Coach Lining

Coach lines are used to accentuate the lines, details and curves of vintage vehicles and are an essential part of achieving a show stopping professional result on your restorations. As a signwriter, you might also want to add straight lines around your designs to help them standout. With decades of experience of restoring traditional fairground rides, vintage transport and living wagons, Joby Carter is a leading expert in coach lining the traditional way – no masking tape involved.

In this one-day course you’ll discover how to create straight lines using an English coach lining brush and will learn expert practical tips from Joby. Using these brushes is a skill worth learning: it’s the most efficient way of painting a straight line by hand.These are specialist skills that would typically be passed on through an apprenticeship, but in this one-day course Joby will share his unique industry knowledge, essential if you are planning to coach line a vehicle, living wagon or steam engine.

Upcoming Courses

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What will you learn on the course?

How to coach line to accentuate the beautiful lines of vintage vehicles
How to use lining to add detail and embellishments to your designs and restoration projects ensuring they follow the structural lines for a beautiful result
When to use thick or thin lines
Using multiple line styles for full decorative effect
Brush technique to gain control of your lines (using coach lining brushes)
How to steady the hand and keep the lines straight
How to paint straight lines over lumps, bumps, rivets and hinges
Using the correct viscosity of paint to keep the lines running smoothly
When to choose coach enamel paint and when to use signwriting enamel paint

Who teaches this course?

This one-day course is hosted by professional signwriter and industry expert Joby Carter.

Joby is a renowned expert in this field having learned from master craftsmen himself and with over 30 years of hands on experience in this area.

He has restored numerous showmans living wagons, trucks, trailers and vintage fairground rides; these skills have been essential to Joby’s work and he feels it is important to pass them on. 

Who is this course for?

This course is ideal for someone working on a restoration project that may want to learn to coach line a vehicle, living wagon or steam engine and add scrolls and flourishes.  

If you are a signwriter looking to broaden your decorative style, these skills and techniques can be used to embellish your signwriting or to enable you to create authentic designs in keeping with a traditional style of decoration. 

Where is the course held?

The courses are held in a restoration workshop know as ‘Joby’s Paintshop’ at the Carters Steam Fair Yard, in White Waltham near Maidenhead.  

During the course you will have the opportunity to look around the restoration workshops to see the variety of real-life restoration projects that Joby Carter and team work on.   

What is included in the course price?

All materials are provided for the duration of the course

Lunch and hot drinks are also provided. You are welcome to bring your own mug if preferred.

You have the opportunity to buy your own equipment including paints, brushes and mahl sticks at the end of the day – cash and card payments accepted.

How many places are there on the course?

There are 15 places on the course to ensure everyone can watch the demonstrations, ask questions and get the support they need.

Apply for funding for your course

Signwriting, gilding, fairground art and coach painting are heritage skills and some organisations offer funding to those interested in learning these traditional skills.

We encourage you to research funding opportunities with QEST, Heritage Crafts and the Crafts Council.