Stuck in the middle of an advertising world dominated by banner ads and pop-ups, it’s hard to image a time when most advertisements were hand painted on brick walls and shop windows. Thirty years ago, ...

Even in an age of emoji, when people revel in communicating online using a shared set of colorful icons, it makes sense that there are still those who are able to eke out a living painting signs for ...

Emilio Carrillo’s mural of Latin American countries on the wall of an apartment building in Pico-Union. (all photos by the author for Hyperallergic) Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series on ...

With a swift and steady hand, Ruben Marcilla is painting a 3-foot-tall “T.” The “T” is white, and Marcilla is cutting crisp lines around it in teal. When he’s done he moves on to “H,” then “E” and an ...

Dan Kamba and Chuck Wilmarth are debating how to spell Oscar Mayer wiener. The “i” should be before the “e,” says Kamba, co-owner of Southwest Signs in the Clearing neighborhood, but Wilmarth, the ...

Decades ago, DC was full of hand-painted signs pointing customers toward various retail establishments. They were eye-­catching and distinctive, but they were also expensive, required regular ...

There are many ways that shop owners can display their pride for their business. One of them is sweeping the sidewalk on a daily basis – a respectable old world habit that somehow died years ago.

Over 11 years and 570 episodes, John Rabe and Team Off-Ramp scoured SoCal for the people, places, and ideas whose stories needed to be told, and the show became a love-letter to Los Angeles. Now, John ...

A sixth-generation San Franciscan is quietly shaping the city's visual landscape — one hand-painted storefront sign at a time ...

Ruben Marcilla started painting the signs on Avista Stadium’s outfield fence when the plywood was new, marking off sections that would become insurance and grocery ads so big and bold the ...

Miller’s signage varies by the business. You may see his designs on the fascia of a storefront, the window of a café or along ...

The man behind many of Chicago's most recognizable hand-painted signs doesn't call his trade a job. Ches Perry says his custom-made artworks are “just a hobby,” even after more than 45 years designing ...