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