Stripes and graphics in a small market

For Mike Chamberlin and Mark Kramer, hand lettering led to an interest in pinstriping— as it has for many sign painters. If you can handle a brush to make letters, the idea of decorating vehicles with striping and graphics is a natural move. Making the shift from the tight, disciplined world of lettering to the loose, spontaneous world of striping can be a lot of fun.

Mike’s shop, Vital Signs, is in Verona, Wisconsin, which has a population of about 11,000. Verona is a suburb of Madison, which has a population of about 250,000, and the shop serves part of that market as well.

Airbrush work “Pinstriping is fun and I really enjoy doing it,” says Mike. “You’re working with a brush and playing with designs and colors. I like airbrush work, too. It’s a nice change of pace from building signs and doing trucks.”