DIY: Make a Hand-Painted Sign Like a Pro

Using acrylic paint & plexiglass, these hand painted signs were turned into a custom font for Joe's Crab Shack. FUN! The grit on each letter helped convey a feeling of shore nostalgia and immediately takes you to your favorite seafood dive. For me, real brush strokes trump vector textures every time because you just can't fake that funk.

Whether you're a novice designer, DIY-crafter, or type-fanatic, anyone can achieve their own signature signage. I'm going to show you a simple way to get a super cool effect and create your own custom sign with a few very-easy-to-find supplies. (links below)

In the video, I used a drawing and simply attached it to the back of the plexiglass. Depending on your skill level you may be able to paint the letters freehand but in the interest of time I cheated. If you don't feel confident hand drawing the letters you can make something up quick in Illustrator or Photoshop and then print it out. Tape the print out to the back of the plexiglass and trace it as a guide like I did below.

Be sure to prepare your plexiglass before painting! That means at least two coats of gesso before even getting started. Don't be afraid to sand it down either. The gesso will adhere to the grooves.

Super fun, super easy. Scroll down to check out the video.