Alright, so the other day I was tasked with sprucing up the restroom signs at my buddy’s new bar. He wanted something a bit more creative than the standard stick figures, you know? So, I figured, “Why not make ’em myself?” Here’s how the whole thing went down.
Brainstorming and Sketching
First, I sat down with a pad and paper. I am not an artist. I needed ideas, and a lot of them start with a pen and paper. I started doodling. I mean, really rough sketches. We’re talking stick figures with hats, maybe a pipe for one, a monocle – all the cliché “manly” stuff I could think of. I wanted to steer clear of anything offensive, just keep it light and fun. After a few pages of what looked like a toddler’s art project, I narrowed it down to a couple of decent concepts.
Getting My Hands Dirty (or, uh, Digital)
Next up, I am not one to use any fancy tools. I fired up my old laptop. I have used a few free online design tools in the past, the learning curve is pretty basic. I started playing around, I selected shapes, lines. I wanted to make the image myself and not use a template. I got a rough shape of a person, changed the color and played around a little.
- The “Mustache Man”: I started with a basic oval for the head, then added a ridiculously large, handlebar mustache. It looked more like a furry caterpillar than a mustache, to be honest. I spent a good hour just tweaking the curves, trying to make it look…less…caterpillar-y.
- The “Pipe Guy”: This one was simpler. A circle for the head, a rectangle for the body, and then I focused on the pipe. Getting the angle right was tricky. Too straight, and it looked like he was sniffing it. Too droopy, and…well, it just looked wrong.
Choosing a Style
After some thinking with myself, I played around, the whole design and process, I kept thinking should it be modern, clean lines, and monochrome? Or, like, vintage, with faded colors and a textured background? I’m no design expert, so I just went with what felt right for the bar’s vibe – a bit retro, but not overly fussy. In the end, I selected a simple black and white, to match the color on the wall.
The Final Touches
Once I had the basic designs down, I added some finishing touches. I am quite proud of this little thing I added, little details: like a slight curve to the mustache to give it some “oomph,” and a small puff of smoke coming out of the pipe. My son told me it looked “cool”, so it must look great. And finally, the font – I had to choose something that was easy to read from a distance, but also fit the overall style. It’s the small things, right?
Printing and Mounting
Finally, I printed out the designs on some sturdy cardstock. I didn’t want them to look flimsy. After printing, and making a copy for myself(it looks great). I trimmed the edges, got a pair of cheap frames that matched the bar’s décor, and popped the signs in. Easy peasy. I gave it to my buddy, and he sticked it on the bathroom door. All done.
So, yeah, that’s how I made some custom men’s bathroom signs. It wasn’t exactly rocket science, but it was a fun little project. And hey, at least now the bar’s bathroom has a bit more personality than it did before!
