FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Send mail with questions or comments about this web site to: banners@dcworx.com Copyright © 2003 DCWORX All rights reserved. Last modified: March 27, 2004 |
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The banners are a minimum of 4X8 feet. We can paint up to 10X24 feet. |
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They are hand painted in thin washes of water base paints on 200ct cotton muslin which remains soft. The edges are turned back and glued with commercial grade contact adhesive or a rolled hem. We use a commercial process so the life of the banners is 20 years as long as they are stored in dark dry space. I have seen art painted in this process from the 1850's! Just take care of it and it will out live us all. |
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The expense is based on $10/ square foot with a minimum of 32 sq feet. This covers the cost of materials and studio expenses. We donate the design (but retain the copyright) and our time. Shipping and other costs are donated or bartered with charitable organizations, businesses and individuals. |
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Yes. But there is a fee for additional expenses. In general $150 to set up a new banner design. |
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From anyone who understands both languages well enough to translate the concept. It is essential that the phrase in front be in the language of those whose handprints are on the banner. It is equally essential that the language of the recipients be visible as well so they can always tell what it says. Living In Hope, Living Together, One Hand Deserves Another, Called to be Holy have been used. Translations were easy in Romance Languages. But the cultures have language barriers that can only be bridged by people who really understand all aspects of both. |
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Oh yes, once they understand the intent. There are two techniques: hand printing or stamping. The stamping process is more controlled and can create more detailed designs. The stamp symbols can reflect the event. Example: paw prints for pet fest. Hand printing is Picture a lady in black silk pulling off her rings and bracelets before rolling up her sleeves to hand oprint. It is messy. The paint is safe for all. We use aprons and smocks. There have been accidents but even those were fun. This project is best done in a picnic atmosphere. |
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Who hand prints the banners? While anyone can hand print a banner, we are interested in groups that want to shake hands with someone far away. We have set up hand printing sessions at schools, child development centers, seniors centers, churches, art galleries, libraries, etc. - anyplace where people congregate. |
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You press your hand on a pad (a towel soaked in waterbase paint) and then press it onto the banner. Like rubber stamping with your hand. Or the waterbase paint can be squirted onto your hand from a squeeze bottle. You rub your palms together to distribute the paint over your palm and fingers. Hand Print - ask any 5 year old kid! |
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A little, but fun. Water base paint washes off easily with warm soapy water, which we would advise to have handy. The hand prints on the banner dry in minutes. |
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At least one, but the more the better. At a minimum of 250 hand prints per Standard design banner, over 500 would get crowded. The flags are easiest. 500 for a 4X8. |
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We have a little trouble with anyone under 12 months old or over 100 years. |
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Anthony Hume or any available adult. The kit makes it easy. There are no mistakes that we have not been able to fix. |
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On a table at least 2'x4' and in out of the rain. Because it involves wet paint, we prefer to avoid carpeted rooms. However, we can bring waterproof drop cloths to protect the floor and we have worked outside in good weather. We can even bring the table. |
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Thirteen five-year-olds did a full banner of 150 handprints in 30 minutes with a lot of adult supervision. Seventy-eight adults spent four hours on one at a cocktail party. |
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The banners are painted in three stages. 1) The background and words are painted at Designer Components and the figures are masked for hand printing. 2) The hand printing is done on site at an event. 3) The figures are tinted at Designer Components. Finally the artists, Anthony and Pepper Hume, sign, date and number each banner. |
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We "sold" hand print privileges at an art gallery to raise money for a charity. This would also be a great way to pay for the banner. |
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You betcha! Say your fifth-grade class handprints a single banner to auction at the school fund-raiser. The winning bidder has the option to keep it or send it somewhere of his choosing. |
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On any indoor wall tall enough to accommodate it. Where is that wall? A church, library, school, hospital, bank, corporate lobby, your house... Wherever people can see it and "get" its message. Permanent display outdoors is not advisable as prolonged sun exposure will fade the paint and wind can shred the muslin. |
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It can be stapled to a strip of wood or directly to the wall. A hem can be stitched in the top for a hanging rod or cord. |
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While we have a list of potential partners, any group can arrange to exchange with a group of their choosing. We have paired student tennis classes in Romania and Texas. Churches in Texas and Costa Rica. Students in Sweden and Texas. Etc. If you have the contact it works to your advantage. We receive a lot of requests but we are careful to get the logistics organized. |
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This must be determined in the original agreement among all parties. A civic organization could sponsor a pair of banners to be exchanged by schools, allowing each banner to belong to the school that keeps it. We do request that all local banners be available for the years Exhibit. |
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The banners are shipped by the most secure and cost effective method possible. The organization Heart to Heart has agreed to ship banners to Iraq and any "hotspot" country where security is a problem. Heart to Heart ships through FedEx free, but are limited by security and reserves the right to ship to another location if necessary. Where FedEx can go the banners will go! International travelers and businessmen have agreed to hand carry banners to specific places. A folded banner takes up the space of a pair of slacks. If wrinkles and creases do not hang out readily, mist very lightly with clean water. |
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Due to the vagaries of volunteer and charitable couriers, conditions in troubled countries and delays, this can be problematic. Heart to Heart handles shipping to third world countries but cannot guarantee when a banner will arrive or provide notification of its arrival. We prefer a personal courier gong that way. We spend a great deal of time interviewing. Those that "get it" handle the banner with repect and really get a kick out of exchanging. You will be notified by Designer Components when your banner leaves the studio and by what means it was sent. Communication will already have been established with the recipient before banners are painted. Ideally, you will receive a photograph showing your banner in its new home. Be sure to send them one, too. |
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Yes. While the original intent was to exchange banners in the spirit of common ground, several individuals want to use a banner as a group memento to commemorate an event. |
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Got a million of 'em. Contact Designer Components to talk about it. |
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Yes? We need pictures of every phase of the process for the web site. You know what a picture is worth. Pictures on the net will show no faces. The real fun is sharing pictures between the people who hand printed and received banners. |