Character Building: my introduction to signpainting by Karina Monger
Most people can recognise a piece of signpainting, writes Karina Monger, but how many of us really understand the work that goes into making this unique form of communication? Last weekend I attended a hand lettering workshop to find out…
The Type Tasting studio turned into a creative wonderland of ink and hand painted letters this weekend. To coincide with the London screenings of Sign Painters Mike Meyer, one of the film’s stars, came to town to deliver an intensive two-day sign painting workshop which was organised by Sam from Better Letters. Mike teamed up with the Brilliant Sign Co. and under their expert guidance we filled the Type Tasting studio with inky lettering.
“Covered in paint & happier for it.” @FranPayne
We’re preparing for a weekend of painting signs in the Type Tasting studio, organised by Sam from Ghostsigns.
“If you have the ‘FIRE IN THE BELLY’ and really have a passion for lettering… this is a workshop for you!” Mike Meyer, Sign Painter
On the road: The Art Deco Lark Cinema, Larkspur, California USA / Big Display Sans Serifs visible from a distance at the Billabong Roadhouse, Western Australia / Eurostyle & a Condensed Sans Serif on the 1950s style Antiques sign at Barbie’s Coffee Shop, Three Rivers, California USA / Casual Script and Slab Serifs at the Edgewater Inn, Pismo Beach, California USA…
Three years ago I created this poster for a live printing event at Pick Me Up, my tribute to the Apple Mac which has been the backdrop to my career and my life. This is a combination of blog posts from the time documenting the development of the design and screen printing process.
Process & Effect series: It’s the training, the practice, your tenacity and vision… that give you the skills you need to succeed. And to do it with flair.
Process
As a graphic designer Apple products have not only played both an important part throughout my career, they’ve also been woven into my everyday life. The products have empowered me to learn, hone, perfect my skills and to share what I do with others. We’re all very aware of recent innovations which have shaped the way we receive information and communicate. But Apple had vision from the outset, from the pre-launch ad for the first Macintosh which was directed by Ridley Scott, through giving us the mouse and realistic desktop, access to fonts, and now the iPad that has lit a fuse that will change our future.
Above is Club Labrynth by Sam Roberts from Ghostsigns who came along to Sunday’s Dalston Type Safari. He explains that “For me, Club Labrynth is the earliest memory I have of Dalston as a destination. Back in the mid-1990s it was the weekly hardcore/jungle night at the legendary Four Aces nightclub… The provocation of memory was an unexpected aspect of the Type Safari, and there were other long-term Hackney residents on the walk sharing their own recollections.”
Take a tour of Dalston* and learn about the signage and lettering along the way. What does the typography reveal about the rapidly transforming area? How do fonts influence your choices? Explore signage and end up in a quintessentially Dalston bar.
Upcoming Dates:
Sunday 19th January, 6.30-8.30pm (sold out)
Sunday 2nd February, 6.30-8.30pm (sold out)
*In winter this is a longer talk with slides and a glass of wine in the warmth of the Type Tasting studio, followed by a quicker walk through Dalston. As we’re walking through Dalston you’re invited to take photographs of the letters you see to make up a saying or phrase.
We’re surrounded by type and we use it to navigate our lives. The look of the fonts we encounter as we walk down the high street influences our choices before we’ve even read the words. These also transmit a great deal about the social, economic and historical development of the area.
Type Tasting Global Lettering Workshop
SXSW Interactive, Austin, Texas
Saturday March 8th
“Get creative whilst exploring and reinterpreting the typography found in street signs and signage from around the world.” We’re expanding on the Dalston Reimagined idea from last summer and take it global. Are there patterns to be found on a larger scale, what does the signage reveal about an area, a city or a country when compared?
Type Tasting Blog 
