Original poster, THE AMERICAN GARAGES


OKAY, SINCE SOME OF YOU GUYS WANTED TO SEE HOW I PERFORM SOME HOMEMADE SIGN MAGIC, I FIGURE I SHOULD SHARE MY METHODS. I HAVE NEVER TAKEN ANY CLASSES IN GRAPHIC ARTS OR PHOTOSHOP! IT'S ALL SELF TAUGHT AND FIGURED OUT ON MY OWN!

MOST OF THE MANY HANDPAINTED SIGNS THAT I'VE DONE OVER THE LAST 10 OR SO YEARS COME FROM USUALLY WANTING A NICE LOOKING SIGN THAT IN REAL LIFE WOULD CARRY A STAGGERING
PRICE TAG....HENCE NOT WANTING IT THAT BADLY. MY IDEA WAS TO BE CREATIVE ENOUGH AND TAKE THE TIME TO MAKE THE SAME SIGN AND ARTWORK AT A FRACTION OF THE COST AND BE PROUD OF SOMETHING I MADE FROM PRACTICALLY NOTHING!

I'LL ENLIGHTEN YOU WITH THE LAST SIGN I DID BACK IN OCTOBER. IT WAS A COOPER TIRES OVAL
COMMONLY USED IN THE 1960'S. I DIDN'T PICK ANY PARTICULAR SIZE, IT WAS ABOUT THE HEIGHT OF A 24" WIDE PIECE OF 1/8" TEMPERED MASONITE. I SOMETIMES ALSO USE 5/8" MEDIUM DENSITY BOARD IF IT'S SOMETHING I PLAN ON FRAMING WITH A BORDER IN THE END. MOST OF MY DIE-CUT SIGNS ARE ON THE MASONITE LIKE THIS COOPER TIRES SIGN.

OKAY LET'S GET STARTED!

WHAT I'LL DO FIRST IS TRY TO LOCATE THE SIGN FOR THE ARTWORK IN QUESTION FOR THE PROJECT. EITHER A COLLECTIBLES GUIDE, THE INTERNET, ETC. IS ALL YOU NEED TO GET SOMETHING DECENT. ONCE I HAVE THE ARTWORK, I USE PHOTOSHOP TO CLEAN IT UP WITH ALL EDGES NICE AND CRISP - LIKE THIS:



THIS SHOWS ME WHAT MY FINISHED SIGN WILL LOOK LIKE OF COURSE, BUT I HAVE TO TAKE IT ONE STEP FURTHER. PHOTOSHOP HAS A FILTER CALLED "FIND EDGES" WHICH BASICALLY GIVES YOU A LINE DRAWING FOR TRACING - LIKE THIS:



THEN I PRINT IT OUT ON A PLAIN WHITE PIECE OF 8.5"X11" WHITE PAPER....



ONE MORE STEP....I HAVE TO TRANSFER THIS SHEET TO A TRANSPARENCY TO USE LATER ON MY
OVERHEAD PROJECTOR. I SIMPLY RUN IT THROUGH MY PLAIN PAPER FAX MACHINE COPYING IT ONTO THE TRANSPARENCY (SOLD AT OFFICE SUPPLY STORES FOR THIS PURPOSE)....



NEXT I SET UP MY OVERHEAD PROJECTOR THAT I BOUGHT SLIGHTLY USED FROM A SCHOOL AUCTION FOR THIS PURPOSE (ON EBAY!). I SET MY 2'X4' MASONITE VERTICAL ON A SHELF ACROSS FROM THE PROJECTOR AND CLAMP IT STEADY. I THEN LAY THE TRANSPARENCY ON THE PROJECTOR AND POSITION IT SO THAT THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE OVAL ALMOST FILLS THE 2' OF MASONITE. I FOCUS AND REPOSITION UNTIL IT'S JUST RIGHT AND THEN TAPE THE TRANS TO THE PROJ SO IT WON'T BE DISTURBED.



I PROCEED TO TRACE ONLY THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE SIGN....NOT THE ARTWORK...NOT YET!

I REMOVE THE MASONITE AND SHUT OFF THE PROJECTOR. USING A FINE BLADED JIG-SAW, I CUT OUT THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE OVAL. I LIGHTLY SAND IT WITH 220, BRUSH IT OFF AND THEN PRIMER IT WITH ZINSER 1,2,3 USUALLY WITH A ROLLER. IT'S WATER BASE, SO EASY CLEAN UP!
I SET IT ASIDE TO DRY FOR A FEW HOURS....



THE NEXT STEP IS TO REPOSITION THE PRIMED OVAL MASONITE BACK ON THE SHELF WITH THE PROJECTOR ON AND LINE EVERYTHING BACK UP. SOMETIMES IT'S EASY...SOMETIMES NOT! I JUST DO THE BEST I CAN AND DEAL WITH IT LATER! OKAY FOR THE OUTSIDE BORDER WHICH YOU RECALL IS RED, I USE A RED MARKER TO TRACE OUT THAT LINE ONLY. SINCE THE BALANCE OF THE SIGN INSIDE THE WHITE BORDER IS DARK BLUE, I USED A BLACK SHARPIE TO TRACE OUT THE REST. WHEN DONE THE OVAL LOOKS LIKE THIS AND IS READY TO BE PAINTED....



WHEN READY TO PAINT, I STARTED WITH THE DARK BLUE. BTW, I ALWAYS HAVE A COLOR PRINT OUT OF WHAT THE SIGN SHOULD LOOK LIKE HANDY FOR REFERENCE....AVOIDING MISTAKES THAT CAN HAPPEN!



AND WITH THE BLUE FINISHED....



I USUALLY USE ABOUT 3 SIZES OF BRUSHES:
1/4" FOR LARGE FILL AREAS
1/8" FOR TIGHT AREAS
1/16" FOR VERY TIGHT DETAILED AREAS

ONCE THE BLUE WAS DRY....10-12 HOURS (OVERNIGHT) WITH OIL BASED PAINTS WHICH I THINK REPRESENT A HANDPAINTED SIGN THE BEST WHEN FINISHED...LOOKING ALMOST PORCELAIN! I THEN DID THE WHITE AREAS...THE KNIGHT'S HEAD, COOPER, TIRES AND THE INNER BORDER. AFTER THAT DRIES, IT'S ONTO THE RED OUTTER BORDER FOR A FINISH. ABOUT 3-4 HOURS OF WORK TOTAL AT A COST OF UNDER $10 FOR MATERIAL. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT SIGN PAINTERS GET FOR LABOR! NOT A PROBLEM!

HERE IT IS:



TURNS OUT THAT IT MEASURES 23.5" x 39"

IT'S FUN AND A CHALLENGE TO DUPE SOMETHING SO EXACTLY. IT RELAXES ME AND KEEPS WHADS OF MONEY IN MY POCKET! LOL!

HOPE THIS WAS EDUCATIONAL FOR SOME OF YOU AS WELL AS ENTERTAINING! I WILL POST MORE OF MY HANDPAINTED CREATIONS WITHIN THIS THREAD IN THE FUTURE!

THANKS!

~DOC @ THE AMERICAN GARAGES

WHAT I USED TO DO IN THE OLD DAYS WAS LOOK THRU PRICE GUIDES WITH GOOD CRYSTAL CLEAR PICS AND SHOOT SLIDE FILM WITH A CLOSE-UP LENS ON MY CAMERA. I SHOOT 24 PICS GET THE SLIDES DEVELOPED AND THEN DO WHAT EVER SIGNS I WANTED USING A SLIDE PROJECTOR WHICH IS SIMILAR BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THE PRINTING AND COPYING OBVIOUSLY. I WOULD ALSO USE NEGATIVES IN PLACE OF SLIDE FILM IN A SLIDE HOLDER. PLASTIC ONES THAT SNAP OPEN AND YOU PLACE THE 35MM FRAME YOU WANT INSIDE AND CLOSE IT. IT'S MOSTLY ABOUT TRACING LINES FROM WHAT THE PROJECTOR OR OVERHEAD GIVES YOU!

HERE'S AN INDIAN HEAD MOTOR OIL SIGN THAT TOOK ABOUT A WEEK TO MAKE SINCE IT'S LARGER AND HAD A FRAME ADDED TO IT AFTERWARDS:



AN ORIGINAL EXAMPLE WOULD COST IN THE THOU$ANDS, MINE COST ABOUT $50 AND APPROX. 16-18 HOURS OF WORK. I USED A SLIDE PROJECTOR BACK IN DEC 2004 ON THIS ONE:



AND A CLOSE-UP OF THE BULL-NOSED TWO-TONE TRIM I ADDED AFTER THE GRAPHICS PART WAS FINISHED:



ONE OF MY BEST SIGNS TO DATE....HANGS IN MY LIVING ROOM!

~DOC

SIZE: 24" ON 1/2" MED DENSITY BOARD.



SIZE: 24" ON 1/2" MED DENSITY BOARD.

THANKS!

~DOC

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT PROJECTING THESE IMAGES IS THAT YOU CAN GO VERY LARGE AND SMALL OF COURSE. I'M THINKING THAT'S HOW THEY PAINTED SIDES OF TRUCKS IN THE OLD DAYS....WITH ARTWORK PROJECTED ONTO THE TRAILERS?

ANYWAY, HERE'S A COUPLE MORE

THIS GULF I DID 11 YEARS AGO:



SIZE: 24" ON 1/4" MASONITE.

FOLLOWED BY THIS CHEVRON:



SIZE: 31" HIGH x 24" WIDE ON 1/4" MASONITE.

THANKS!

~DOC