Here's a true story that was written today by an 'Old School' Signwriter friend, John Long. It really brings back grand memories for me.
My dad taught me almost everything he knew about the sign business. I learned more from working with other sign painters and then expanded my overall knowledge of the business after vinyl came into popularity. When I turned 18, I was literally "traded" like a baseball player to work at a large electric shop so that I could learn all about neon, plexiglass, metal working, sheet metal fabrication, channel letter manufacturing, welding, etc.
A few weeks ago I was asked if I still had the basic union test for journeyman sign painters or had any of the information that my dad used to train his apprentices. While I can't find the "test" yet, I do have a lot of dad's writings on the different aspects of proper sign painting, building, installing, etc.
Although I don't have the paperwork "in hand", I do know that he had some sort of written syllabus on which subjects to cover and at what time in the apprentices' training to introduce each aspect of the trade. I can offer this however... my memory (for what it's worth). So here goes...
The typical apprenticeship was designed to last about 6 years and then you received your journey level test.
For me it started with cleaning the shop. Floor sweeping, tool organizing, and then I learned the proper care and maintenance of brushes. (cleaning wasn't just for me to keep busy and clean the shop, it literally helped familiarize me with all the tools and brushes). I also learned shop safety at this time, fire hazards etc.
Once I had mastered the fine art of cleaning brushes, I was able to move on to actual lettering... but just strokes. Basic stuff that almost any lettering book shows you at first. Verticals, horizontals, diagonals and curves. Then you move on to piecing those together to make letters and practice lettering the same letter over and over. I can remember lettering over 100 "S's" before I got a "Hey, you got the hang of it! I'm proud of you! Now let's try some basic words." If this were a "normal" instruction of an apprentice I would imagine this would be the time they taught proper use of a mahl stick, but my dad had this thing against them. In hindsight I wish I had learned with one.
For words, I jumped back and forth from a lettering quill and paint to a Speedball pen and ink on paper. During this time I was learning about the different materials used to make signs.
The next step was pin striping, scroll work and borders. For the pinstripe lesson all I did was stripe straight lines about a 1/4 inch apart on our sliding glass patio doors until they looked consistent. We didn't do a lot of fancy pin striping on cars, but we had to learn it because it does come in handy for fine
borders, etc.
Then I moved on to what we used to call the "basic alphabets", Gothic, Roman, Script, and tried to master lettering those by building up the letters with the appropriate size brush. Next came the casual lettering. During that time he also covered letter spacing, line spacing, margins, and rules about how many different colors and or letter styles are appropriate for a good looking layout, etc.
Then I graduated to single stroke lettering (one stroke as some call it) and I also learned the rules for thick and thin strokes and script, like never placing script on an arc.
Then we covered layouts, thumbnail sketches and color theory, your basic color wheel stuff.
Then I moved on to wood signs which involves gluing up slabs, routing, the very basics of hand carved letters, and sandblasted signs.
Then pattern making with a wheel and Electro-pounce. I also learned truck lettering, window lettering, and the basics of gilding.
Then I learned the finer points of surface gilding, glass gilding basics, and truck gilding.
Next was show cards and screen printing techniques. Just the very basics of screen printing though, because at that time you could order screen printed signs so cheap you would be crazy to do them in-house.
Then wall signs from a grid and patterns, billboards and mural/pictorial painting. (I did wall signs before gilding, but not by myself)
I think if a person masters each aspect, to the best of their ability, and in this basic order, then they would have a much easier time learning this trade.
The craziest part about my personal story with my dad is that he started me at the ripe old age of 11 and I was a journey level sign painter before the age of 16. I was actually being driven to jobs, dropped off and completing the entire sign job by myself and then calling my dad to come pick me up and collect the check because I wasn't old enough to drive. After I turned 14, we got so busy that I was going to school and also working a 40+ hour week just to keep the signs going out the door.
Sometimes I tell my story to people and I can see disbelief in their eyes, and I totally get it because sometimes I look back and can't believe I was able to accomplish all that at that young age either. Except for this one thing.... My dad was a truly exceptional man. He kept pushing me, and pulling me along with so many words of encouragement, even though at times they seemed harsh, they were always just what I needed at the time. But I wasn't the only man he trained. There are at least five other men out there that owe their entire career and livelihood to my dad as well.
Smokin the Crack of the 'Sign Gods'! ...and still making them smile! ...and we get paid for having fun!!!
