Vinyl stickers are often the cheap alternative for house numbers but the clients wished for real gold leaf numerals.
The client chose a Bodoni style of sign writing for the numerals, with an outline & a dropshadow. The numbers were drawn out using a chinagraph pencil on the outside as they had a frosted window.
The size/paint mix was applied with neat brushstrokes, in the same way as any other sign writing, using a quill shaped sign writer brush.
The gold leaf (23ct pressed real gold) is then applied with care, with each sheet pressed on & then reliefed & burnished with a soft brush or cloth. It wakes more skill than vinyl stickers & looks far better when complete
The drop shadow is then painted using a sign writer quill, making sure the paint to gold edges leave a crisp finsish, as well as the base lines of the shadow.
The outline is produced last, completing the look. The client wished for a quite a stand out number & as can be seen, with the bold letter style & the size it was painted, it has done its job.
With the property having a receeded entrance, the window & gilding shouldn’t be that affected by the weather & should last the client quite a few years.
Real gold, if not wiped hard to clean, can last up to a century! which vinyl stickers certianly won’t!
Churches & Palaces are proof of this.
Traditional & Contemporary Hand Painted Signwriting in London
Signwriter – Traditional Signs of London
info@traditionalsignsoflondon.uk