Posted by Lee Littlewood on November 18, 2003
RoderickThe job is 10 inscriptions on inside of windows, all with the same logo but different copy, in white with red shades, all caps, probably about 2" cap ht. And it's in a hurry of course. We figure to handletter a film positive and screenprint the logo then handletter the variable copy and shades so it should look consistent but not typographic. BUT the interesting part is that the designer would like the letters to look aged... Since it is a real bakery, not a backdrop or set, I don't want to compromise the longevity of the signs. Any ideas or warnings?
To start out I've found that I always tint the glass with a dirty glaze first,liquin ,japan dryier and brtn seinna and raw umber, very translucent.Then any color you use for the lettering must be devalued in color ALOT.You might think your mixing the deadest color but when your backpainting glass it's always brighter from the front.If you use spray mask to paint the letters you can do your glaze and color very fast.you can do all your lettering translucent as well to give that "faded look"includeing brush strokes.In the end if you want to get a flaky look you can spary over it with lacquer thinner or anythink that will make the paint peel .Spray a little on and wait for it to lift the one shot just a little.Let it dry and then take a little steel wool and rub off the loose stuff.In the end you should be able to peel off the mask and clear coat .Hope that helps
Roderick
Robare M. Novou
Gary GodbyI seem to remember Bruce Jackson mentioning the use of ink to stain the gild with.
And wasnt there an article by Carl Rohrs doing some time of glass window for a victorias secret type of sign.
Hope this helps,
RMN
Danny BusselleI don't know if this job is pertaining to gilding applications but, you can apply certain techniques to enamel lettering using the "candle smoke technique which can be viewed at this link.
You can also try this link as far as distressing & patina techniques.
the link: http://goldreverre.com/technique/smoke.html
Gary
Mike JacksonHI You will actually use very little ASPHALTUM works well with other paint and is TRANSPARENT almost and just leaves a heavy age. I have aged Hunderds of pieces of glass and lamps in the movies. Should be no Problem
CarolSounds like the perfect time for a "beer" size. We tried it in Kansas City a long time ago. Try a dark ale. Seems like Kent Smith was part of that project. Maybe he has more specifics.
Mike Jackson
Mike JacksonDo you drink it? Sounds like the lettering is suppose to be white. What would you size? Maybe I'm misunderstand the job.
C.
Lee LittlewoodI must have gold leaf on the brain. I don't think sizing under paint would help unless you gave it a bath of beer first, sprayed it with shellac when dry, lettered it, and then removed the excess shellac and beer with alcohol. Might work!
Mike
RoderickWell, what about shellac on glass? Does it get enough grab on the glass to hold up over time? It is certainly an attractive idea, because you could put your tinting/ageing loosely all over the sign area, then letter over it and then (next day?) remove the excess tinting with alcohol which should not affect the oil-based paint. But if the shellac fails then all the lettering would come off...
Our first test is thin OneShot scumbled and streaked on glass, let dry, and then lettered over with OneShot. Next day it was pretty easy to remove most of the tinting 'smears' with spray glass cleaner - only a little chipping on the edges of the lettering (which looks appropriate). But what I've got is more of a dirty letter than an aged letter - maybe need to do more up&down streaking, maybe flick some dark 'flyspecks' or something. I do like the idea of adding varnish to help show brushstrokes. Thanks, everybody
Lee LittlewoodLee,
The trick to the first aging tint is too go very sutle with it if it's to strong it will just look dirty.I liked your Idea of wiping off the excess. I 'll try that.As far as shellack on the fist coat it works great.My dad used to do window lettering that way.First coat shellac leaving it a little out side the letters then letter with one shot and then sealing with shellac.
So if you dial in your dirty tint color with shellac,paint the letters with transparent one shot devalued in color (faded) maybe even 2 coats to show the strokes just like you see when a hand painted sign fades.Then wipe off the excess shellac you might have some thing good.
Roderick
Mike JacksonThanks a lot, Roderick and all of you. As it happened, the client decided not to do any ageing, so we just spent the weekend printing and lettering with straight colors. Considering the timeline it was a Good Thing. But now I'm really interested in looking carefully at old window lettering. And what to do when they need "aged vinyl letters"??
Lee, aging vinyl lettering to look like painted letters would probably be easy. (unless you are wanting peeling calendered vinyl). You can spray vinyl lettering with Krylon, then quickly wipe it, sponge it, feather it, flick paint on it, or otherwise give it a distressed feel. You'd have to experiment with different colors of Krylon to pick one that gives the right effect.
Frog Juice will also work as a clear binder for similar effects. You can do all the work on either process while the letters are cut and still on the liner or distress it as a solid roll and cut afterwards.
I don't do this a lot, but have seen Butch create some interesting effects.
Mike
Denver Chapter of the Letterheads