SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — 28-year-old Antonio Lopez started painting curbsides with the classic black and white numbers two years ago to make extra money on the side during the slow season of his moving business. It’s now blossomed into something he never imagined: a full-time gig and a social media presence.
“We started on Facebook Marketplace, just saying‘curb numbers for free,’ just to get some practice,” Antonio said.“Eventually [I] grew to logos, designs, cool stuff.”
After posting on TikTok and Instagram, and a few eye-popping jobs that established his reputation, he stopped his moving business and started working full-time as a curb painter, designing his own stencils and working with a rainbow of spray paint colors, offering designs like sports logos, palm trees, sunsets, and whatever else customers requested.
Charging a few hundred dollars for more complicated pieces, Antonio says, it’s important to him to do a good job.
“It feels good when you have a product or service that people really want, because it’s a luxury,” Antonio said. “I realize that, and I’m always grateful to my clients.”
He says he started out with basic supplies – $50 in stencils and paint on Amazon. Now, he loads a truck bed with dozens of paint colors and pre-cut layers of stencils and numbers to ensure he’s prepped for the week.
“I love it,” he said. “It gives me freedom of my time, I can make my own schedule. I love being a business owner.”
Antonio can be found on Instagram and takes bookings through his direct messages.