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

History

"We Are Not Superstitious, But We Believe in Signs"

The Gawthorp sign firm in Leeds were renowned in the trade at the turn of the twentieth century.

Painted and gilded panel with a cowboy pictured saying "Welcome Back To" above the main lettering that reads "El Dorado".

Events

A Golden Opportunity to Learn at the Return to El Dorado

Ghi Sign Service resumes its gilding-themed Letterheads meets following their pandemic postponement.

Woman sandwiched between two sheets of painted plywood, and painting Mr. Plywood's face onto one of these.

Projects

Mr. Plywood Stands Proud Again: Recreating a Portland Icon

Kirsten Bauer and Alina Radetsky collaborate to replace a celebrity sign of 60 years' standing.

Colourful mural with Ronald McDonald milking a cow while other characters from his story look on.

People

Uncovering the Spectacular Commercial Art of Wes Cook

A mural at McDonald's, Centralia, Washington, leads Cabel Sasser down a delightful rabbit hole.

Men in overalls posing on/in front of an old car that's hitched to a large trailer adorned with a sign advertising their business.

History

Ye Olde Sign Shoppe at the American Sign Museum

Signs, photos, and other artefacts from sign shops of old in the American Sign Museum's collections.

Illuminated neon signs that say 'GO' with arrows below pointing down-right, and 'GULF', among other neon signs.

Places

My Week at the American Sign Museum

Report from this incredible museum, which celebrates its 25th anniversary with a new book this year.

Events

Women in Sign Painting: Burds of the Brush

Rachel E Millar shares her and her guests' reflections on the first Burds of the Brush in Glasgow.

Man working behind a sheet of glass adorned with gilded and painted lettering and pictorials.

People

Sketched Buk Brings the Brilliance of Gold to Bangkok

Thailand's Buk overcomes challenges to make glass gilding an important part of his design practice.

Street sign for Allen Street, W.8. in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Places

'Classifying Signs' by Harry Leeson

Class, taste, and the impact of street signs and public lettering policy on our built environments.

Window with gilded and shadowed sign in the upper portion, below which the sign painter is removing the pattern.

Field Notes

Field Notes from BLAG: February 2025

Pounce wheels, backwards letters, Spanish sign painters, and more goods and goodness from the field.

Warehouse space with scores of signs laid out, including many illuminated neon signs.

Films

Lisbon's Letreiro Galeria Glows in a Beautiful Short Film

Documenting Rita Múrias and Paulo Barata's tireless work to preserve a city's graphic heritage.

Black and white photo of a small group of people in a studio setting, engrossed in drawing and conversation.

Events

Is this a crazy idea?

Help give the Letterheads anniversary celebrations in June an international dimension...

Hand-drawn lettering in the style of a sign that reads "E. McLellan Signs".

Books

Bookish Good Luck at McLellan Signs in Nampa, Idaho

Jay Smith embraces serendipity to add to his library of sign painting and lettering books.

Partly finished painting of a man painting on a pictorial element on a window using sign painting tools..

BLAG

The BLAG 06 Digital Companion

Bonus content from the adventures in sign painting in Issue 06 of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine).

BLAG

What's Inside Issue 06 of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine?

Between the covers of the worldwide adventures in sign painting from Issue 06 of BLAG.

Person holding a vintage suitcase with hand-painted lettering that says "Bread & Salt".

Field Notes

Field Notes from BLAG: January 2025

Assorted adventures in sign painting from around the world, via the desk of BLAG editor Sam Roberts.

Woman painting pink Roman letters onto a light olive-green wall.

People

Getting (Back) Into It for 2025

Advice on getting into the craft of sign painting from five people who have done just that.

Photo from from the air of a hot air balloon hand-painted with Renaissance-inspired art.

People

From Billboards to Balloons: Charlie Markert's Sky High Art

A career as a billboard pictorial artist paved the way into the niche of hot air balloon painting.