the next Burds of the Brush in Bristol in October. It sold out on the day it was announced, but I'll be sharing some highlights in a future issue of BLAG. For now, you can catch up with the Burds feature in BLAG 03.

Presentations at the end of Sthlm Signs' international sign painting workshop in Stockholm.

All good things, Sam

bl.ag / sam@bl.ag / @betterletters / @blag@typo.social