Does anybody use Glycerin in their showcard paint?

[Charles Borges de Oliveir]

I was considering purchasing some glycerin for my showcard paint as I had heard it improves flow.
Anybody use it and if so do you recommend it?

Thank you,

-Charles Borges de Oliveira

[Doug Bernhardt]

I gotta say you're a luckey devil to still have clients for that type of work....I'm green as all I did for many years was showcards and I do miss it. The last few years I was using rich art colours which were beautiful and worked well although I know glycerin is often used by artists to help maintain the integrity of acrylics when thinned alot....so I'd love to hear how it works out.

[Charles Borges de Oliveir]

Hi Doug,

I have to admit, I am not producing showcards for anyone. Just for my daily practice of lettering. I think I will buy some and let you know how it works

[John Lennig]

Hi Charles, way back, i used some glycerine to combat crawling of showcard paint on a slightly slick type of paper. nowadays, i use it like oil on my quils,stripers, that is, after cleaning brush, work glycerine into the hair/heel...wash out w/water when ready to use again. This is mostly to combat the residue from latex paints. I know, a Sonic Cleaner would end all my troubles I never use my sables in latex, just the octurnas and Mack waterbased lettering brushes. Sables get the Special wash! palleting on a bar of soap and good rinse

John

[Charles Borges de Oliveir]

Thanks John for the info!

[Raymond Chapman]

Way back there in the olden days I did a lot of show cards. I tried the glycerin a time or two never noticed that much difference....but then I'm just a sign painter.

I certainly miss that swing of the brush.

[Doug Bernhardt]

and Ray....in your hands it cetainly did swing!

[Raymond Chapman]

Well.....thank you old man. It's always nice to have a pat on the back, especially from peers.

There have been times when I have tried to explain the feeling (or "zone") that you would get while hand lettering and especially cards. Most show cards were done loosely and quickly so there was a rhythm that you developed, even more so when you were doing multiple cards. You could actually feel the texture of the card surface through the brush and some how the brush just became an extension of your hand and you thought and the brush did it.

Time was not a factor as you lettered and the hours would pass quickly. Most of my show cards were done in my home studio in the evening and it was not unusual to suddenly find the family in bed and the the clock past midnight.

Now, try explaining that to someone who sticks down vinyl and has never dipped a brush and they look at you like you need to have the men in the little white suits come and get you.

Now, don't get me wrong. There is no way that I want to go back to lettering Pool Rules with 1" Helvetica all day, but I do really miss this show cards and the free expression that you could use. It seems that there was not as much pressure to do those things just like the customer wanted and they would leave it up to you. Most of my stuff was done for promotional events and they would just give you the copy, the number they wanted and let you loose.

Ahhh...the good old days. But I'll still take today. Now, I've got to go coat out some MDO.

[Doug Bernhardt]

Ray.... I just heard that you have had rough ride this past while. I also have heard you are back on your feet, and it seems as always "they can't keep a good man down" I hope all I've heard is true and you are up and at 'em again. The "zone". Oh I hear you loud and clear. I'll always remember the Christmas/ NewYears season with great fondness. All the decorative/festive cards we did and the smell of steam heat..... made the rest of the year pale. I also put in the long hours and it would be more typical than occassional to still be working at 11pm and getting home just in time to catch Johnny Carson and a sandwich before doing it all over again. It was great training. However....the pool rules signs? sheesh...I'm glad I'll never see another one of those or the 5th "all unauthorized vehicles will be...." that day, again. My business like so many others, had to transform as the technology became more available. I never really wanted to do vinyl or use it for patterns, for that matter. The consequense is I haven't picked up a brush for about a month. Sure the work I get to do I could never have dreamed of doing at that time but I do miss "the zone"....okay you can send for the guys in white now.

[Raymond Chapman]

Doug....yea, I was in the hospital for four days this past week with some heart problems but the doctors zapped me with an electric pounce machine and I'm fine now. Actually, they put in three stents to open some blockage to the arteries supplying blood to my heart. No heart damage, though.

And now I'm back at it again making sure that the IRS gets paid.

[Doug Bernhardt]

Congrats old man....and you lived to tell about, sense of homour in tact.. I wasn't just a little worried! Ray...I'd love to hear how you start feeling in a few days relative to how you felt before you started knocking on the big gates!