After graduating with a degree in graphic design with a focus on typography, Chris Mackenzie-Gray was kinda stuck. So he decided to invent himself, by creating a job he would actually enjoy doing. That job turned out to be painting signs.
“I’m so glad that I can do this job, that there are clients that will pay me to do it,” he admitted in an interview with Lecture in Progress. Amongst these clients, he counts Honest Burgers and the Museum of London, with his painting surfaces including brick walls, shop faces, and glass.
Working both digitally and by hand, his business – Toucan Signs – now offers sign-painting services ranging from very small door numbers to large-scale murals, and everything else in between. His work isn’t only creative but it helps beautify his urban environment. A win-win situation if you ask us.
“I think a lot of businesses are starting to see how, in a row of shops with neon or plastic signs, a nice piece of handprinted signage can set you apart,” Mackenzie-Gray explained. “There’s that tangibility to it. It’s human.”
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