Mystic Blue Signs, New Orleans
@mysticbluesigns.bsky.social
Yvette Rutledge and Vince Mitchell are lettering artists practicing sign painting, logo design, calligraphy, gilding, hand engraving, hand-carving, sculpture and metalwork in their Magazine Street studio/gallery. mysticbluesigns.com
New design and sign for the Channel Irish pub on Magazine Street. Eve drew the lettering/ornament (adapted from ironwork on the balcony), Vince built the metal can and we painted it before Nate and Justin at Big Sexy Neon added neon. #neonsign #handpaintedsign #logodesign #magazinestreet #nolalife
July 21, 2025 at 6:15 PM
New design and sign for the Channel Irish pub on Magazine Street. Eve drew the lettering/ornament (adapted from ironwork on the balcony), Vince built the metal can and we painted it before Nate and Justin at Big Sexy Neon added neon. #neonsign #handpaintedsign #logodesign #magazinestreet #nolalife
Print of Eve’s calligraphic texture exercise from our Pen Yoga session May 17, penned, scanned, digitally colored, printed then overprinted with a different color. #calligraphy #handwriting #texture #penyoga #neworleanscalligraphy #nolalife
May 26, 2025 at 11:21 PM
Print of Eve’s calligraphic texture exercise from our Pen Yoga session May 17, penned, scanned, digitally colored, printed then overprinted with a different color. #calligraphy #handwriting #texture #penyoga #neworleanscalligraphy #nolalife
It’s that time of year again…new handdrawn cards in the shop. #handlettering #lettering #originalgreetingcards
April 29, 2025 at 1:08 PM
It’s that time of year again…new handdrawn cards in the shop. #handlettering #lettering #originalgreetingcards
This week Vince painted this restaurant logo in metallic bronze.
April 13, 2025 at 1:41 AM
This week Vince painted this restaurant logo in metallic bronze.
New logo/sign design for Irish pub on Magazine…soon to grace a metal can sign enhanced with neon. #signart #logodesign
March 26, 2025 at 11:05 PM
New logo/sign design for Irish pub on Magazine…soon to grace a metal can sign enhanced with neon. #signart #logodesign
It’s the season to be Irish…Our very first metal can sign circa 2004. Not a real hotel (just a sample). I mean, “five-star flophouse”?
March 12, 2025 at 11:04 AM
It’s the season to be Irish…Our very first metal can sign circa 2004. Not a real hotel (just a sample). I mean, “five-star flophouse”?
Vince gilded and reverse painted this glass panel for a Mardi Gras Krewe for the 2025 carnival celebration
March 11, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Vince gilded and reverse painted this glass panel for a Mardi Gras Krewe for the 2025 carnival celebration
Happy Mardi Gras from New Orleans !
March 4, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Happy Mardi Gras from New Orleans !
Mardi Gras posters from our Mystic Blue Signs archive of our carnival art. #mardigrasposters #carnivalart #neworleansart #handdrawn #nolalife
February 27, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Mardi Gras posters from our Mystic Blue Signs archive of our carnival art. #mardigrasposters #carnivalart #neworleansart #handdrawn #nolalife
Logo we designed, hand-drawn, then converted to a vector file. No auto-trace! #logodesign #handlettering #handdrawnlogo
February 16, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Logo we designed, hand-drawn, then converted to a vector file. No auto-trace! #logodesign #handlettering #handdrawnlogo
Thpical view of one wall of the gallery in our sign studio. #handpaintedsigns
January 28, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Thpical view of one wall of the gallery in our sign studio. #handpaintedsigns
A favorite sign we designed and made about ten years ago. Hand-painted, 24” x 24”. #signpainting
#handlettering #logodesign #handdrawn #handpainted
#handlettering #logodesign #handdrawn #handpainted
January 28, 2025 at 3:25 AM
A favorite sign we designed and made about ten years ago. Hand-painted, 24” x 24”. #signpainting
#handlettering #logodesign #handdrawn #handpainted
#handlettering #logodesign #handdrawn #handpainted
Reposted by Mystic Blue Signs, New Orleans
One of the first signs Eve painted after arriving in New Orleans in 1995, made in trade for a PA system for the reggae band (she played bass and sang). The Music Exchange was a big supporter of music in the city. Drawn and painted freehand. #neworleansmusic #handlettering #handpaintedsigns
January 26, 2025 at 1:40 PM
One of the first signs Eve painted after arriving in New Orleans in 1995, made in trade for a PA system for the reggae band (she played bass and sang). The Music Exchange was a big supporter of music in the city. Drawn and painted freehand. #neworleansmusic #handlettering #handpaintedsigns
The black outline painted on the inside of the window at Undergrowth Coffee before Vince applied the gold leaf. We usually don’t outline gilding, but in this case it helped define the elements since the client did not want to add color. #handlettering #goldleaf #handpaintedsigns #neworleans
January 25, 2025 at 3:14 PM
The black outline painted on the inside of the window at Undergrowth Coffee before Vince applied the gold leaf. We usually don’t outline gilding, but in this case it helped define the elements since the client did not want to add color. #handlettering #goldleaf #handpaintedsigns #neworleans
Always difficult to photograph gilded windows—this one has a big tree across the street reflecting in the shiny gold. The client decided not to use color in the design; it is entirely 23k gold, both matte and burnished, with only a black outline.
January 25, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Always difficult to photograph gilded windows—this one has a big tree across the street reflecting in the shiny gold. The client decided not to use color in the design; it is entirely 23k gold, both matte and burnished, with only a black outline.
Inked version of our design for a gilded window includes an element provided by the client: the capital U with coffee leaves/beans. It can be challenging to integrate such elements into a larger design. Eve drew arabesque-ish borders and letters that reference Art Nouveau to bring it together.
January 25, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Inked version of our design for a gilded window includes an element provided by the client: the capital U with coffee leaves/beans. It can be challenging to integrate such elements into a larger design. Eve drew arabesque-ish borders and letters that reference Art Nouveau to bring it together.
Detail of our pencil sketch for a coffee roaster’s logo and gilded window lettering. #sketch #logodesign #handdrawn #handlettering
January 25, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Detail of our pencil sketch for a coffee roaster’s logo and gilded window lettering. #sketch #logodesign #handdrawn #handlettering
Final pen and ink logo for Tchoup Shop, refined from the original pencil sketches. #logodesign #artist #penandink #handdrawn #handlettering #neworleans
January 24, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Final pen and ink logo for Tchoup Shop, refined from the original pencil sketches. #logodesign #artist #penandink #handdrawn #handlettering #neworleans
More pencil concept sketches for a sign design for a New Orleans shop
January 24, 2025 at 5:51 PM
More pencil concept sketches for a sign design for a New Orleans shop
Curled metal sign with gold leaf lettering made from our original pencil sketch
January 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Curled metal sign with gold leaf lettering made from our original pencil sketch
Gold leaf window lettering done by Vince from our original design
January 24, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Gold leaf window lettering done by Vince from our original design
Original pencil sketch for a gold leaf window
January 24, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Original pencil sketch for a gold leaf window
Original pencil sketch for a sign design—if we are making just a sign and not a logo, we don’t make a pen and ink version; we just draw it full-size and paint the sign.
January 24, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Original pencil sketch for a sign design—if we are making just a sign and not a logo, we don’t make a pen and ink version; we just draw it full-size and paint the sign.
The pen and ink version of our own logo designed by Eve in 1997
January 24, 2025 at 1:48 PM
The pen and ink version of our own logo designed by Eve in 1997