Welcome to The Hand Lettering Forum!
This is an interactive Bulletin Board on the topics of Sign making, design, fabrication, History, old Books and of coarse Letterheads, Keepers of the craft. The Hand Lettering Forum features links to resources, sign art history, techniques, and artists profiles. Learn more about Letterheads at https://theletterheads.com. Below you'll see Mchat has been added as a live communication portal for trial, and the Main forum Links are listed below.

Search found 117 matches

by Billy Pickett
Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:19 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: *NEEDING TO MAKE A BIG ORDER*
Replies: 13
Views: 8730

Re: *NEEDING TO MAKE A BIG ORDER*

You don't necessarily need the acid, gilding pad or removal brush. The acid is very dangerous, and your clients will never request any work that necessitates it. Rather than a special 'pad', you can lay gold w. a 'tip' or right from the book. And instead of a brush, removal is easy with just some co...
by Billy Pickett
Mon Feb 14, 2011 7:21 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: GoldLeaf workshop Feb 2011 Noah Moore
Replies: 14
Views: 8778

Re: GoldLeaf workshop Feb 2011 Noah Moore

Why is it on the floor?
by Billy Pickett
Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:32 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Inauguration Poem
Replies: 5
Views: 3538

..."praise song for every handlettered sign", RIGHT ON! Let's all sing!
by Billy Pickett
Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:36 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Why is the gold on my patent leaf comming off the paper?
Replies: 13
Views: 6592

...I have a whole pack of patent WB that is like that. They suggested that I put something heavy on it, but it didn't help. I have not tried the vise trick yet...
by Billy Pickett
Thu Jan 15, 2009 7:43 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: windows xp64
Replies: 13
Views: 7373

...DOUG, you are going to LOVE your new MAC! If nothing else, avoiding the issues outlined above will absolutely validate it. Note that the people who are so certain they have to have PC's, most have never owned a Mac. While their criticism is that Macs are too expensive to buy, perhaps the issue is...
by Billy Pickett
Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:31 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Grand Tetons on Christmas Day
Replies: 18
Views: 9209

S I C K !!!
by Billy Pickett
Fri Dec 26, 2008 6:19 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Blending
Replies: 10
Views: 5281

...Thanks Mike! (iIm still learning about posting pix!)

...Every color other on the Lincoln piece (other than the out lines) is transparent paint in size sprayed on. The scrolls were done w. burnt umber color artist oils.
The blues, greens and portrait colors are all transparent one shot.
by Billy Pickett
Fri Dec 26, 2008 11:12 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Blending
Replies: 10
Views: 5281

http://www.theletterheads.com/signphotos/billypickett.jpg ...Jerry, (rather than asphaltum) I use One Shot tinting black. I mix a very tiny bit it w. OS quick dry size, thin it good, strain and spray gradients w. an air brush. This doesn't require much black, in fact what may look light before it's ...
by Billy Pickett
Thu Dec 25, 2008 5:01 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Grand Tetons on Christmas Day
Replies: 18
Views: 9209

...I think I see a moose in the first photo. Mike, you have a RAD family!
Happy New Year and thanks to you and everybody else who makes this site so rad!
by Billy Pickett
Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:28 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Books for inspiration
Replies: 3
Views: 2432

...My biggest influences (and all time favorites) have been the books by Chs. Strong, Frank Atkinson and Mike Stevens.
by Billy Pickett
Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:20 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Rick Glawson's Chip Booth
Replies: 8
Views: 5141

...Ray, Mike used the term "blasting". So I thought that was what he ment.
by Billy Pickett
Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:18 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Rock Island Railroad Reversed Glass Sign SOLD FOR $25,000!!
Replies: 10
Views: 7327

...Rick Glawson visited here in Sept. 2001 to purchase, prepare and package one of these trains for shipping to his place in Ca. He bought it from a very local antique dealer for (if I remember correctly) $2000. We set it up (horizontally, face up) in my shop, and to "stabilize" it for shi...
by Billy Pickett
Sun Nov 30, 2008 7:13 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Rick Glawson's Chip Booth
Replies: 8
Views: 5141

...Mike, if your piece is small enough, and you have a machine shop nearby, you may not need to build a blast cabinet. You may be able to blast your project in one of the cabinet contraptions that they use for cleaning parts. These boxes have an interior light, viewing window and built in heavy glov...
by Billy Pickett
Fri Nov 28, 2008 10:26 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Hydrofluoric acid inhaled
Replies: 39
Views: 19367

...Eric, huffing any acid fumes can't be good for ya. The HF's big danger is getting it on your skin. You won't feel it burning (so I have been told), but it goes right in ya and attacks your bones!!! That's why it's recommended to wear rubber gloves. And also add some red food coloring to it so you...
by Billy Pickett
Sat Nov 15, 2008 9:18 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Ellis Doughty
Replies: 2
Views: 2602

...He was a true friend and brother of the brush. He was always swinging a brush at all of the early L'head meets. At the Memphis meet (in '84 ?), I especially remember him (w. Ray Chapman, Bob Behounek and others) lettering motel windows at two thirty in the morning, after the lounge had closed.
by Billy Pickett
Tue Nov 04, 2008 4:15 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Penetrol to blend paint on glass?
Replies: 5
Views: 3932

... Scarlet, Try mixing a tiny and miniscule amount of linseed oil w. the paint instead of terps. It will really extend the drying time, just don't add too much! There is/was a product called Smiths Cream that is used for blending enamels. And there is also probably something available to fine art o...
by Billy Pickett
Sat Nov 01, 2008 10:44 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Gilding back-up
Replies: 3
Views: 2656

...On the last two tone w. matt gold (on a door transom) I did, I used One Shot metallic gold on it. It dries quickly, and I then filled in the back w. the (black) OS paint I used for the outlines.
by Billy Pickett
Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:02 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Visit with Tony Lewery
Replies: 3
Views: 3023

...Thanks for posting those shots! Tony's sign (in particular) is lovely, and has valuable lessons to teach.
by Billy Pickett
Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:05 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Glass gild texture
Replies: 3
Views: 2921

...Robert, (for glass gilding) I have never needed a "final wash" of anything. Water, wine, beer, booze or saliva. I know Ray Lablanc (in his book) says he uses boiling water. ...Perhaps you have a poor batch of (water and gelatin) size, either too weak of contaminated w. something. I use ...
by Billy Pickett
Thu Sep 25, 2008 10:05 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Back Up Varnish
Replies: 6
Views: 4094

...Hi Bobbie, If your lettering has outlines (preferably black) they can 'protect' the gold. I've had too many jobs that I backed up w. clear varnish deteriorate. Other than a bad varnish ol, the work was fine. The varnish or paint Ol may (somewhat help to) protect the lettering from goof window cle...
by Billy Pickett
Mon Sep 22, 2008 6:24 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Shading/shadowing term question
Replies: 5
Views: 3748

...you said it... , "DROP SHADOW".
by Billy Pickett
Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:35 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Exterior glue for wood panels?
Replies: 2
Views: 2220

...well, I just found out 'the hard way' that that epoxy doesn't work. I had some glued and screwed on mdo cleats fail, and a sign came down. The screws had been the only thing holding on. In fact, this very morning I reinstalled it. How about GE silicone #1 ? That's what I used to 'fix 'em' with...
by Billy Pickett
Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:49 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: good ol' days... step by step
Replies: 104
Views: 68282

...Tony, your art has alot of potential, and obviously much time has been spent creating it. I realize that this is a new mural, and not a reproduction of what an 'old' advertising sign would look like. In the era you want to portray, commercial wall dogs would (probably) not have been inclined to p...
by Billy Pickett
Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:49 am
Forum: Hand Lettering Techniques and Step by Steps
Topic: good ol' days... step by step
Replies: 104
Views: 103329

...Tony, your art has alot of potential, and obviously much time has been spent creating it. I realize that this is a new mural, and not a reproduction of what an 'old' advertising sign would look like. In the era you want to portray, commercial wall dogs would (probably) not have been inclined to p...
by Billy Pickett
Fri Aug 08, 2008 6:51 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: good ol' days... step by step
Replies: 104
Views: 68282

...Wouldn't it be more authentic if the mural did NOT have photos on it (and THREE of 'em) ? Photoshop and computers were not around in the era you what to represent.
by Billy Pickett
Fri Aug 08, 2008 6:51 am
Forum: Hand Lettering Techniques and Step by Steps
Topic: good ol' days... step by step
Replies: 104
Views: 103329

...Wouldn't it be more authentic if the mural did NOT have photos on it (and THREE of 'em) ? Photoshop and computers were not around in the era you what to represent.
by Billy Pickett
Sat Aug 02, 2008 6:06 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: gilding textured letters...............
Replies: 4
Views: 4106

...Spraying size works fine for very many dimensional applications. I especially like spraying it for glass work, but the piece has to be masked well. GL size always works best when applied in the thinnest possible coat, and spraying is great for this. Mixing transparent enamels (like blue, green, r...
by Billy Pickett
Wed Jul 30, 2008 6:36 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Is there a way to determine if glass is tempered?
Replies: 20
Views: 11584

...Kelly, Rick G. sold something which I think he called a "mineral light". Which was like a small BLACK (or purple) light that could disclose which side was which on tempered glass. I think he believed (or knew) that one side was (more) preferred for gilding on, than the other. ...Perhaps...
by Billy Pickett
Sun Jul 27, 2008 12:08 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: beginner questions: gold on glass
Replies: 12
Views: 7529

... Yo Scooter, the mask thing is a fine method for glass gilding too. It can be an appropriate 'short cut' for some jobs, and for those who prefer plotting to using a brush. Chris Lovelady (of Talahassee, FL) covered his technique in Signcraft awhile back. (I don't remember when though, anybody?) H...