I want to learn how to pinstripe, but I have a few questions. What is a good all around size of brush for beginners? What are some good brands out there that I should look for? I've done some research, but is there any other tips you can give? Any help is appreciated.
go with a mack 00..... PRACTICE is the key, and your first time is going to look like crap I guarantee it so keep trying...
I've been trying to learn too. I don't think the brush you use to practice matters as much as having the paint thinned properly. When I finally figured out the correct consistency of the one shot, my stripes got a LOT better immediately. Keep practicing, it's not as hard as you might think.
I made an attempt a while ago to stripe. Bought the full set of Macks from Eastwood and a few cans of one-shot. I was so very lost. Then i just kinda quit...I should really start practicing and do some technique research. For example, i was simply dipping my brush into the can for paint, not even wiping it off. Whats this about thinning it out? Huh? Practice makes perfect I guess.
Nailhead, Pick up a Mack 00 original striping brush with the blue ferrel. The ferrel is the string that is tied around the handle to hold the brush hair. This about the best brush around and at $13.50 is priced right. Next Buy 1Shot lettering paint and practice thinnig with mineral spirits. Practice on a piece of scrap glass. If you can stripe on glass you can stripe on anything. Don't go trying to be to fancy. Take baby steps. A little at a time. Everyone has a style. It's what sets everyone apart. Find someone whose style you like and emulate it. At the risk of looking like a kopykat, it would give you a foundation that will eventually evolve into your own. Over time you will develop your own original style. You will borrow alot from what you see around you. I feel that anybody can learn and be profient at pinstriping. There are two inportant ingridients you need to be successful. Desire and practice. The desire to get up and be the best and practice,practice,practice. Eat,drink,sleep cars and automotive pinstriping. It's a fun and Kool art. I am glad to see such a resergence in it today, especially in the Kustom Kulture segment of Hot Rodding. Pick up Signcraft and Auto Art magazines for inspiration and tips. I hope this helps. If ya have any other questions feel free to contact me. There's nothing like the "Brotherhood of the Brush"and the HAMB! Practice,practice,practice! Good luck. Joel
Nailhead, Don't be afraid to buy a FEW 00's to start with and CUT a few down to see what feels and drags right for you...Absorb the mastery and experience of those who do live it(like the previous post)! As for us, we like to use Roth's work for inspiration, and there is always something new to learn from Dutch,no matter how many times his work has been seen.....'50s Car Crafts,early 60s Rod & Custom,Rod Builder,etc...always get us stoked to work....Andy Southard's wealth of foto info now available is great too....just our 2cents....if all else fails to inspire,get a grinder,a hood,trunk,fender,etc. and get a starting pattern! Nothing better than following the original aesthetic of cover-up striping,eh? Best of luck!
Hey there... Kali's PS to our previous post: Just a few extra pointers that might help... Don't bother with pounce patterns (at least at the beginning)... you'll be able to develop your symmetry skills and have more confidence with freehanding. Also, they won't help you with stuff like helmets & motorcycle tanks, right Barnett? ;-) Some good beginning practices are doing simple lines... start with short lines and adjust your brush pressure to make the same line in different thicknesses... after you are confident with your short lines, do the same, but longer... once you have your long lines down, and in differing thicknesses, move to curves... do the curves the same way, but work larger to smaller... THEN, move to crecents. Also, in the simple line area, practice teardrops... lay your brush's head flat on your surface, then slowly turn the brush to the trimmed side while pulling toward your self. If you do this stuff religiously, you'll be pulling seriously sweet lines in no time! This isn't meant to be a guide... this is just stuff that worked for me. As a previous HAMBer posted, glass is totally the way to go... it is the most difficult surfaces to work on and requires the most control. Have fun and don't be afraid to get creative... I hope this helps! Best of luck - and if I can help you out any, please don't hesitate to drop a line (har har) xo- Kali
thanks guys. im already drawing out ideas in my head. but are there any good sites out there, with materials, brushes, info, etc?...
Ok Nailhead, Try the following, you'll also find great links on these sites. www.mackbrush.com www.autoartmagazine.com www.signcraft.com www.pinstriper.com These will help greatly, autoart & pinstriper.com also have great message boards for oldsters and newbies alike. Kali & Johnny Ace gave ya good advice. Now check out one of the best sites on the net for explaining how to stripe. Click on http://members.tripod.com/Inflite/ for Joey Madden's Hotlines site. If I had this kind of info when I started in '72, I would be casting a taller shadow in this craft. It's chock full of info that will last a life time. This guy has been living the HAMB lifestyle since 1952. I hope this helps. Now repeat after me : Desire & practice, desire & practice, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I got pointers for those beginers keep your brushes oiled good try using a french liner available at art stores you don't have to thin out one-shot house enamel at home depot is the same as one shot "not kidding" you need a "stabilo pencil" to draw with on the surface before striping. try striping on glass or plex to practice on. best place for free plexglas is the trash can of any plastic shop. practice, practice, practice good luck
Get a Mack series 10,a 000 is good to start with.While alot of experienced stripers will trim their brushes,I suggest that beginners learn the baasics of brush control before they try to get fancy.Most stripers I know use 1-Shot High Temperature Reducer.The Old School guys used to use Yellow Pages as a pallet.Cheap and easy to find,but it soaks up solvent like crazy.If you use glossy magazines,the paper won't suck up all the solvent so your paint won't get gummy as fast.Once you open the paint can,the solvents start evaporating.Don't use paper cups to hold your paint and thinner,they will dissolve and make a mess.Get some of those little plastic medicine cups,put 1/4" of paint in one and the same amount of 1-Shot High Temperature Reducer in the other.Clean your brush in mineral spirits,and pat dry on a paper towel.Load the brush with paint,right up to the ferrule.Now wipe it back and forth on your glossy magazine pallet.This will work the paint through the brush.Notice how the brush drags,as the paint continues to dry it will drag more and more.It is necessary to add reducer in small quantities,dip just the very tip into the reducer and then pallet again.You will need to do this frequently,depending on how fast the paint wants to dry.Scrape the excess paint off on the edge of the paint cup,once on each side is enough.There is a top and a bottom to the brush,and it makes a difference.Look carefully at the handle,you will see that the hairs are attatched to one side.The hairs go on the right side.NOW try to pull a line.As you practice,you will need to pallet the brush to pick up more paint and to reduce the paint you have.Pallet the full length of the hairs,or the stuff at the top will start to dry and your brush starts getting shorter.When you are finsihed,rinse your brush in Mineral spirits and pat dry.Then soak the hairs in a nondrying oil.Mineral oil,Neatsfoot oil,etc.Some guys use motor oil,or transmission oil.The oil stops the microscopic bits of p[aint from drying in the brush.Rinse the brush in Mineral spirits and pat dry before you use it next time.< http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/pinstriperspage >
I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes, being that I've only been at it a few years...but does anyone like the xcalibers? Shorter hair out makes for easy turning...makes learning to pull curves/corners a lot less frustrating. These brushes are just another option to consider..I love them! Oh, and Unkl Ian, how the hell are ya? RayB
Ray:havn't seen you on here in a while.Are you out of jail yet? X-Calibers are better suited to people with short fingers,there are a few people who swear by them.Personally,I never had any luck with them.
Get a copy of John Hannukaines book "pinstriping and vehicle graphics" is the name I think....then practice non stop.
I've tried those Excalibers and could never make a go of it. Ya gotta try and find someone that can use it well and watch.
I'd like to recommend this for movin into the `Tech section'......Good stuff, answering a regular question. Cheers, Drewfus.
Kali said glass is a good substrate to practice on - I've heard this from Skratch, too.... It's easy to wipe the paint off and start again plus you can put a design UNDER the glass and kind of "trace" over it with your brush to practice symmetry. Randy Zaideman told me that sheet metal is also a good practice substrate...it's funny because Randy said "don't use glass to practice" but everyone else I've talked to said yes, use glass (even Roth was using glass in a video I saw). It's all just simply amazing to me - pinstriping that is. I've tried a couple of times but I have no patience with myself... I want instant gratification and that ain't gonna happen. Practice is the key, from what I've seen. I think the most awesome thing I've ever seen is one of the Zaideman's stripe a 1/25 scale car.... I just stood there, mouth hanging open, eyes bugging out. The design on the trunk of this itty bitty car was no more than 1/2" tall and perfect. It was quite inspirational.
I've never watched anybody pull lines, so I have a question too...I'm running into problems when I have to bring a line down to a curve and then back up. Trying to roll the brush I always end up kicking the hair out and my lines get fat. Also, do you ever have to turn the brush backwards (think passin' a fattie) to go up with a line, kinda like backhand welds? I usually, in all my practice, work from top to bottom with each line, whether it is the actual top of the piece or not. But I was wondering about the backhand motion.
[ QUOTE ] Also, do you ever have to turn the brush backwards [/ QUOTE ] Forwards,backwards,upside down. Do whatever is necessary to create the art you want. [ QUOTE ] Trying to roll the brush I always end up kicking the hair out and my lines get fat. [/ QUOTE ] Stand the brush up and twist it in the direction you want to go.Twist it more than you think you need,and keep twisting as you turn.
Carlos Santana didnt learn to play the guitar in one lesson. I am an inspiring pin striper, heavy on the inspired.lol. I've taken several classes held here in Las Vegas at different times and they were great. I've also got several dvds and one of the best was called 10,000 lines I think it was called. The instructor wanted you to do and log 10,000 of these practice lines. Lefthand turns,right hand turns,straight lines etc. 10,000 practice lines before even trying any designs. The purpose was to learn muscle control , and when you sat down to try and do a design it might just turn out ok and you wont get too depressed and say I cant do this. Well I didnt make it to the 10,000 strokes before trying to do something but It did turnout ok. After a couple of classes I went to, the wife went to the day spa I went to class. She said it was so funny when I came out of class with my panels so proud of what I did, SHe said I looked like a second grader show off my arts and craft project. Still got them hanging in my man room.lol,. Point it you'll improve every time you load up that brush and don't get discouraged too easly. You are'nt going to paint the mona lisa the first day unless your name is micheal angelo and Im sure he practiced a little before painting. As for holding the brush upside down there is a technique I learned doing that where two lines intersect and you are trying to clean up those areas or terminate a line somewhere and it works quite well. Whileim not where Id really like to be and dont think Id ever do someone elses car I do restore Coka Cola stuff,coolers,etc and I have learned quite a bit of brush control where the lettering has turned out pretty cool and touching up simple paint chips etc. Just hang in there and go slow.
Mack brush 00 or 000, get two colors of one shot paint. and a old piece of car glass is great for learning. mess up.. wipe off I use shot glasses for mineral spirits and thinner... Few months into it, and get better every time. Bought my first mack brush and was amazed how much better it is than the cheapo brushes out there.
Go on YOUTUBE and look for Steve Kafka pinstriping. Great stuff there. That site will also lead you to other pinstriper sites.
I'm at 1 year 2 months 6000 lines and 1.5 quarts. This is a recent one that I'm super proud of. However the one just before and after look like shit compared to it. Still no where near ready to do a car. I figure I'll to to till it feels easy and I hit a gallon then I'll call myself a striper and wear a funny hat!
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