Hand-painted lettering on brick at Colony Club in Washington, DC

Here is our hand-painted lettering for Colony Club in Washington, DC. We love to paint murals in our nation’s capital. This mural looks simple, and yes, it was pretty easy to do. A one-color sans serif font looks excellent, even in a straightforward layout. Simple is always better when it comes to sign-making. We like to paint with bold strokes and bold colors, using Sherwin-Williams paint.

The secret to painting on brick is a short, stiff-haired brush. Rigid bristles let the artist push the brush accurately into cracks and divots. As a result, we can cut a clean, curved line over a rough surface.

We can cut a smooth line on a rough surface.

For clean letters and lines on uneven, rough surfaces, we use a stiff, short-bristle brush called a stipple brush. We can also stencil onto surfaces like this. For small letters on rough brick walls, we use a special type of stencil. However, when we have large letters like these, we prefer to work the old-fashioned way, by hand with a stiff lettering brush!

Hand-painted lettering makes Brendon smile.

The lettering looks simple, but on this surface, it is pretty challenging. It takes patience to get it just right. If we make a mistake, we can quickly use the background color to cut back into the letter. This hides any rough edges or drips. Of course, touch-ups are always part of the plan.

If you would like to ask us any questions about your next mural