Steven became intrigued with signwriting while watching a sign go up at his uncle’s auto garage in Kilmore. He was 14 at the time and amazed by the hand-drawn lettering and freehand brush painting. The signwriter, Mark, was a friend of his brother’s and went on to teach him about the craftsmanship of the trade.

Gradually Steven started painting signs for his uncle and would stay with his cousins on weekends, pumping petrol and painting signs at the family business. Word got around and more signwriting jobs flowed in.

It was a fun time interspersed with learning and laughter and sowed the seeds for his business foray. Unbeknown to Steven his uncle had business cards made up and was handing them out well before his Steven was licensed to even drive.

By his 15^th birthday Steven was working most nights for his father and uncle. In retrospect it is no surprise he landed an apprenticeship as soon as he went searching.

The signwriting of old was truly an amazing trade for one with vast creativity and artistic ability. Self-satisfaction was a special reward of the job and often, while working on site, Steven had people watching him for hours, enthralled by how he did it.

When technology entered the industry, graphics programs and computer cut lettering started to overtake freehand work. Efficiency and productivity increased at the expense of talented signwriters who became redundant either by choice or because of a changing workplace. The emergence of the digital printer saw hand signwriting become obsolete. Steven laments that these developments allowed “basically anyone” to own and run a sign production company. He believes that artistic ability is no longer of any value to the trade, which he says is full of “make believe” signwriters and franchised enterprises that have downgraded quality standards.

Note: Below are photos of the actual Signs Steven Hand painted.