BLAG (Better Letters Magazine)

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.

Close-up of a hand applying paint to a wall with letters outlined in masking tape.

People

The Magic of Mr Masking, Costa Rica's King of Tape

The typographic vernacular of Gerardo Picado's masked and painted letters in San José, Costa Rica.

Woman in overalls and sign painting kit standing next to a bright red racing car painted with the number 20 on its side.

Projects

A Fresh Lick of Paint for a Vintage Alfa Romeo

The livery of a 1967 Alfa Romeo GTV is restored to its original 1972 design by Valentina Trentini.

Front of a Filipino Jeepney flamboyantly decorated in bright colours.

Films

The Joy of Jeepneys: A Filipino Vernacular Under Threat

The story of The Philippines' flamboyantly decorated Jeepneys told through film and photography.

Workers painting a 'SLOW' sign in white on a tarmac road.

Films

Lowdown Lettering: The Hidden Craft of Roadliners

Celebrating the craft of the Roadliners, whose lettering on tarmac is hidden in plain sight.

People

What a Ride: The Wonderful World of Sign Painter Vehicles

40+ hand-painted, lettered, gilded, and illustrated sign painter vehicles from around the world.

Vintage car with hand-painted lettering on its livery.

People

Chain Letter: Ornamental Conifer

Ornamental Conifer shares the inspiration he's taken from the 1950s 'Fabulous' Hudson Hornet.

Line illustration of a group watching a man paint a board with a roller.

Learning

How to Prepare MDO Plywood for Sign Painting

Step-by-step guide to tools, materials and techniques to prepare MDO Plywood for exterior signs.

Drone photo of a large sign painted on a sloping roof with the city of Chicago in the background.

Events

The Sky's the Limit: A Chat with Right Way Signs

Recording of Right Way Signs' BLAG Chat about their niche of massive hand-painted roof signs.

BLAG

Bonus Material from BLAG 03

Bonus content from the adventures in sign painting from Issue 03 of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine).

Magazine with cover showing and on top of the front and back of a poster.

BLAG

What's Inside Issue 03 of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine)?

Between the covers of the adventures in sign painting in Issue 03 of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine).

Hand resting on a mahl stick while holding a brush and painting letters in black.

Learning

Where Can I Learn the Craft of Sign Painting?

Overview of workshops, courses, apprenticeships, and places to learn the craft of sign painting.