“ A WELL LETTERED BOAT USES CONTRASTING COLOURS AND FONTS THAT ARE EASY TO READ WHILE KEEPING TRUE TO THE SPIRIT OF THE BOAT .”
skyrocketed and seven years ago John began exclusively lettering and painting various pieces on boats .
Boat painting has evolved over the years . John recalls that when he first started , his job was usually just painting each boat ’ s name in simple black or white lettering on either side . Today , fishermen are coming up with far more elaborate , multicoloured designs . He says it ’ s challenging to capture the complexities of designs at times , but it ’ s always fun .
WHAT ’ S IN A MARINE MASTERPIECE
John used to do oil paintings and drawings before he got into sign painting . In fact , he has been commissioned by hundreds of wives over the years to paint pictures of their husbands ’ boats . Some assume that he is talented at boat painting because of his talent as a canvas artist . However , the techniques John uses to paint pictures on boats are very different from those he uses to paint pictures of boats .
Boat paintings need to be bold , simple , legible , and uncluttered . Canvas artists usually include a lot of detail in their artwork , but crowding a boat with too many intricacies can make it look messy . As boat painting goes , less is more . Colour and font are also important . A well lettered boat uses contrasting colours and fonts that are easy to read while keeping true to the spirit of the boat . Differing weights in the fonts and line work make images stand out and help distinguish between the primary and secondary elements of each design .
When a customer comes to John with an idea for a design , they typically scribble their ideas down on a piece of paper and maybe bring him graphics of fonts they like . It ’ s up to John to understand what they ’ re looking for and bring the design to life . There ’ s nothing worse than painting a boat when you ’ re not entirely sure what the customer wants , so John usually goes back and forth with the customer many times to make sure he ’ s captured their vision perfectly . Thankfully , there ’ s not much he can ’ t do when it comes to graphics .
Prior to painting , John sketches each design to a scale using graph paper , most generally an inch to foot , which makes it easier to transfer on to the boat . Once the customer approves the design , he transfers it to the boat square by square with a water soluble pencil and then begins applying the paint . John uses a special lettering paint called one shot lettering enamel , which is an oil-based paint made specifically for sign painters . Because lettering enamel has more pigment than other paints , it usually covers with just one coat .
As boats have grown larger , hand painting has become more meticulous . Where John used to be able to stand on a six-foot step ladder to letter the boats , today he uses a stage or a scissor lift because a ladder won ’ t even get him to the water line . An average boat can take John 50 to 60 hours to complete .
STILL GOING STRONG
At 76 , John is still going strong with no plans to retire any time soon . Right now , he has six boats on the go , including two with West Head . When you enjoy something as much as he enjoys lettering boats and being around the fishermen , he says , you just want to keep on doing it . For John , the best part is the smile on customers ’ faces when they see their design come to life , hand painted in full colour . It ’ s an honour for us to get to be a part of John ’ s great work here at West Head and we ’ re excited for him to keep you smiling for many years to come .
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