More emblem-style truck door graphics from Brian Schofield
By signcraft
Posted on Monday, May 27th, 2024
There’s a lot more going on in emblem-style graphics than a lot of airbrush work. As
Brian Schofield said in “
Truck door graphics that look like an emblem” one of secrets of airbrush work is to use it as little as possible.
“With the airbrush,” he says, “less is more. When I use it for a chrome effect, it’s about 25% of work. The rest is sharpening up the sky and ground that’s done with a brush. You just want to use the airbrush for the blends.”
But even beyond creating emblem-style graphics and using the airbrush, Brian shared several important tips in these two articles. Here are seven takeaways to remember:
- Design for legibility at the typical viewing distance and save the fun stuff to be seen once the viewer gets within 10 feet of the sign.
- When using beveled edges or outlines, allow extra letter spacing so that the letters don’t overlap and get harder to read.
- Don’t be afraid to offer the customer alternatives to the ideas or layouts they bring you. Remind them that you have expertise to offer that can make their sign more effective.
- Effects can easily overpower the message if you’re not careful. Use them sparingly.
- Avoid complex letter styles with long names or words. Long names are harder to read by their nature and an overly-decorative letter style will complicate that further.
- A panel or background with a subtle but interesting texture can add appeal to the lettering and graphics, and overall eye appeal.
- Don’t be afraid to try new things. Keep learning. Brian is still experimenting with techniques and products after over 40 years of truck lettering.