The Revival of Sign Painting
A brief exploration of sign painting and its contemporary trailblazers.
When you visit a new place, what do you notice first? It could be the people, food, animals, architecture, etc.
Or perhaps you notice signs, especially those that are hand-made.
“Painted signs, of which no two are exactly alike, express the history of a place through a unique and often idiosyncratic language of images, symbols, and text. In this way, a street like York Boulevard simultaneously becomes a public art gallery and local history museum.” —Arden Stern via PBS1
Painted signs serve several purposes beyond advertising. They solidify a place’s identity, conserving history and culture with enticing visuals.
Centuries of business leaders—merchants, tradesmen, artisans, innkeepers, and tavern owners—have prioritized the art of sign making. It flourished around 3,000 B.C. to 500 A.D. in ancient Egypt, Rome, and Greece.2 Most canvases were sourced from papyrus, wood, brick, stone, or terracotta. Yet, luxury service providers preferred fine materials including marble, alabaster, bronze, copper, or gold. Political candidates, sponsored games, drinking establishments, and fabric sellers filled popular advertisements. Eventually, signage expanded to include billboards, windows, and entire buildings.
American cities like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Austin, Nashville, and New York are popular tourist destinations. When travelers visit, they snap photos of iconic landmarks like the Hollywood Sign or Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign. Others seek out local communities with vibrant brick walls or trendy storefronts.
The vast majority of modern signs may be digitally designed and machine printed. It’s far more efficient and cost-effective. However, sign painting is on the rise among small and big businesses. But why?
Nostalgia. In the past, master artisans learned a trade and passed their knowledge to future generations to appreciate and practice. Painted signs call to mind a slower pace of life when everything was done by hand. Subtle imperfections provided character. No two signs were exactly alike.
Simplicity & Elegance. Information Age consumers are overstimulated and bombarded with ads on billboards, websites, and social media platforms. While some make an impact, others are cluttered and easily forgettable. Sophisticated painted signs stand out because the message is the artist’s first priority. There are little to no distractions. The key elements are colors, contrast, spacing, lines, and forms.
Quality. It can take hours or days to bring painted signs to life. Aside from mastering the lettering brush, professional sign makers were and are proficient in gold leafing, glue-glass chipping, stenciling, and silk screening.3 The quality and attention to detail in their final products are inspiring.
Don’t believe it? See for yourself. There are many contemporary sign painters with substantial followings.
Graphic artists are continuously inspired by the classic sign painting aesthetic. Just search for vintage typography and calligraphy or ornate scrollwork. You’ll find lists of available fonts and motifs that mimic intricate brush strokes.
In our opinion, sign painting is here to stay. Keep your eyes peeled for inspiration on every corner.
Do you have any favorite painted signs or sign painters? Let us know in the comments below!
Beard, Fred K. “The ancient history of advertising: Insights and implications for practitioners.” Journal of Advertising Research, vol. 57, no. 3, Sept. 2017, pp. 239–244, https://doi.org/10.2501/jar-2017-033.