Ancient Signs – A4 Digital Print

Ancient Signs – A4 Digital Print

About the Image

Walking down Lombard Street in London, the historic business signs stand out. A throwback to times when literacy was the province of the elite. Towering above is the new office tower of 20 Fenchurch Street, dubbed the Walkie Talkie, due to its distinctive shape. This is the Walkie Talkie Building as seen from Lombard Street. (I’ve also painted the Golden Locust trade sign also on the same street.)

These signs were created in the days when reading was a rare skill, and images were the traditional method for advertising a company. I took several photographs at the time and managed to find a position where these signs were visible with the Walkie Talkie Building in the background. I love the way the curve of the building makes it seem to peer over to say “Hi” and the mix of ancient and contemporary in the composition.

The original picture was created in England in 2016. This is a digital print copy on A4 watercolour paper.

How the original Painting was created

The original picture was initially drawn with pencil onto watercolour paper. These lines were then drawn over using masking fluid and then painted using watercolour paint and acrylic ink. Salt was also used in the process and some of the ink blown around using a straw. Once the painting was dry the masking fluid was removed to reveal the finished painting.