Posted by Sarah Mills on December 05, 2002
Robert BeverlyIve been painting signs, cars, and bikes for about four years now, and learned mostly everything on my own with trial & error and lots of practice. But I feel I have so much more to learn from other expierienced painters but dont know how to acquire that information. Ive been to one letterhead meet and that was great, but other meets since have been too far for me to attend. Do older, veteran painters usually take on apprentices, or do they just see young upstarts as "taking money out of their pockets"? Surely someone would be willing to help bring up younger painters or should I just stick to posting questions on this board?
SarahSarah
I am sure that if you show a desire to learn that there are a lot of folk out there willing to help you. As for apprenticeships, I know of several that actively seek talented individuals to help "keep the spirit alive"...I am always looking for good young talent and am sure there are many others out there that are too!...Where do you live?...somone has to be close by!
Jeffrey P. LangI'm located in Western Pennsylvania, and thank you for your input
Jerry MartinSarah,
I think letterhead meets are a great place to get alot of great information & experience in a short amount of time. Consider the cost of the trip to a meet "continuing education", like many other professions require. I am located in Pittsburgh.
Jeff
Today I think it would be a very rare shop indeed that would hire in a trainee. I remember not long after I opened my business a young college boy came in and said:"I want to learn the sign business, you teach me so I can open my own shop. How much will you pay me?"
Well this guy said all the wrong things because it is said "don't raise chicks to peck your eyes out."
When I was trying to learn I was soliciting jobs, didn't know how to bid and it would have been best if I paid the customer $20.00 and go somewhere else because I would have saved $40.00
These were the days when a 4'x 8' sign was going for $35.00 and we still made money once established.
I did work, took pictures and later years threw the pictures away because the work was so horrible. At the time I thought they were pretty good stuff.
I hired into a grubby run-down sign company who
paid next to nothing, did cheap work and looked over the shoulders of Mexican sign painters to study their style. They would rarely offer advise. Mainly I learned on my on and by irritating others with questions.
With the promotion of sign machines that pretty well took the profit out of the game unless you know a lot of people. There is no more skill involved, just cut-throat. Anyone who can operate a computer can become a expert sign producer and they are here to stay. In this small town I am at I was the first one to get one as I saw the handwriting on the wall. I found a sucker, er' I mean a man with to much money and a lazy son who liked to play with computers who wanted the business for his son. I couldn't take his money fast enough. My business was doing very well but fast sign shops were springing up everywhere.
If you do go into the sign business the only chance at survival is to join every civic organization you can and meet everyone you can. Give away a FEW signs to charity and by all means put your "donated by___ " name on it. It will pay big dividends.
Denver Chapter of the Letterheads