BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & Culture

Two men posing outside a ramshakle timber shack with a large No.2 painted on the side, and bits of sign painting work around.

History

Sign Painting the Goldrush in Hill End, New South Wales

1870s Australian sign painting and sign painters in the remarkable A&A Photographic Co. collection.

Decorative glass panel with gold, silver and green paint. It reads "Gretsch 125 year anniversary, 1883–2008".

Projects

Reverse Glass Gilding Processes in an Informative Video Overview

Pat Minervini on the techniques used to create his decorative gilded glass piece for Gretsch Guitar.

Close-up of a sign painter adding a shade to a hand-painted letter 'B' in yellow paint.

Events

Sign Painting in the Sun: Benelux Letterheads 2023

Sign painting, panel jamming, and more photos from the Benelux Letterheads sign painters gathering.

Detail of a hand-painted sign which has various graffiti tags in marker pen written over it.

People

Chain Letter: Serge Nidegger, Lowrider Sign Co.

Lowrider Sign Co.'s Serge Nidegger and a Parisian palimpsest that has inspired him for two decades.

Spread from a publication with lettering in red layered on top of archival photos of Swiss shopfronts.

Events

ABC (Always Be Copying): Reproductive Power from Mexico

Introducing Mexico's Reproduction and Distribution Network, and their Lettering Workshop.

Close-up of a hand picking up a tiny tin of paint made to scale for a larger diorama.

Events

Watch the Free Recordings from BLAG Meet: Inside Issue 03

Signs, sign painting, and more in these free event recordings from BLAG Meet: Inside Issue 03.

Layers of painted advertising fading on a portion of a brick wall.

History

Listen to the Walls: Stories of London's Advertising Past

Hear the stories of seven brilliant London ghost signs, as told by Sam Roberts, aka Mr Ghostsigns.

Plaque-shaped sign with hand-painted words, "Drawing materials, surveying instruments, artists supplies".

History

The Pittsburgh Portfolio of the H.H. Seiferth Sign Company

Hand-painted and gilded signs by H.H. Seiferth in early twentieth century Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Magazine spread with mixture of text and illustration, photographed on a bright yellow surface.

Learning

Copyright and Licensing: A Brief Guide for Sign Painters

Practical guidance for sign painters to protect copyright and earn licensing income from their work.

Man looking through a window with photo taken from the outside. Above is part of a gilded letter K.

Films

Getting Into It: New Bohemia's Modern Twist

Short film about Japanese sign painter Shinya Nakahara and his journey to join New Bohemia Signs.

Illustration of street scene with lettering for the book's name.

People

The Memories of Arthur Gill, Gold Beater turned Signwriter

Audio from sign painter Arthur Gill's memoirs, I remember! Reminiscences of a Cobbler's Son.

Man crouching in front of a white wall, painting black lettering onto a mural sign.

People

Sign Painters of Pernambuco — Ten Years Later

Fátima Finizola reflects on her work profiling the sign painters in Pernambuco, Brazil.

BLAG

BLAG 02 is Now Available Online

Browse the 64 pages of advertising-free adventures in sign painting of BLAG 02, now online.

Elderly man standing in front of an enormous fading painted sign advertising Sam Caldwell & Co., Painters & Decorators..

People

Meet Chuck Keiger, Sam Caldwell's Cincinnati Walldog

Story of sign painter and walldog Chuck Keiger, painter of Cincinnati's Sam Caldwell ghost sign.

Man with a brush in his hand, resting it on a mahl stick, and painting cream lettering onto a red panel.

People

Dapper Signs: Sign Painter, Human, Legend

James Cooper, aka Dapper Signs, 1981–2023. RIP.

Photo showing a painting of the Mona Lisa on a wall with 'Rotulos' sign, and headline, author name, and article text.

Books

'A Wink on the Wall' from Mexico's Other Muralism

Join the Adventures in Mexican sign painting with Enrique Soto Eguibar and Artes de México.

Close-up of a lower arm adorned with four coloured wristbands: pink; green; yellow; orange.

Letterheads

London Calling: A Personal Perspective

Reflections on London Calling: Letterheads 2018, five years after the international meet.

Hand-painted sign board with a host of ornamentation and decoration around the lettering.

Learning

Enjoy a Free Fileteado Porteño Lesson from Gustavo Ferrari

Start learning the Fileteado Porteño artform via the new online course from Gustavo Ferrari.