The Lost Art of Sign Painting

   There are not many true sign painters around anymore. Those who still paint advertisements use the same methods that have been used for more than a century.

    Early on, many advertisements, like the Severn Lodge Dairy advertisement, were drawn freehand, on site, without using a pattern. Later on, patterns were used. Generally, a pattern is drawn on large, overlapping pieces of paper. Images may be enlarged on the paper using overhead projectors in a darkroom.

    A ’pounce pattern’ is made with a rotating wheel that punctures the paper with a pattern of holes along the lines of the drawing. Then a "pounce bag," a pouch full of loose charcoal, is used on site to "pounce" or powder the pattern through the holes, onto the surface to be painted. When the pattern is pulled away, a charcoal image remains.

    Wall painting is done using a long narrow platform or "swing stage" and ’rope falls.’ The swing stage used to paint the Dairy Boy was 24 feet in length. The stage is hung into place with hooks at the top of the building. The painter usually wears a harness for safety. He then picks an area, pulling himself and his paints and brushes to the top, paints and then lowers the stage platform with the ropes.The work is completed from the top of the piece, to the bottom, to assure that the stage does not disturb any of part of the wet section just completed. When the section is complete, the rig is moved along to the top of the next section and the process continues.

    There is generally a two man crew, consisting of a Journeyman (who can do lettering) and a helper. Lettering is most commonly done, beginning with large swatches of the desired letter color. When dry, the letters are "cut-in" with the background color, using a small brush. Though it is working inversely, this is a faster, easier process than filling in pre-drawn lettering, and doing the background later. If any kind of imagery is used, usually a pictorial artist is called in. This artist is trained in a painting style that "reads" well from a distance.

    Freestanding billboards, on the other hand, are created on large plywood panels of 8’x 14’. The work can be completed entirely in a studio, and then brought on site and mounted. The advantage is that the advertisement can be dismantled and moved to other locations, if desired.

    Outdoor advertisement today is mainly computer generated on vinyl sheets. These are glued into place like wallpaper or are produced with adhesive backing. They can also be prepared with grommets, so that they can be fastened tightly over an existing billboard, using ropes to tighten them from the back.