Colour Blended Letters

THE TECHNICAL SIDE: COLOUR BLENDED LETTERS^*

Baz Manning, FSHA

The Heraldic Craftsman No. 13, Summer 1993

Colour blending in painted lettering is a technique which has been used by the signwriter since Victorian times. Throughout Europe, America, and to an extent, the European colonial lands in the 13^th century, it was used to create a feeling of warmth in a sign and very high-class style. It quickly became a technique which the signwriter mastered if he was to offer the full range of lettering techniques. Up until the 1920s in Britain, it was still to be seen on shop fascias and signs, but after this time it dropped from fashion. Much like the rag rolled walls or marbled panels in house decoration, it became a thing of the past. Although the techniques were not forgotten, customers no longer wanted the effects they produced, preferring a simpler and somewhat more austere approach, both in their signs and their decorations.

With an upsurge in demand for craftsmen-produced items of every description in the last 10-20 years, colour blended letters have made a welcome return to the sign industry. Hollywood, and the Wait Disney studios in particular, have latched on to the idea and have used it extensively for old film sets. Some of the most exquisite examples can be seen in Disney’s theme parks around the world.                (They give a whole new meaning to the term “Mickey Mouse work!”) Indeed, the industry has recognised the demand for this effect, even in the usually cold and businesslike side of plastic sign manufacture, and acrylic sheet (Perspex) is available in blended colours, although only at a price! Computerised graphics are now able to reproduce the effect as well, and some truly superb designs crop up on the television screen from time to time, no doubt overlooked by all but the most avid typomaniac.

There are several effects the traditional signwriter creates, which are produced in very similar ways.                Although they are all done using enamels on large scale lettering, the same effect is possible on a small scale in different media. If you practice these techniques in your preferred medium, you will be surprised at the richness it adds to, say, the motto of an heraldic painting.

METHODS

Wet blend, 3-colour

Draw the letters in outline and mark a line where the blends will occur. Choose a mid tone which will be the colour value of the lettering. Mix a tint and a shade of this colour. First paint in the tint in the top third of the letters. Before it dries, apply the tone to the middle third and either use a short-bristled brush to pull the tone into the tint very carefully, dry brushing it in, or stipple the two colours in a dabbing motion until you are happy with the effect. Lastly add the shade to the bottom third and repeat the blending process. The skill is in achieving an even blend throughout all the letters. Invariably you will end up with some very ragged edges to your letters and these will have to be cleaned up by outlining.

Wet blend, 2-colour

The same method can be used for two colours. This is easier to produce and less time-consuming, but careful choice of colour and balance is important to make sure the final effect is pleasing.

Dry blend

If the lettering is painted in full using the mid tone (or lightest colour in 2-colour blending_!) and allowed to dry, the tint and shade can be applied in a more leisurely manner, giving the inexperienced more time to experiment. This also allows the lettering to be painted direct for those who prefer to avoid the use of drawings. The methods of achieving the blend are just the same and the difference in effect can only be seen under very close inspection. An outline will still be necessary to clean up the edges. The outline also has the advantage of pulling the lettering together visually, as it can look quite weak when certain colours are combined in this way, no matter which blend is used.

Dry blend, 2-colour inline

The quickest way and possibly most suitable to very small-scale lettering is a 2-colour blend as follows; Paint the lettering in full and allow to dry. Mix a shade of the colour or use a very judicious contrasting colour if a special effect is required. Paint the shade into the bottom portion of the letter, leaving a border of the tone showing to create an inline. Very carefully brush the shade up the letter, pulling it up until the halfway mark, when the brush should be dry. This seems like a very difficult technique but once mastered is remarkably simple and extremely effective. The balance created by the inline, which must be regular and even, removes the need for time-consuming outlining. Interesting effects can be achieved if the shade is mixed with varnish to create the blend.

2-colour, blended throughout

Finally, the most exotic of all blends. The choice of colours is vital here, as the effect can be ruined by poor colour sense. A classic combination would be two very rich creams, the dark blending into the light, outlined in a drab white such as ivory, all on a green background. Draw the letters in outline. Mix or choose two closely related colours.

Paint the darker into the bottom half of the letter and the lighter into the top half. Now, using a small stippling brush (a lily bristle stencil brush is good for large lettering), blend the two colours evenly into each other with a fast, dabbing action. This will take practice to master. The effect should be a subtle graduation from dark to light with no obvious joins or streaks of colour. A very pale neutral outline sets the effect off to its best, creating great subtlety, while dark outlines tend to dominate the letters.

In all cases, the darker colours would usually be applied to the bottom of the lettering. Visually this creates a weighty base to anchor the letters, if lighter colours are placed at the bottom, the lettering may appear top heavy and unbalanced.

For these effects to be fully appreciated, fairly heavy weight lettering is required, such as a bold or at least a medium typeface. Fine copperplate or Trajan Roman is generally unsuitable, unless used as a foil in one colour to balance the exotic fussiness of the blend.

These techniques can be used to striking effect on glass, when the outlines must be applied first and the blending done wet. But that’s another story…