In Dundee 1965, at age fifteen, Brian Robertson began his career as an apprentice coach painter with haulage company, Allison’s Transport. Brian’s duties involved sanding panels, washing brushes, and mixing paint. He was paid two shillings and sixpence (twelve and a half pence) weekly.
Brian’s artistic flair led him to investigate the letterforms on the lorries and how they were created. He’d encountered what would be a lifelong involvement with commercial vehicles and the craft of hand lettering.
In 1972, Brian joined Dundee Corporation Transport as a coach painter and signwriter. As well as painting entire buses, Brian also hand painted adverts on the fleet. Working on the buses made Brian realise the power of effective outdoor advertising.
With his established reputation and steady flow of client work, Brian decided to leave Tayside Buses in 1988 to focus on his own business.
Born in 1982, I grew up surrounded by signs, lettering, and advertising graphics. From an early age, Brian (my dad) taught me how to paint panels, vans, buses, and lorries; draw lettering, illustrations, and transfer patterns; whilst also learning traditional signwriting and the tricks of the trade.
I officially joined the business in 1998 at age fifteen. My dad and I worked together professionally until his retirement around 2017.
Our signwriting business evolved within massive shifts in the signmaking industry. Computer-aided design and production software took over general signmaking by hand. Gradually, we embraced technology.
From eighteen, I studied graphic communication at Dundee College. This new world broadened my ideas and ambition. I began to learn aspects of professional graphic design as well as gaining a fuller understanding of marketing.
In the mid nineties, the business diversified too. A large part of our business was for ad agencies, applying adhesive adverts on fleets of buses all over Scotland.
We used to hand paint entire double deckers, transforming them into adverts. Now, we were wrapping them with vinyl.
Since then, I feel I’m returning to my roots. Hand lettering, identity design, and more projects which bring me joy.
From concept, I design, fabricate, and install almost all types of signs and display graphics for businesses and organisations. I also work regularly with other creatives, turning their artworks, designs, and ideas into tangible, durable investments.
Clients include Dundee Contemporary Arts; Dundee Heritage Trust; V&A Museum of Design Dundee; and the University of St Andrews; as well as historic sites; local authorities; high schools; sports clubs and countless SMEs across the Dundee region.
I love drawing and painting almost all letterforms. I study (although don’t practice enough) calligraphy, as well as the endlessly fascinating world of typography, history of type, and type design.
Get in touch to talk about letterforms and all things type.
Brian teaches signwriting in Dundee Contemporary Arts several weekends per year. You can learn more about his class and lots more by visiting DCA’s workshops.