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Signwriting

wormsplicer

By wormsplicer
in General Boating

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StoneHenge Rising Star

StoneHenge

Posted
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got any examples of your work? A good artist always has a portfolio.

 

Only asking as we are re-naming our boat in a couple of weeks, but haven't put the new name on yet, so were thinking of looking into it. We know what we want and even have the design all mapped out, just ironing out the fine details!

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Neil.A Collaborator

Neil.A

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Hi Yep I use my webpage as a portfolio www.ajsigns.webeden.co.uk

Some pretty impresive stuff there! I need mine doing but vets bills have left me a bit skint!

I wonder if anyones named their boat Sizzling Sausage. :smiley_offtopic:

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Chris-B Experienced

Chris-B

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Some pretty impresive stuff there! I need mine doing but vets bills have left me a bit skint!

I wonder if anyones named their boat Sizzling Sausage. :smiley_offtopic:

 

I used to own one called " A Twisted Lemming"

something to do with bacardi and coke no ice just a ...........

 

Still very neatly executed signwriting

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wormsplicer Gongoozler

wormsplicer

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Yeah! Thats the down side! im in Yeovil and I had a look but no..... couldnt find any canals!! but I did go for a drive through the wilderness thinking about canal boats and I drove right up to a Yeovil canal boat builder!

I joined a small signwriting shop when I was at school, I joined them when I left school that was back in 1988!! eek! I love lettering with shaded shadows and gold leaf!! Do many people have gold leaf on their boats?

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StoneHenge Rising Star

StoneHenge

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I see you have some pictures as well as lettering.

 

If you wanted to build up work, I guess the best way is free advertising on a boat. Get someone to let you do a design on their boat, and when they ask 'who did that' then you might get a lot of enquiries your way.

 

Other than what you do there, if someone gave you a design, could you do it if they could provide the font etc?

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Shaggy Gongoozler

Shaggy

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He's dead right, though. There was a sign in a shop window near where I live that said 'write down our number while your sat at the lights'.

 

Ian

 

I may have a job for you, getting a new boat delivered in September to Hanbury Wharf. Like your stuff though - pm me with prices or request more info.

 

Thanks

 

Shaggy

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cyclic Collaborator

cyclic

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Yeah! Thats the down side! im in Yeovil and I had a look but no..... couldnt find any canals!! but I did go for a drive through the wilderness thinking about canal boats and I drove right up to a Yeovil canal boat builder!

 

Try the Kennet and Avon canal. Bradford on Avon, Bath, Devizes. . That's not far from you.

I'm at Devizes, and mine getting in serious need of some paintwork attention. PM me with details and prices, and I'll get back to you in about 3- 4 weeks when I get back from the USA.

I'm up for advertising too, if it's not over the top.

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Phil Speight Rising Star

Phil Speight

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Hi!

 

I havent painted any canal boats but I want to!! I have been signwritng mainly shops, shop windows, vehicles for years and I want to paint a boat!! :smiley_offtopic:

Hi

Although I`m bemused as ever by some of the responses you`ve got - anyone would think there were no decent writers already working on the canal - I`m happy to say welcome to the club! The more good painters come along the higher standards will get and that can`t be bad - and ther is plenty of work to go round , too much for me at the moment!. Advice from a world weary old boat painter though - don`t buy your way into the business by not charging a sensible amount . I`ve known a number of potentially really good people fail because they`ve started out cheap to get some work and then found that the customers won`t let them increase their prices once they are established . Get a name for being good , which you are , not for being cheap.

The other thing you need to do is learn the "language". Old style boat writing , for which there is a great demand , has a way of it`s own. Tony`s book will help you see this, as will various other books that look at the history of the canals. I`m only telling you this because I really am always happy to see new , good, painters arrive on the canal and you need to be able to turn out specific and genuinely traditional work as well as more modern styles.

All this is irrelevant if you simply want to write a few boats but if you think you may fancy becoming a boat writer full time some of what I`ve said may make sense and once more - welcome , there`s plenty of work out there.

Cheers

Phil

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Phil Speight Rising Star

Phil Speight

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Hi

Although I`m bemused as ever by some of the responses you`ve got - anyone would think there were no decent writers already working on the canal - I`m happy to say welcome to the club! The more good painters come along the higher standards will get and that can`t be bad - and ther is plenty of work to go round , too much for me at the moment!. Advice from a world weary old boat painter though - don`t buy your way into the business by not charging a sensible amount . I`ve known a number of potentially really good people fail because they`ve started out cheap to get some work and then found that the customers won`t let them increase their prices once they are established . Get a name for being good , which you are ( well "good" doesn`t really do you justice does it) , not for being cheap.

The other thing you need to do is learn the "language". Old style boat writing , for which there is a great demand , has a way of it`s own. Tony`s book will help you see this, as will various other books that look at the history of the canals. I`m only telling you this because I really am always happy to see new , good, painters arrive on the canal and you need to be able to turn out specific and genuinely traditional work as well as more modern styles.

All this is irrelevant if you simply want to write a few boats but if you think you may fancy becoming a boat writer full time some of what I`ve said may make sense and once more - welcome , there`s plenty of work out there.

Cheers

Phil

Forgot to say - having seen your portfolio I can`t imagine why you should want to work on boats - they bounce up and down , they get rained on , they are always at the wrong height and every so often their owners will present you with some godawful bit of graphics they`ve done on their pc and say "thats what we want." I feel another holiday coming on . AND I once spelt accommodation wrong on a sign board.................... and Hepsibah , and.....

Chees

Phil

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Gary Peacock Veteran

Gary Peacock

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Forgot to say - having seen your portfolio I can`t imagine why you should want to work on boats - they bounce up and down , they get rained on , they are always at the wrong height and every so often their owners will present you with some godawful bit of graphics they`ve done on their pc and say "thats what we want." I feel another holiday coming on . AND I once spelt accommodation wrong on a sign board.................... and Hepsibah , and.....

Chees

Phil

 

We built a boat called "Slow Loris" now I didn't realise it was named after an animal that resembled a tom cat on acid. But fortunately our painter must have because that is exactly what he painted on it! :smiley_offtopic:

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