A_P_TPC_Vol11_2015_

LEARN HOW TO CREATE BEAUTIFULLY WEATHERBEATEN PAINTED

LETTERING WITHOUT EVER TOUCHING A PAINTBRUSH

ADD HANDDRAWN

EFFECTS TO FONTS

T

here is something very nostalgic and

whimsical about old-fashioned painted

fairground signs. The way that these signs

manage to draw power from the world that

they depict makes them so attractive and intriguing.

They somehow capture the electric velocity of the

attractions and offer the viewer a glimpse into them

experience they’re about to embark on.

Unlike modern typography, which seems to be

either self-consciously quirky or painfully utilitarian,

fairground typography is unapologetic in its

relentless desire to provoke an emotional response

from the viewer. Perhaps it is because of their ability

START WITH THE BASICS

SETTING UP THE FOUNDATIONS FOR YOUR LETTERING

to entice and beguile that has meant that painted

fairground signs have changed very little since their

inception and even the recent renaissance of

fairground typography has produced little more than

mere pastiches of the original.

In this tutorial, we are going to create a

weather-beaten painted sign for the digital age – one

that requires no paintbrushes and no paint. Drawing

colour inspiration from the effervescent lights of the

fairground and incorporating the jubilant flourishes

of its rides, the aim is to capture the excitement of

the fair by any means possible. So come and run

away to the circus with us and let’s get started!

01

CHOOSE YOUR COLOUR PALETTE

To create an ombré effect reminiscent of

fairground signs for the lettering, choose colours

that naturally blend well together. I’ve chosen

orange (d85a29) and magenta (a8118b). To make

the lettering really come to life, choose a

contrasting colour for the shadow: I’m using

turquoise (00d5c0). For the lettering outlines,

choose a metallic, gold colour (c3996c).

02

PICK A TYPEFACE

For the text, you can either hand-draw the

lettering from scratch or you can cheat and take an

existing cursive typeface and adapt it. Choose a

typeface that has many ligatures and alternates to

make the text seem natural and hand-written. There

are plenty of good, open-source typefaces that are

free to download, such as Lobster and Pacifico.

PAINTED LETTERING

WITHOUT THE MESS

WORK IN

PROGRESS

Progress 1: Choose the typeface

Progress 2: Bring the

lettering to life

Progress 3: Add the background

ANDY HAU

http://www.andyhau.com

@andykwhau

OUR EXPERT

Andy Hau is a London-based

architect, designer and the owner of

A.H.A Design. For him, “design is an

escape from the futility of modern

life, not an endorsement of it.”

03

ARRANGE YOUR

LETTERING

Start by sketching loosely

on-screen how you want your text

arranged. The lines of text should

look balanced and there should

be a flow that leads the eye from

the beginning of the text to the

end. Don’t worry too much about

the large gaps that are naturally

formed – these will be filled with

embellishments later on.

ADD HANDDRAWN EFFECTS TO FONTS