Sign Painting 101

In this four-day workshop with Gen Ramírez — a typeface designer, graphic designer, calligrapher, and sign painter from Guadalajara, Mexico — students will become familiar with the methods and styles used by professional sign painters.

Sign Painting 101 will focus on the basic techniques of the sign painting trade while applying principles of letter construction and optical spacing. Ramírez will also teach each student how to prioritize information and form a hierarchy between elements in a composition, as well as understand the rules of building an effective layout.

Required Materials

• 1/2 inch Mack Golden Taklon Flat Brush or similar
• 1/4 inch Mack Golden Taklon Flat Brush or similar
• Black tempera or gouache ink (and whatever color of your choice)
• Drawing tools: pencil, eraser, ruler, sharpener
• Heavy recycled paper, bigger than tabloid

Objectives

• Become familiar with the basic techniques and styles of sign painting
• Apply principles of letter construction and optical spacing
• Understand the rules of building effective layouts
• Prioritize information and form hierarchy between elements in a composition