I am wondering if anyone else is using the Tom Kelly brushes. I am very new to pinstriping and bought one recently. I've found it to be phenomenal in helping me get consistent line weight and it really helps with keeping the lines straight with the the long length hair. I am still struggling to find a suitable practice surface. I picked up some vinyl self stick drawer liner. It isn't nearly as smooth as the glass & mylar I've been told to avoid because they are too difficult to learn on. Would this vinyl material be OK? Lastly I am wondering about how long the OS paint can be "worked" on the pallet. I've been practicing 2-3 hours the last few nights and I've found my brush getting a little stiff and the paint on the pallet gets gummy. Is there a point where the brush & pallet should start over or do I just keep using thinner to make it manageable? Thanks Howard Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2
Howard, I've been using the Kelly brushes for a while (one of which was given to me by TOM!) An I love em! Tom would tell ya to use the big brush (the #2) cause it holds more paint, but both are, as you said, great at getting consistant line weight. As far as practicing goes: use whatcha got! I've used glass, metal, plastic, an wood. An I've found no matter what ya use, it all presents you with a different challenge. Just practice. Ed Roth useta say "If ya wanna be good at pin striping then dont sleep!" (he means keep practicing) an the same goes for the palleting, there's no way to transfer the knowledge, just try different things until it feels just right. Ya got any pictures?
It is the first time trying to attach a photo with Tapatalk so if it doesn't attach it is no great loss. This, if it appears in my post, is about the only one I would call a decent attempt. Just don't look too close. I really like the Kelly brush so far. I am trying the #1. My main problem with it, and really most brushes, is getting it started. I tried last PM on a vertical surface and the brush(s) tend to flop down and getting the beginning of the line right was simply not possible. It will come with practice or so I am told. Thanks for the reply & input-very cool you have one of the original Tom Kelly brushes. Does it look like the repop ones from Mack? Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2
I learned on glass as well as a few old hoods and fenders that were in the body shop. Watch a great pinstriper or any artist for that matter and you will see that the tool(brush,hammer,wrench,whatever) becomes an extension of that persons hand. That doesn't happen overnight, it take prctice. Check out some videos of Von Dutch on you tube and you will see what I mean. He stops and then picks up the same line as easy as can be. Plus he is talking while he does it. My advice to my daughter when I was showing her was to keep it simple to start. Learn control and then grow from there. Have fun and keep striping.
One of my favorite practice panels has been a side panel off an old washer/dryer. Can't tell you how many times I've used that thing for lines and letters. A little lacquer thinner on a rag and it's clean as a pin & ready to go again.
There are several good books for beginning pinstripers . I'd suggest looking into them for some technical help , starting with basic brushstrokes before trying to get "creative" . Good luck with your new endeavor .
There is a pinstriper I spoke with that is about an hour from me. I called him to see if there was a supplier close to him but he gets his OS from a place that is 45 minutes in the other direction so he has to pass by my "hood" on his way. I may call him to see if he wouldn't mind having me hang around a bit. I am not looking to make $ doing this-personal quest only. I need something small for practice because I am currently practicing in my living room and I can tell the wife isn't thrilled about it. So long as my twin 19 year old girls still around they keep the house trashed enough to keep me third in the current slob competition. I clean up totally each PM which is actually setting a good example. They haven't picked up this odd habit. One thing that I may be doing wrong is trying 2-3 brushes each practice session. I think I will stick with a brush I am doing the best with for a couple of weeks/months. Right now I have a Mack 00 giving the best results. The Kelly is awesome for straight work but I can't make turns well with it. I would like to hear how long others work the paint on the pallet & brush before it gets too dried up. If I am practicing for a couple of hours the pallet & brush get dry so I keep adding thinner each time I grab a little paint from the cup. This amounts to more & more thinner as time goes by. My theory is that the drying paints is loosing solvent but leaving solids so as long as there are good amounts of solids on the pallet thinning it out is OK yes??? Thanks Howard Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2
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