Ancient Signs – Original Painting

Ancient Signs – Original Painting

About the image:

Walking down Lombard Street in London, the historic business signs stand out. The ancient signs are 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 ancient 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.

Creation: The image is created using masking fluid, then painted with a watercolour wash and covered with clingfilm. Once this is removed the picture is further developed using acrylic inks and building up layers, which are left to dry before the masking is removed to reveal the final picture.