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PAINTING THE LETTERS

 For 95% of the jobs, 

Block lettering (your own version)

and 'Quick bash', are  sufficient.

OK. OFF WE GO . . .

You have the paint  ~ 'synthetic enamel' 

(Whatever that is)

and some turps ~ synthetic turps is ok.

When you get a new tin of paint -

It's been on the shelf a long time. 

It's settled, like mud in a pond

Take the top off

Stir

Add a LITTLE turps.

Stir again

Put the lid back on

Give it a shake.

Paint a stroke somewhere to test it.

Still a bit thick?

Put some in a cardboard cup and add a bit more turps

Paint eats through a plastic cup.

Goodbye shirt and trousers.

Been there. Done that.

We do not want the paint in the tin to be

TOO thin and runny and dripping,

 or we will have to go and get another tin.

Where? And it´s Sunday!

Do NOT paint from the tin.

It spills into the groove around the top, overflows, 

and then over your trousers & everywhere.

Use a cardboard cup, like for coffee.

----------------

Put the lid back on the tin

NOW the tin is never as airtight as it was before.

When you are packing up

STAND on the lid, to get the lid tight.

Carrying your paint box home

does not mean it is LEVEL.

---------

OK. You are constantly adding paint & Turps to your cardboard cup

so the consistancy is JUST right.

Not too thick. Not too thin.

Easy to paint with.

Not ¨Runny¨or we get drips.

Now another cardboard cup with turps in it.

and rinse a selected brush (Sable chisel ended), 

to dissolve the grease.

You are ready to start

---------------------------------

BUT . . 

HERE NOW is a job you do NOT need ! . . 

You have rinsed your brush out with turps

at the end of the last job and then left it (?)

The gates were closing in 10 minutes!!

He did not tell you!

But the turps has NOT removed ALL the paint.

There is paint, drawn up ('osmosis') inside the ferrul (metal bit)

The traces of paint have made the hairs go hard.

and now the hairs are all "fluffy"

So

BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE JOB

 you coat the hairs in grease to stop the hairs drying out,

and to keep the brush in shape.

If you have forgotten to do this

you now have a hard brush which you can only clean with Paint remover.

And Paint remover, once it is up there, 

LOOSENS THE GLUE INSIDE THE FERRUL

and LATER, all your hairs start coming out, one by one.

So, now, Paint remover it has to be . . .

to soften the dried paint 

and wash it out.out.

Then you need soap and water. And then wait for it to dry,

before you can use it.

Then it is all "fluffy" and has lost it's shape.

Got some paint remover? Maybe . . No?

So it's 15 minutes trying to clean your brush with turps and fingernails.

(And there is STILL a couple of hairs which are stiff ~

and show up like scratch marks when you go round corners.

You do not need this problem.

You want to get STARTED !!

GREASE YOUR BRUSHES AT THE END OF THE JOB !!

No grease? Then Vaseline? 

Butter from your sandwich? 

 Saliva for the time being - 

or use a bit of grease off the lorry !

Even if it is dirty.

...................................

Now to get you started.

QUICK BASH

The "Quick bash" in BLUE  is explained here below.

The photo below is a typical example of the homegrown font.  RED 

Explained Lower down

A combination of these 2 styles can take you a long way.

The script - "Carmen" ?

You are on your own there.

I cannot teach you that.

You can do this by using the brush like a pen.

Yes?

................................

However there is another way. 

Easier.

Brush hairs pointing to the bottom

& pulling the brush UP

This is to keep the paint running  back DOWN to the tip

and over your fingers.

Also you get a natural italic slope to the letters.

Start at the BOTTOM of the letter, 

your little finger knuckle on the surface

along with the side of your hand, to be firm & steady,

FERRUL ON THE DECK

and pull up, 

There will be a slight curve about 10 degrees to the right.

 because of the natural arc in your movement.

The hand in the illustrations

is not accurate.

The hand looks like it is hovering above.

It was more to show the construction of the letter.

Don't try and curve it, or be 'fancy' - 

It looks false & amateurish

-----------

That is your stem width.

The width of the brush -

is the basis for ALL  the letters.

THE HOME GROWN FONT

We have calculated an AREA for the letter.

( William etc.) 

Dip the brush in the paint

HALF WAY up the hairs

For this we point the brush up as "Normal"

Brush hairs pointing UP

because we have to start where the mark is 

on the tape at the top.

When the brush is pointing upwards to begin the stroke

the paint will slowly creep down towards your fingers

and reach the metal bit, the 'ferrul'

As warned before -

BUT by this time you have finished the stroke, 

so it's not over your fingers.

With a full brush, it's over the ferrul and on your fingers in no time

(I still do it . . )

Alternatively, draw the brush UP.

Place the hair tip on the red tape where the unit mark is

Lower the metal bit (ferrul) to the surface

'on the deck'

Press

and draw down.

You will get a straight line *

Consider

If you just touch the surface with the point of the brush 

and stroke up OR down

OF COURSE you will get a wobbly line 

because the soft point is flexible

The 'shaky hand' scenario

Brandy won't cure it!

And, of course you will need a little practice

....................

At this point - 'Why use this red tape?' - 

When you pull the brush over the tape

and on to the surface to be painted

it does not leave a little gap, like masking tape, because it is thinner.

You do not have to go back and fill the gap in.

or - with masking tape, you can simply pull the brush up to fill the gap.

Sounds a bit trivial -

but it's to do with cutting out the number of times you have to do it

 - for each letter

SEE ABOVE

The vertical strokes are slightly concave, 

so you do not have to worry about the line being straight. 

Pull a line which is slightly concave.

Concentrate on the left side of the brush

The font above (Optima Bold) is slightly concave too. 

The slight curve makes all the difference between 

a block letter and something a bit more tasteful.

The Victorian sign writers did it.

It's quicker because you do not have to worry if the line is dead vertical

AND it looks more 'artistic'

...........................................

Now, by eye, or make a little mark on the tape,

select a point just over a third along to the right,

(See the unit marks at the bottom)

and pull down another curve

this time to the right

Concentrate on the right side of the brush

Fill in with paint available on the brush

Instead of dipping in the pot again,

you can simply turn the brush, 

hairs pointing down

 and draw it upwards

There is paint on the back of the hairs, unused as yet.

OK Now we have the 'stem'

Hold the brush like so, and place your thumb to mark the width of the stem

The wide bit, not the narrower bit.

Make a note of the width

with a bit of tape around the brush

It is going to be the same for all the letters.

You can now check that all future stems are the same

including 'O's and 'S's that need to be the same width

On large letters, you can add another marker for the 'thin' widths.

Put the marker on your brush next to the first dot

Then note where the END of your brush is

Make another little brush point on the red tape above.

You now have the same stem width for the loop of the "D"

Eventually you will be able to paint the loop "by eye alone."

But still useful to check large letters

On the side of a furniture truck for example.

Then select a point just below the top red tape

This is going to be the start of your thin stroke

So pull a line from this point

Concentrate on the left side of the brush

Pull around to the vertical when you a half way down, 

and next to the little left hand mark

and round to meet the stem again

Now do the same with the outside

Concentrate on the right side of the brush

to meet that imaginary vertical that is just inside your unit mark

Go just inside this imaginary line.

Err on the side of caution. There is a reason.

Then check to be sure

Measure it with your red marker on your brush (stem width)

Not quite as thick as the stem ?

That's BETTER than being wider than the stem

 Because if you make the stroke wider than the stem, 

you would have to get the tissue out 

and wipe the curve of paint IN to the letter,

to clear the space, and start again

Extra time and hassle you do not need.

Pull round again, just a fraction wider.

Like an onion skin

Check with your brush marker again

that it is the same width as the stem

...........

When you have finished the line and pulled the tape off

you will get this

Eventually, of course, 

you will be able to judge the distance / spaces without the dots.

Now here is the homemade font that is my default font. 

It was developed this way

because it was quicker.

The blue squares are the default area 

as shown in the MEASUREMENTS page, previous. 

You can see how each letter sits comfortably within the area, 

leaving just a small space to the right. 

The letters with green squares can be painted slightly quicker, 

because they use a wavy line instead of a stroke. 

The one stroke finish to the top of the ¨S¨ for instance, 

avoids painting at least 3 or 4 strokes extra, as in a normal S. 

& getting a sharp end.

The stroke of the A avoids a cross bar that has to be level.

Same with the E, F, H,

Meanwhile . .

IF it is NECESSARY to paint a different font,

(Because the client says so

or you have to copy another truck nearby)

Then it is worthwhile to copy the letters on tracing paper.

But you will have to copy the font "by eye"

Unless you go to the copy shop and get it blown up . . (Hassle)

Put on the red tape.

Then chalk the back. 

Tape the paper to the truck.

Go over the letters with a biro. 

Paint the letters using the chalk outlines as a guide.

As Fred did.

Out in the wilds of a lorry park, on a Sunday 

and forgotten to bring a new roll of red tape & masking tape?

The "Cooper" font below, does not need either.

You will notice that the top and bottom of the stems are curved. 

So a chalky snap line will do. 

And you can mark off the units with a stroke of chalk, and wipe clean after.

Well, you are on your own now

because the rest is repetition . . 

repetition . . .

repetition . . .

repetition . . . 

repetition . . .

repetition . . .

repetition . . . 

It gets almost boring sometimes. . . .

But remember . .

No one on your back.

Good music in your earpods?

Time for a cuppa?

Even the client hesitates to interrupt

because it is not his field

& he might embarass himself.

All they really notice is

"You have made a spelling mistake !" 

(Ha Ha.)

Or it is "Not level!"

MAKE SURE IT IS !! 

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