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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 251 matches

by BruceJackson
Sat Feb 15, 2014 9:29 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: La Belle Miette
Replies: 11
Views: 9345

Re: La Belle Miette

Erik, yep...everything painted in reverse on the glass. For paintings, I started with laying down some highlights in mica powder. Next stage is painting the foreground elements and forming the shapes. Follow on with additional layers, more mica powder work, working back towards the black background....
by BruceJackson
Fri Feb 14, 2014 9:04 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: La Belle Miette
Replies: 11
Views: 9345

Re: La Belle Miette

OK...you want descriptions, don't you???....the dots in the lettering are done using clear epoxy (like envirotex). It sits up nice and high giving a better dome shape than single part materials. The gilding in the lower half of the letters has also been rubbed back to give is a more 3D appearance. T...
by BruceJackson
Fri Feb 14, 2014 8:33 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: La Belle Miette
Replies: 11
Views: 9345

La Belle Miette

Hi gang. I posted some photos on facebook of a recent job for a macaron shop in Melbourne (Collins street) done in classic Parisian style. Rod asked for some close-ups, so here is a selection of photos. Everything is hand-painted. No masks, vinyl or tape. The pictures also include mica powders and g...
by BruceJackson
Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:03 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Yet another newbie
Replies: 41
Views: 85272

Re: Yet another newbie

Somehow, I missed this thread last year. I've just been scrolling through it with my jaw on the desk, nodding in agreement with all the comments, and feeling slightly sheepish that I haven't tackled my designs with the same dedication and attention to detail that I see in yours. Very highly polished...
by BruceJackson
Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:03 pm
Forum: Hand Lettering Gallery
Topic: Yet another newbie
Replies: 41
Views: 58048

Re: Yet another newbie

Somehow, I missed this thread last year. I've just been scrolling through it with my jaw on the desk, nodding in agreement with all the comments, and feeling slightly sheepish that I haven't tackled my designs with the same dedication and attention to detail that I see in yours. Very highly polished...
by BruceJackson
Sun Nov 24, 2013 6:07 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: New member from Australia
Replies: 3
Views: 2840

Re: New member from Australia

Hi Andrew, I'm also in Australia...in Melbourne. Welcome to the forum. There's lots of great info here and also a lot of helpful fellow travelers exploring this art and expanding it's boundaries. Hopefully we'll cross paths some time. Look me up if you come to Melbourne. My address and phone number ...
by BruceJackson
Sun Nov 17, 2013 8:58 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Backing of a reverse glass sign question
Replies: 12
Views: 10725

Re: Backing of a reverse glass sign question

Hi Olivier, When lettering on glass such as a shop window, painting it black on the back can make the appearance from inside the shop look more consistent. It does look more finished and I feel that it is warranted in many cases. I feel that an acceptable exception is very small lettering, especiall...
by BruceJackson
Sun Oct 06, 2013 8:26 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: reverse gilding inside of an outline, (european method)??
Replies: 8
Views: 8015

Re: reverse gilding inside of an outline, (european method)??

Another tip to cleaning glass in this circumstance. You can use a microfibre cloth. I do my initial thorough glass clean with whiting (does the same job as bon ami)...but after that, if there's any fingerprints or touching of the glass, I give it a a rub with one of those cloths. I use one specifica...
by BruceJackson
Wed Jun 05, 2013 4:49 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Irish Mirrors from Peter Mcullens travels
Replies: 14
Views: 11846

Re: Irish Mirrors from Peter Mcullens travels

Interesting to note that they all use the spelling "Whisky" without an "e". This is the typical spelling for Scotch "whiskies", but Irish and American are traditionally spelled "Whiskey", or "Whiskeys" in plural. I have seen an original Dunville's po...
by BruceJackson
Tue May 07, 2013 9:08 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Photographing glass signs and mirrors
Replies: 13
Views: 8653

Re: Photographing glass signs and mirrors

Good post Rod, I like your consideration of controlled reflections. As you note, if you photograph a piece of glass work without any reflections, there is no visual hint that it is glass. I have several shots of my work like this, when I have used a dark reflected backdrop to completely remove extra...
by BruceJackson
Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:33 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: amazing super repellent spray coating
Replies: 3
Views: 4254

Re: amazing super repellent spray coating

I was also intrigued by the video and looked into it a bit further reading the MSDS and other literature on the suppliers website. In fact, the most informative bit of reading was an article by a guy who bought some to try it out in different circumstances. ( http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/03/t...
by BruceJackson
Wed Apr 03, 2013 12:25 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: HYDROFLUORIC ACID for Mica Acid Etch
Replies: 8
Views: 6775

Re: HYDROFLUORIC ACID for Mica Acid Etch

wow, what a great idea....using PVA as a resist and graining/stippling for texture. I just happen to have a project coming up that needs something like this and was thinking about my options...was thinking of simply carving in three stages (peeling off some parts of the resist mask for the different...
by BruceJackson
Sun Mar 17, 2013 8:16 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: St. Patrick's Day Gift - The Book of Kells
Replies: 3
Views: 3058

Re: St. Patrick's Day Gift - The Book of Kells

Thanks Dan, great link. The Book of Kells is one of those keystone pieces of work that always surprises and inspires. Every time I look at an image from it, I'll be shaking my head in amazement and appreciation, thinking, wow, I want some of that. I want to be able to do that. I have a useful book c...
by BruceJackson
Sat Mar 16, 2013 4:37 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: The $277,050 Calligrapher
Replies: 15
Views: 10762

Re: The $277,050 Calligrapher

I think it's a great tradition. When you think about the amount of documents, awards, invitations that could be generated by such a large nation of 50 states, a staff of three hardly seems excessive. Imagine you are fortunate enough to be awarded some certificate of appreciation or invitation to the...
by BruceJackson
Fri Mar 01, 2013 8:43 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: visiting USA in May
Replies: 18
Views: 15924

Re: visiting USA in May

Great post Kent, Thanks so much. I love Museums, so I'm really looking forward to the MET. For one thing, I want to see Dupas/Champigneulle glass murals that were on the cruise liner Normandie. You've given me a lot of good tips. Will look for accommodation as you suggested. From what I have seen of...
by BruceJackson
Tue Feb 26, 2013 6:56 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Making my own gilder's cushion.
Replies: 17
Views: 16703

Re: Making my own gilder's cushion.

I made one only about a month ago. Till now, I've always just gilded straight from the book, although I use a blade instead of a fingernail. I needed one for a recent job, so I cut a suitable size piece of MDF. Size is not critical as long as it's big enough to hold a couple of leaves. Mine is 210mm...
by BruceJackson
Sun Feb 24, 2013 11:37 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Cutting glass with scissors ?
Replies: 13
Views: 9469

Re: Cutting glass with scissors ?

funny post...Pat's explanation makes sense. I'd also assume, doing it under water makes a lot of sense in keeping all those nasty tiny specs of glass contained so the don't end up all over your bench, floor, clothes and face. I wonder if using water would be useful when nipping scalloped edges? Keep...
by BruceJackson
Mon Feb 18, 2013 6:01 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Custom Glass Signs
Replies: 7
Views: 6048

Re: Custom Glass Signs

Nice work. I'd like to see a close up of the textured lettering.

Is that copper leaf for the border? it works nicely with the dark blue.
by BruceJackson
Sun Feb 17, 2013 5:47 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: visiting USA in May
Replies: 18
Views: 15924

Re: visiting USA in May

Thanks for the replies. I've wanted to visit USA for many years, so I'm really looking forward to this. Marius, Thanks. The funny thing is...I used to own the domain name!!!...I kept it for a few years and had two websites, one under glassgilding.com and and another in my business name, "goldre...
by BruceJackson
Fri Feb 15, 2013 1:06 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: visiting USA in May
Replies: 18
Views: 15924

visiting USA in May

Hi, I'm planning a trip to the US in May this year. Will probably fly in to San Francisco for a 2-3 days, then spend a week in New York and finally on to Los Angeles for several days before flying home. (planning for May 9th - May 22nd) Unfortunately, it's only a short trip of 2 weeks, so i can't sq...
by BruceJackson
Thu Feb 14, 2013 5:31 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Pinball,..Bring back the Arcade
Replies: 1
Views: 1815

Re: Pinball,..Bring back the Arcade

A good friend of mine loves his pinnies. He built a virtual pinball machine and installed a large flat screen monitor for the table base and another one for the score board. Full size cabinet, genuine buttons so it feels and plays like the real thing. Put a PC in it's guts and runs a pinball emulati...
by BruceJackson
Mon Feb 11, 2013 1:33 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Award
Replies: 13
Views: 9681

Re: Award

me too...funny thing, i opened it a couple of days ago, and it wouldn't let me vote...I think it's something about being in Australia. It wouldn't even let me see the work or know who was shortlisted. so, I've voted in disguise as a Pom.... some of the other work is very good too...very high standar...
by BruceJackson
Mon Feb 11, 2013 1:17 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: New to the forum, new to lettering...
Replies: 11
Views: 7754

Re: New to the forum, new to lettering...

Hi Julio, I enjoyed your story. It does take me back to my own early experiences with my first few jobs. The funny thing is I also share Dan's reaction about my own work. In exactly the manner you described, I have also felt uncertain or embarrassed about some of my work on many occasions. Almost to...
by BruceJackson
Thu Jan 31, 2013 7:55 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: The Future of Hand Painted lettering with Gold Leaf
Replies: 16
Views: 12324

Re: The Future of Hand Painted lettering with Gold Leaf

I think there will always be a future for hand-lettering and gilding, especially for window signs. It has a long history of being the method of choice for high-end work and it has integrity. On that basis alone, people will recognize that it has value and they will continue to appreciate it. The bar...
by BruceJackson
Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:49 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Once again, THANKS to the Colorado Letterheads
Replies: 12
Views: 8999

Re: Once again, THANKS to the Colorado Letterheads

I want to say thanks too. It's been nearly ten years now...like many members, I don't check in daily. Sometimes, I'll be more active, then sometimes, I may not look in on the board for several days, or even a couple of weeks....but this board has become a staple of the things I do online. It is alwa...
by BruceJackson
Wed Jan 16, 2013 7:43 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: My studio's windows and a website update with new photos
Replies: 9
Views: 7501

Re: My studio's windows and a website update with new photos

Thanks guys. Well picked Anthony, I wondered if people would recognize that painting. Yes Roderick, it's hand-painted, and as Anthony pointed out, it is copied from a painting from around 1770 that was used on the cover of Ryser's catalogue of reverse paintings on glass, a book that I highly recomme...
by BruceJackson
Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:50 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: My studio's windows and a website update with new photos
Replies: 9
Views: 7501

My studio's windows and a website update with new photos

Last year, I finally did some more work on my own shop windows...Just thought I'd post a couple of pics of my studio for your enjoyment... I've updated my website too with new photos of mirrors, gold leaf window signwriting and splashbacks, so this post is also shameless self-promotion to get some m...
by BruceJackson
Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:08 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: The whitest of them all
Replies: 7
Views: 4366

Re: The whitest of them all

are you using water-clear glass such as Starfire???

If the glass is green-tint, i sometimes make the "white" paint a little bit pink/orange to counter the green cast.
by BruceJackson
Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:59 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: 276ccm: My work and progress..
Replies: 40
Views: 24380

Re: 276ccm: My work and progress..

Wow...$150 for a book of gold is really hitting hard. $45 is about right. You can buy from several sources which you will find mentioned on this site and in other posts. I usually buy 80-100 books at a time from Chinese makers and then re-sell it by the book for around $45 online and to my friends a...
by BruceJackson
Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:17 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Variegated Red Leaf
Replies: 4
Views: 3524

Re: Variegated Red Leaf

I haven't noticed the random ones becoming less available since the introduction on the patterned ones. I buy from Chinese makers. Pretty easy to find these days using Alibaba, although you usually have to buy quite a lot for a minimum order. They don't do just one or two books. Incidentally, I ofte...