The brush, the letters and the gold-leaf
- Julien is self-taught in lettering and sign-writing
- He finds inspiration from the visual abundance conveyed on social networks
- He creates modern designs and restores vintage signs
Julien Raout, a lettering artist, discovered his passion after studying at Beaux-Arts de Nancy and briefly working as a layout artist. As a self-taught enthusiast, he navigates the streets armed only with a backpack and ladder. Excelling in hand-painted letters, tailored to various surfaces and sizes, he also masters gilding with fine gold on different materials, including glass. His works can be seen in a variety of locations, from small restaurants to luxury brands, hotels, boutiques, and even boats. Adaptability is crucial to Julien, as he must adjust to different surfaces, client demands, and weather conditions, often painting outdoors in challenging environments. Preferring authenticity and diversity, he finds the balance between tradition and modernity key to his success. Julien believes his art is experiencing a renewed interest and is passionately committed to perpetuating this heritage.
INTERVIEW
My first professional lettering project was the result of an agreement with a Parisian artisanal coffee bean roaster. Every month, I offered him a themed, custom lettering on the window of his shop according to the coffee selection he received.
Visual identities are specific to certain cities, regions, or countries. In France for example, on a regional scale, there are particularities: Gothic letters in Alsace, specific characters in the Basque Country, or the use of intense blue in signage and wall advertisements in the south of France.
The construction of rounded letters like O or G is different from that of flat letters like E or N. These letters must be slightly larger. If the curve stops at the implied top and bottom lines of the letters, they will appear too small compared to the others.
While working on a construction site in Merlimont for Chef Alexandre Gauthier, I was painting at height under a threatening sky and soon enough a downpour started. Though I had prepared a cardboard to shield the paint in case this happened, I had to struggle for 20 minutes against gusts of wind to keep it in place and protect the freshly painted letters.
