Wayne Osborne at Work
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Letter in gold leaf
Hand Painted Lettering
Signwriter's Brushes
Large Scale Signwriting
Traditional Signwriting
I set up Osborne Signs in Midhurst, West Sussex, In the heart of the South Downs national Park, in 1994 to specialise in high quality and creative signwriting using traditional methods. Traditional signwriting was fast becoming a rare skill among sign manufacturers but, despite the advance in technology, there is still no alternative for the quality workmanship of traditionally hand painted signwork.
At Osborne Signs I offer a very high standard of work including gold leaf, gilding, glasswork, murals and pictorial signs. My traditional hand painted signs work aesthetically with their surroundings, especially in locations which have retained their historical buildings and character and areas of conservation control.
Far from being restricted by the design capabilities of a computer, when it comes to traditional signs the only limitation is your imagination. Unique colours can be mixed and blended, effects and shadows can be added, different sign shapes can be achieved. From the simplicity of a house or cottage name sign to the colour and vibrance of the funfair, it's time to put the tradition back into England's signage.
Signwriting Techniques
My signs are made and painted by hand using traditional methods and craftsmanship for a quality finish and character impossible to reproduce through machine production methods. I only use the finest tools and materials in sustainable timber and hardwood combined with modern paint systems for durability. Any signs you commission will endure the test of time.
Signwriting is the oldest skill associated with signmaking. Although many different skills have been used over the years to produce signs, the work of the traditional signwriter has always been in demand.
It may not be able to compete with vinyl cut lettering or digital printing for speed but it still remains a valuable and valid method to produce a unique one off sign, regardless of the surface to which it is painted or the intricacies of the design.
In fact, on difficult surfaces, rough render or brickwork or upon historic buildings it is often the best and cheapest method to produce a sign.
Signwriting is a precise art that takes years to learn, and even longer to master. It is not filling in pre-drawn or computer determined shapes but the hand and eye skill of painting letters with sable brushes with the same precision. While at the same time, something very human is conveyed into the job which the computer cannot give.
It is this attention to detail in my hand painted lettering that I have always striven towards, so that my signs are not only functional in delivering their message but are also aesthetically pleasing, in design, colour and layout.
Gold Leaf
Gold leaf work is done by hand using 23¾carat. finest English gold leaf to ensure your sign looks stunning for years. Even in today's settings gold leaf is favoured because it has an unequalled brilliance. Gold leaf will never tarnish or fade – nothing else looks like or lasts like it!
The unique quality of gold leaf enhances any business. It is extensively used in the licensed trade, by quality retailers, religious organisations, as well as in clubs and schools, particularly for honours boards.
Glass Gilding
Known as the "Rolls Royce" of signage, gold leaf signs on glass have a brilliance like none other. Worked in reverse on the back of the glass, 23¾carat loose leaf is applied using age old techinques to create a mirror bright brilliance that is unsurpassed. This style is often used for office windows for solicitors and professional businesses although I've also carried this type of work for house numbers, pubs and bars and commemorative commissions.
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