Hand Painted Lettering

[Spot]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

I suggest if you want to DIY it, first learn about SVG or Scalable Vector Graphics files. As the name suggests, you can scale up or down with no pixelation or other effects because unlike ordinary raster scan images that address individual or groups of pixels, the points and line segments of an SVG image have no width. It is all mathematical. So you can make a very nice font or an individual glyph for a letter on your computer, then print it any size you want, to make a stencil. Position the stencil or stencils to your liking, and when you are satisfied, trace them with a pencil on the hull. Now you have a perfect outline within which you can hand-letter with an artist's brush, and while there will of course be touches of imperfection to the eye up close, at a distance it will look very symmetrical, consistent, and professional.

My vector art program of choice is Inkscape, very popular in the Linux community but also available for winDOHs, I believe.

Yes, it does work in Windows too. I use it to convert DXF to SVG for a freeware laser cutter software. Pic enclosed is a transom from a DXF file and text from Inkscape.

[oceanshoretiga]

Good on ya, Foswick! I understood your motivation from the original post and knew that vinyl is just not the same. Hand crafted is an art and boats deserve some art if you can give it to them. Cheers, Jim

[Leobee]

Well I for one think that's a great idea, and I totally see the point. I don't have any tips, but just wanted to counter the seeming avalanche of negativity that greeted your question.

Obviously you can get vinyl. If you were dumb enough not to know that, how could you be a boat owner!! So telling you to rather get vinyl rather misses the point (Doesn't it, chaps? https://www.cruisersforum.com/images...s/rolleyes.gif).

I hope it comes out looking great. All the best with the project.

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by Foswick

I don't want to do vinyl because I want a very traditional look. I know that you can have vinyl that is meant to look like hand painting, but if it's meant to look hand painted, why not just hand paint it? In my opinion, vinyl is great when you want something crisp and slick - very hard to match that with hand painting.

But, to me, it means something that a person picked up a brush and painted the name right on the hull. I like the imperfection of it. I want to get close to it and be able to see the humanity of the craftsmanship. I don't want essentially a photocopy of that humanity.

Please don't misunderstand - I have nothing against vinyl graphics. When done right, it looks really slick. I really like it on many boats. Just not this boat.

Only you will notice the subtle nuances. It will only mean something to you. I grew up when hand lettering was how boat names were applied. Now when I see it I just think "yuck, why the heck didn't they get that in vinyl??"

Now I just think cheap DIY shortcut.

[Foswick]

Originally Posted by Shrew

Only you will notice the subtle nuances. It will only mean something to you.

Should I be considering someone else's opinion of how my boat looks?

[kayakerChuck]

I agree with the appeal of hand lettering. I enjoy the hand made, unique aspect. I've known a couple high-end boat name painters. Both were amazing to watch.

They'd hand sketch an idea, work on it with the customer, and sometimes paint a full color hardboard of the design. After that, it was 100% eyeball and freehand. More than once, I'd stop my work to watch them work.

(They worked on boats where nobody discussed anything as gauche as money.)

I'm not aware of anybody still doing this caliber of work in my area.

[s/v Jedi]

Good to see that in this fake world some still appreciate things that require skills that are mostly forgotten

I hate that I have vinyl. Because of this thread and the promotion of fake vinyl lettering, I am now considering hiring an artist to do mine the real way when we repaint Jedi

[Wotan]

You said you went to art school, imagine how you would have felt if someone asked you to paint the name of their boat at the time? Maybe you could find someone in school to paint it for you, students will probably do it for a six pack!