By signcraft
Posted on Monday, January 27th, 2025
Rob Cooper has no computer. Nothing is printed or routed; it’s either painted or carved. The technology involved in his sign work is centuries old: brushes and chisels. The detailed background patterns, special effects on the letters, the illustrations of pizza or croissants or parrots—everything is painted by hand.
He works out of a 16-by-32-ft. shop on the island of Koh Tao, Thailand, which is accessible only via a two-hour boat trip. Koh Tao is a tourist hot spot, where signs are essential advertising for the dive shops, restaurants and resorts.
And although his craftsmanship and artistic skills are incredible, it is his sign layout skills that make his signs so effective and appealing.
No matter how you make signs—with or without computer technology—there is a lot to learn from studying Rob’s layouts. Start with his use of contrast, line value and negative space, then go on to his choices of letter styles and colors, and his careful use of special effects.
Here’s a recap of Rob’s work from the second half of 2024. You’ll find everything from a simple “Private Property” sign to stunning hand carving on slabs of native hardwood. And above all you’ll find loads of insight into what makes a sign layout work—and work really well.
