My sons sweetheart is an accomplished artist with some mad good skill sets in various mediums and after she posted a commercial window painting she did in San Jose I think she would do very well with pin striping. Are there some books or other media that has various styles and shows artwork from some of the past & current masters of the craft? An internet search showed some stuff that is available but I am as artistic as a crushed brick & have no idea where to start plus other than Roth or Von Dutch I haven't a clue who has the chops and style.
There are lots of books on the subject but working with the right paints makes a huge difference. Just get a couple of 1/4 pts of One Shot lettering enamel,some reducer and a sword stripper brush and practice,practice and practice some more. A sheet of glass is a good thing to practice on. HRP
I bought a can of one-shot and a Mack brush and just started practicing. It's extremely difficult but the more I practice the better it looks. It's a blast! Just do it! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
i know i'll get blasted, but, i was just messin' around tryin' my hand at stripin' and used some latex that i had. it's been on my tool box for a couple years now. still looks like a 6 yr. old did it though.
Just tell everyone your kids did it and they'll think its great. My parents bought me a coupe things when I first was interested in it from Eastwood. They have a nice acrylic board that you can use to practice striping and then just wipe it off like the glass but you don't have to worry about dropping it.
First get a Mack 000 10 series, blue wrapping, brush to start with. This is a very good all around brush, it is still my favorite after 50 years. It is the brush I use in my beginners classes. Get some 1 Shot paint. I would recommend getting Penetrol or Chroma Flo, these are flow enhancers that make the paint flow and not thick up. The Penetrol can be found at a paint store or Ace Hardware. For thinning use only 1 Shot High, 6002, or Low. 6001, Temp Thinners. DO NOT USE mineral spirits for thinning, it doesn't mix well with the resins used in making the paint and sometimes it will separate from the paint after laying doen a line. Also do not use 1 Shot 6000 thinner it is junk and will tur to jello in the can. Have her try using the paint unthinned, then add small amount of penetrol until she finds a thickness that works for her and gives a smooth line. Also when she opens a can of paint mix is alot because sitting on a shelf the resins will settle on the bottom, then put some paint in a small cup, then thin that. It is not a good idea to work out of a open can of paint as some of the things in the paint evaporate ouat and the paint will not be the same at the bootom of the can. I know it is not very exciting, but have her pull one straight line after another until she can get a nice even thickness straight line, then go on to do the same and make curved lines, then start make designs. I know this is boring, but if youcan't make nice even lines the design will not look good. If you have nay more questions or need some help you can PM and I will help any way I can, r
Thanks for the input, I will gather up whatever I can from the board & send it to her along with a nudge to join the alliance. What about books showing some of the traditional work...any advice? Here is the window she did, I like the style of the letters & the only vinyl she considers worthy to have are her LP's. I believe she did this job without the stick that traditional sign painters use when laying down letters.
I'll be busy with an engine and a car project for the next couple years. Send me your name and address and I'll give you a Mack brush and a can of white One Shot paint. That will at least keep you busy. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
A few thoughts: I went to two of the best art schools in the country and thought I could pick up pinstriping easily. I was wrong. It takes a ton of dedication and practice, and is way different than any other pen or brush work. The best things to get for a beginner are: 1. The book "how to pinstripe" by master striper Alan Johnson. 2. The "10,000 stroke method" DVD by wizard 3. As others have said, a Mack 000 brush and a can of one-shot enamel. 4. A nice thick piece of glass. Practicing on glass makes the transition to metal panels and cars a lot easier as glass is difficult due to the ultra smooth surface. 5. Go on youtube and search "Kafka old school pinstriping" and a bunch of videos will pop up showing Steve Kafka doing his thing. All of the above is a great start. It's mostly just the drive to dedicate many hours to practice and perfection
A very good source of information is Auto Art Magazine Also check out Sign Craft magazine which is also very good. Get some Mack brushes to start with along with some One Shot Sign painters paint and start practicing your craft. Hope that helps Jimbo
http://youtu.be/8pLwfn8_mi4 http://youtu.be/y3WZNSGBsoc http://youtu.be/rOaEhMHe3jo Her lettering look s great, and it is totally freehand? Even more impressive. She should take up gold leafing! Tip's: FLOW. Tightness. Blending your own colors to make individual designs stand alone. Even lines throughout.
Slammed you wrote the following, Her lettering look s great, and it is totally freehand? What other kings of lettering would any sign painter being doing? Did you mean that she is not laying out her work with a grease pencil? Just wondering because the only way I learned to letter was Free Hand. Jimbo
'I believe she did this job without the stick that traditional sign painters use when laying down letters'. By that information laid down by the OP, Jimbo. Anything more to clarify?
Christie is an in house artist for Whole Foods which is how she pays for life and since she is an artist it ain't a bad gig since she gets to use her passion for work. I do not know how she laid out the art for the window, I will have to ask her if she set the job up with a grease pencil. What I meant by a signpainter using a stick is that whenever we had our race car lettered (and we had a lot of words on our car) the person doing the lettering would have a stick (perhaps with a rubber ball on the end???) that they would rest on the car and I think perhaps use to steady their brush hand/arm. I am sure that any H.A.M.B. members that still use the brushes will educate me as to what the stick's purpose was. It never fails to amaze me the knowledge that is on this web site.
A 30 year pinstriper at a show showed me on my car the purpose of the stick. Its simply to rest your hand without touching what you are painting. He said the easiest way to make one is a dowel rod and a pencil eraser. Just imagine holding your hand up in front of you for a extended period of time without shaking an inch and making a perfect line.
Correct , and the other method is the overhand , which is the method that I learned to use . Good luck with her new endeavor .
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