sketch Archives - Sign Smith Sign Painting

Frontier Steak House Sketch

Every sketch was done by hand using the pencil or pen and markers in the days before computer drawing programs.

This building is one of the oldest in the Rancho Cucamonga area. It was home to one of the first wineries in Cucamonga and owned by Tiburcio Tapia, a local businessman. A lot of history is associated with this building.

Laura Baker, from Frontier Restaurants called me and asked if I had a portfolio that I could show her and I asked her to come down to the shop to see the work I had displayed. After she walked in she said that I was the one they were looking for.

This restaurant was part of the Knowlwood and Russell Restaurant chain and the first of their restaurants in the Inland Empire, Rancho Cucamonga to be exact.

Mike Rhodes gave me the opportunity to do the sign design and sign painting for the interior and exterior of this building. There were a lot of interior directional signs and wall murals. There were exterior signs that had to be done and most of them were hand lettered, including an old wine barrel that was out front. I also designed the table mats for print and the menus. It was great to be involved in the research and production of the signs for this establishment.

Sketch of a 1940s Jukebox

I always did a scale sketch for any job that came up back then. I’d do a pencil sketch first, then a colored sketch once the deposit was received.

A good friend of mine, Bob Babcock, owner of RWB Party Props in Orange, had me doing prop painting and sign painting for him back in the 1980’s. Bob is still doing business in Orange and over the years I’ve done a number of signs and props for him.

He needed a jukebox prop and asked if I could do a rough drawing first.

This is where my background in Architectural Drafting came into play. I was able to draw the final artwork to scale after getting the rough sketch approved. At the time even a 1940’s Juke Box was considered an old sign and required research and pictures of what they looked like.

I thought he wanted a perspective image so that’s how I did the sketch. As it turned out he wanted the prop without perspective, but I always liked this sketch and kept it.

Sketch for the Christmas House

The ‘Christmas House’ was down the street from my sign shop in Rancho Cucamonga. The sign was in need of repair so I asked the owners if I could do a sketch and bid on a new sign. This was pre-computers when all of my drawings were done with pen and markers.

I usually did a pen sketch to make sure I was on the same page with the client and also tried to have a proposal ready. If all was copacetic, I would furnish a colored drawing and take my deposit to start the work. I did not get this job, but I always liked the sketch.