Anyone have pictures of signs featuring a big ear for a hearing aid shop?

[signmeup]

I need an idea or 2 on how to go about making a sign of or featuring a giant ear for a hearing clinic. This could be a great project if I can show the guy what it would look like. I've got him sold on the concept but now I have to come up with a design. Has anyone done a big ear? Like the shoe maker would have a big shoe for a sign or the jeweler would have a big diamond..... that type of thing. I googled and came up with zilch. I could have swarn I've seen lots of old signs like this. Dentist signs with a big tooth are another example of what I'm looking for type wise. Pictures of any sign with a big item on it would help.

 

[dwt]

Show him these. Might open up a new market..

 

[John Butto]

ada ear

compliant

 

[OldPaint]

This help?

 

[signmeup]

Not a whole lot OP. I'm trying to get something to look good but I'm having difficulty. I can't really see what I want in my head to start with. Here is the best I have so far. I would rather have something hanging from a bracket but that looks really stupid in my rendering attempts. If I was to hang an ear, how could I frame it or mount it? I'm kinda lost on this one. I think it could be really cool and would be a landmark sort of thing for the business if I can pull it off.... or am I just nuts?

 

[MikePro]

whaddabout a giant ear wearing an earring with a first-aid cross on it?

 

[signmeup]

MikePro.... I like that idea. Thanks.

 

[Techman]

look in fred's library...

 

[OldPaint]

i almost forgot these ears)))))

 

[John Butto]

you forgot one Old paint

From the best of times.

 

[signcrafters london]

What are you gonna do if you get a job to make a sign for an E.D. clinic?

 

[Big House Signs]

Here is one for Ya!

 

[signmeup]

Finding pictures of ears was never my problem. (I have 2 m'self) But thanks for looking anyway. I was looking for 3 dimensional signs with ears on them or just a 3d ear hanging from a bracket... No luck so far. I haven't had much luck finding pictures of big anything on a sign. Must be out of fashion at the moment.

 

[SignManiac]

These are big but you would have to change them up I think

 

[GypsyGraphics]

I can totally see the direction your going with the big ear. The style of the shop lends itself to that look of a cobbler's shop with a big shoe. But for me the disembodied ear is a little unsettling.

How about going with the old fashion visual of an ear trumpet. For me, an ear and a listening device doesn't look like a detached ear. It focuses more on the device and less on the ear. And after all, they're not selling ears. Cobbler's don't show a big foot, although a podiatrist might.

In fact there a piece of art entitled "Beethoven's Trumpet" .... just a big ear and an ear-trumpet. It's not the style of trumpet i'm thinking could work for you. i have a specific image in my head, that i can seem to find, but i'll keep looking. Beethoven's Trumpet is easy to find, but it's not the curved style i'm thinking.


Edit: more like this shape (minus the figure)

 

[Just Another Sign Guy]

i'm laughing to m'self. i had a very loyal client that did hearing tests and sold hearing aids. they were amazingly successful. about every 5yrs they did a fairly major remodel of the outside of their building and we would replace the signs every remodel and every remodel they were bigger and more creative than the ones before.

i was faced with this same challenge and could not come up with a way to pull this project off without it just looking weird and i lost the job. a large company made these 2 fiberglass ears about 6 feet tall and mounted on each side of the building..it was the most ridiculous thing you had ever seen. then spring came and birds built nests in them the next year there was green moss growing in the folds of the ear...it didnt take long for those giant ears to come down and my client came back for more traditional signs more in tune with their overall business image.

but if anyone can pull this off it is you personally if i was going to attempt this i would head in the direction GG has suggested in a historic themed direction

 

[Marlene]

you only need a spark to get you going as I've seen the stuff you do! how about a vintage looking sign with the business name with the middle cut out and in that you put a carved ear? sorry for the REALLY rough sketch to show you what I'm talking about. you can have the big carved ear that way and have a way to hold it too.

 

[signmeup]

Now we're cookin'! Some great ideas posted. I like the ear trumpet the best....thanks GG.
Dan, I hadn't thought about birds nesting but awareness will help with coming up with a way to prevent it. That's exactly the sort of thing I'm trying to see in my mind Marlene. I have now come up with this big ear horn:
(imagination is required....I didn't spent much time on this)

 

[GypsyGraphics]

Adrian, you could sooo make that work!!!

 

[Marlene]

carve a big ear, mount inside a frame work sort of like what I showed, carve an ear horn and cut in half so that one part is on one side of the sign and the other half on the other side. you'll have the total 3D ear suspended in the open area of the sign with the shaped ear horn on the sign. then carve out the name and ta da, you're done...
matte black with gold or copper for the lettering. patina brass for the ear horn. I can see it now...

Like I said, I've seen what you can do and can't wait to see what you do with this.

 

[signmeup]

Thanks girls. This is one of those jobs I know would look way better than it looks in a rendering. It would also end up being changed a bit as it was built. Hard to get a customer that will go along with this. It was also my idea so no guarantee at all it will ever happen.

I would do the horn up in "Grandpa Dan" style with a few seams and rivits. Maybe some big bolts around the frame that holds it to the wall. And some odd, contrived brace to support the horn. And lots of antiquing and patina....like it was old but still in good shape.

Maybe a pirate earing....