As a sign painter, I am often concerned with how light sources affect the perception of letters, and how letters can be made to look three-dimensional even when they are painted on a flat surface. In my trade, we use a variety of techniques to achieve the illusion of spatial depth. When letters cast shadows, they seem to be in relief. When highlights are applied to letters, the forms seem to be 3-dimensional. And, when shading and highlighting are used in conjunction with one another, the flat, painted, letterforms can really deceive the viewer by looking as real as if they were actually cut out of a solid material and suspended in S P A C E.
John Downer
John Downer is a sign painter by trade, with a specialty in gold leaf lettering. He has a B.A. in Fine Art from Washington State University and both an M.A. and an M.F.A. in Painting from The University of Iowa. He began his career as a freelance type designer in…
