New Bohemia Sign Shop Diary @signshopdiary - Tumblr Blog

Here are a couple showcards I painted for when we booked the @roxie_theater for the SF theatrical premiere of the @sign_painters movie, nearly a decade ago! Tomorrow, midday, Pacific time, @betterletters is hosting a communal worldwide screening to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the world premiere, along with a panel discussion among participants, over Zoom. You can join in, for free, but need to register beforehand via eventbrite--details on the Better Letters Insta bio page. (at New Bohemia Signs) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp5xfPFv-p9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

On the ride to work, we saw that our blade sign finally got hung, outside McMillan! Lots of 23k surface gilding, with a bit of engine turning around the big M. (at McMillan Electric) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp3GSjZPVb5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

We got to pore over our small library of picture books about ossuaries and charnel houses, for inscribed skulls, to choose appropriate letters with which to decorate these, ordered a gifts to the five main DJs responsible for the Death Guild club night, now celebrating its 30th year of gloomy grooves and convulsive morbidity! (at New Bohemia Signs) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpeIRtHruD_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Here's last weekend's crop of new graduates from the NBSigns Intro-to-Brush-Lettering workshop! Clockwise from upper left, there's Miriam, Alice, Rose, Janelle, Brady, Allegra, Santa, Sirima, and Mike! (at New Bohemia Signs) https://www.instagram.com/p/ConVpNRP4TZ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Here's our Jan '23 group of nouveau brush letterers, making their public debut! We've got Kelsey, Anna, Ringae, Claire, and Jonah, standing up; with Christine, Hayley, JosieRose, and Kenny, crouching up front. Sorry--I neglected to collect Insta handles, so holla if you'd like to be tagged! There's another workshop coming up next weekend, for those of you who don't mind missing at least the first half of the Big Sportsball Concussiesta! I think we've got one remaining easel space for an aspirant letterer! (at New Bohemia Signs) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoN4Pdkv5rH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

First few signs done on the new McMillan Electric space, still getting built out, a couple blocks southwest of us, in SOMA. Using a 4 color faceted variation of me Evil Step Bros letters, I'm surprised by how well the facetious pops, even on the brick (I mean, not *great*, but better than hoped for! Blade sign, glass gilds, and asst'd other signage to come. (at McMillan Electric) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFxLL9vUDz/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Tony, from Chow, sent along this shot of one of the logos we painted and gilded at their new San Ramon location, last summer. This is all on the exterior surface of these tinted windows. The letters are gilded in 2 weights of gold, with directional burnishing, and thin line work dividing the facets. The illustration is adapted from a line drawing on a mid-century cookbook. (at Chow) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoDcEZoyChm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Institutional signage keeps the dinner on the table! It's nice when they're on board for gilding. (at New Bohemia Signs) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmZvL5ivt2G/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Here are the five murals we painted, enlargements of Susan O'Malley prints, over the past couple of weeks, outside the SFMoMA rear entrance, currently facing the Diego Rivera fresco exhibit. These are from her final series of works, wherein she and a local youth group asked people "to imagine themselves as their kindliest, wisest 80-year-old self and give a piece of heartfelt advice." Four of these five can be found in her book, Advice From My 80-Year Old Self (the "BE HERE NOW" is a different version to the book's). Also, 4 of 5 involved is trying to duplicate printed color blends with rollers on stucco, across 15 x 20 feet. Realized with the skilled help of @moderntwistsigns, @tessalarosa, @spooky_orbison, and @caitlynmariegalloway. (at SFMOMA San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmScAPcP6EH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

We painted and installed a couple of directional signs for the Laszlo bar, last week, with very decorative borders. "RESTROOMS" uses bolder strokes in the style of a font supposedly based on Klimt's handwriting. The "BUDAPEST LOUNGE" letters are drawn in imitation of those on signage at Budapest's Opera metro station, one of the world's oldest, opened in 1896. (at Laszlo Bar SF) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClZU9U6PDzn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

I've somehow managed to have never painted a saw before this week! This was commissioned by a squad of plainclothes cops who specialize in tracking down auto thieves on the run, and tossing spike strips in their path. They've flattened 12 tires in the neighborhood, so far! (at New Bohemia Signs) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClRfjq2vdQc/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

We bumped into @milkfedpress, last night, bopping against the front of the stage, at the @osmutantesband show, @thechapelsf, and I realized I'd never shared a pic of the lovely work she did for our updated business cards in the past year! These feature a few weights of the New Bohemian Flare typeface I developed at the @letterformarchive Extended Typeface Design Program, half a decade back. (at New Bohemia Signs) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClEykXdSsso/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

There's a little girl getting a Barbie bike with her name on it, for her birthday, this week! (at New Bohemia Signs) https://www.instagram.com/p/CigEwYGP8FF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

We painted this last week for the new Hayes Valley vegan hotspot, from the team that brought Wildseed to Union St, with much success. (at Rad Radish) https://www.instagram.com/p/CiGwuWBPIrh/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Got up on a rooftop to investigate a wall on which we may soon be painting another mural, and it gave us a good view of the mural we helped @tau_au realize, a few years back, alongside a newer one based on an image by Carlos Villa, who was one of my instructors at SFAI, and who currently has an exhibit hanging at the Asian Art Museum, a few blocks west of here. I don't know who painted it (wish I'd gotten that call!), but it works well worth Tauba's piece! https://www.instagram.com/p/ChapkP-vHq9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Newly gilded transom with frilly painted oval vine work, on a house way atop Buena Vista Park, recently repainted per color consulting by Evan, of @finecustompaintingco_, for whom we've designed and painted a couple logos, over the years. #nbsignsoriginaldesigns https://www.instagram.com/p/CgnKCXbvB9U/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#nbsignsoriginaldesigns

Put up a nice big mural in 7 shades of Benjamin Moore gray, at the entry to @barriosmartialarts, last week. Designed by erstwhile NBSigns painter, @heather_hardison (at Barrios Martial Arts) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cge1_8kLrC9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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