If you come across a hand-painted sign on the fascia of a café, restaurant or tea house in the north east, chances are you’re looking at the work of Ashley Willerton

Four years ago, Ash Willerton was a web designer seeking an entry into graphic design. Since then he has racked up Fortnum & Mason, Quilliam Brothers, Theatre Royal and The Independent as clients for his self-taught skills in bespoke hand lettering, sign writing and reverse glass gilding.

Ashley Willerton, photographed by Ben Hughes

“There are no shortcuts,” he says. “It’s a labour of love and eventually using a brush becomes second nature. At first, it felt very stilted and awkward. But there’s a satisfaction now in having all the variables honed: from knowing how to load my brush to holding the palette board alongside my brush.”

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Read the full version in The Northern Correspondent #8