Opportunities to learn sign painting are less prevalent than they once were, but opportunities do exist for the curious, and those more serious about a career in the trade. Sam Roberts highlights some of these opportunities
Despite the resurgence in sign painting, and interest in learning the craft, there hasn’t been a widespread reopening of technical courses, nor apprenticeship opportunities.
Those recently entering the trade have largely done so through a combination of workshops, short apprenticeships, online resources, and books such as Sign Painting.
Each of these can play a role and, depending on your motivation for learning, some may be more suitable than others. And, if you’re serious about sign painting as a career, you’re going to have to supplement these with hundreds of hours of practise.
In-person sign painting workshops are an excellent way to get some brush time, and perfect for those that are curious or just wanting to give it a try. They vary in length and format, from a one-day ‘toe-dip’ to longer multi-day experiences, and costs depend on the teacher, location, and duration of the workshop.
You won’t be taking on commercial jobs after a single workshop, but you’ll know what materials you need, and what to practise. You'll also connect with people that are equally interested in the craft of sign painting.
Workshops are happening around the world, and the page at bl.ag/eventlistings is kept up-to-date with details of these events.
The age-old way to learn a craft is through an apprenticeship, traditionally lasting from three to seven years. These days, at least in sign painting, these opportunities are largely restricted to family businesses.
However, there are firms that will take someone on if they show a genuine passion for the craft and a hunger to learn. These informal apprenticeships can last from a month to a year or more if there is an eventual exchange of value. They won’t have you on the brush straight away, but are invaluable experiences if you work hard and keep an open mind about what you’re asked to do.
The largest structured programme in the world is run by Colossal Media in New York, and this is for those that are serious about getting into the large-scale wall signs that are their speciality.
There are now very few technical courses teaching sign painting, but those that do allow you to learn in a formal setting over an extended period of time.
The longest running and most comprehensive course in the world is Sign Graphics at Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC). This is a two-year programme spread over four semesters, and focuses on traditional hand-lettering and sign painting, with forays into vinyl application, digital learning on SignLab, and gilding.
The new Signwriting course at Ballyfermot Training Centre in Dublin, Ireland, is then a six-month programme of study in the crafts of sign painting and gilding for sign work. Students work through design and lettering, to the final application of paint and gold leaf. There is also instruction in using computers for sign design.
For Danish speakers, there’s the Sign Technician course at College360 in Silkeborg, Denmark. This three- to four-year course oscillates between taught classes and placements within a sign firm, known as an ‘an exchange education’, with final qualification via the traditional journeyman’s test.
One silver lining around the Covid-19 cloud has been the growth of online learning opportunities. These include synchronous courses, where you are with the teacher in real-time, and those that are asynchronous and accessed ‘on-demand’.
The benefits of learning online are fairly obvious; they include the ability to study from wherever you are in the world, and a lower price point than an equivalent in-person experience.
On the downside, you’re largely on your own when it comes to actually practising, and it isn’t as easy to get the quality of feedback that a teacher by your side can offer. Additionally, on-demand courses rely on your own determination and discipline to work through the lessons.
Leading asynchronous courses include those from John King’s LetterArt Academy, Mastering the Art of Signwriting for Beginners with Liane Barker, and the Signpainters Academy from Paul Myerscough.
Liane Barker also provides one-to-one online tuition and mentoring in a range of skills, while Joby Carter offers a series of three evening classes on his Absolute Beginners course which is delivered live.
There are also online courses teaching more specialist skills and techniques: Gustavo Ferrari’s Learn Fileteado Porteño course covers the techniques associated with this vernacular artform from Buenos Aires; David A. Smith recently launched his first online course, An Introduction to Glass Gilding; and Barbara Enright and Carla Hackett have their Learn Brush Lettering course available online.
I’ll be discussing the Letterheads in more detail in a future column, but for now I’ll just say that these are informal gatherings of those in, and interested in, the craft of sign painting. They vary in size, take place regularly around the world, and you can find a host of reviews of past events at bl.ag/tag/letterheads.
The journey of a thousand signs with a single stroke, and there's now nothing stopping you beginning your adventure in sign painting. Sign up for a workshop or course, and look out for other sign painting events and exhibitions where you can connect with others and build your network.
Sam Roberts is the editor and publisher of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine), the world's only print and online publication dedicated to sign painting.
He has written numerous books and articles on the craft and its history, and first became interested in the topic via the fading ‘ghost’ signs around London.
SignLink subscribers can sign up with a special discount to the publication via bl.ag/signlink.
Find more about Roberts and his work via:
