From the late 1950s on Airbrush Shirts were as much a part of the Hot Rod/Kustom Car scene as Pinstripping. But in recent years Ive noticed a definite decline in interest. In the SF Bay Area for instance Their was a talented young man (sorry forgot his name) from up Sacramento way (also did cool plasma cut metal clocks) who got into it, & Daneen another talented youngster from S.J. who I see around. Other than those 2, Giant is the only one I see still out there doing it regularly. Giant doesnt even hire any help anymore because work has tapered off to were he can handle his booth by himself. Ive mostly been doing custom jackets for the Outcasts Car Club & not much more. My back cant handle car show work anymore. Plus Im moving on to do all the paintings and sculptures I have in my head that I havent got to because Ive been doing everyone elses art all these years. Im not getting any younger so Ive got to move on. But after I get a bunch of stuff out of my system. Im gonna dig my Shirt Easel back out, and get back into it. But not the standing for14 hours, while some impatient guy, who waited til he wanted to leave the show, before he ordered his shirt, is standing behind you tapping his foot, while you do a shity rush job, cause you need the money, for gas, food & rent! All that w/only one break that day, to hit the head, and grab some greasy "Heart Attach" show food! While grinding the lower vertebrae of your back to powder, and your feet going flat. Then fighting w/who ever got the booth, to pry from them the money you earned during that show. Like I did when I was doing the show circuit Screw That! Thats a young persons game. Ill just do custom orders out of my house like Franco dose now. Ive paid my dues! Gee maybe I just answered my own question LOL But even though Im moving on in my own art for now, I love "Airbrush Hot Rod/Kustom Monster T-shirt Art" and would hate to see it fade away! I find it odd that in all the rush in the last 15 or so years to replay/reinterpret the history of this Hobby/Art Form we all love here on the H.A.M.B.! The Airbrush Shirt has for the most part bin left out. Sure theres Francos Book "I Was A Teenage Monster Shirt Painter" & his DVD of the same name. And lots of pictures of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth in front of a Shirt Easel and early on some Detroit Guys tried to get some interest in "Mouse" going again. Then here on the H.A.M.B. we have good ol Tingler! So its "Giant", and Franco (still does some shirts, and brings them out to car shows to sell in his booth). And once in a blue moon you see "Lil Daddy" Denis Roth in front of an easel And myself at home doing "Outcasts" jackets Other than that Ive only seen those 2 young folks take up the calling (here in the SF Bay Area at least). Then not much interest among the younger Hot Rod/Kustom enthusiasts in buying or wearing them. So whats that all about? As another topic for this thread for those shirt painters who might be lurking out their show us your easel! Heres mine Built it after I bought one of those Lil books Ed Roth put out in the early part of his second time around. He had built one out of ABS. I thought that was a good idea. This is the second design I came up with (the first one was too unwieldy) Been using this one for years now works for me! Franco told me once that he didnt like Eds He was the one who was using it when it began to fall apart. Mine has held up fine so far. Some guys like the small wooden easels cause they fold up into a nice size you can throw it into the trunk of a Duce, or Model-A (if your serious about this, sorry but those cars are way too small for all that you need to carry). I like mine cause I have every thing I need built into it. But it wont fit in just ant car to each their own! The Indian shirt is a yellowing ol "Display Shirt" I did back in 1993 Eye Bone
I haven't done any shirts lately......really need to get back into it. Tingler is my HERO for this stuff......I really admire his work.....Franco as well. It's funny, growing up in AK, every mall had a booth that did airbrushed T-shirts, and the work was top notch. When I moved to Washington, I was suprized that no one was doing airbrushed shirts in the mall.....I found it odd. As for my easal.....I just stretch the shirt over a piece of board I have and lean it up against the wall....
Hey Nomaddness, I've heard of Johnny Ace didn't know he did shirts too! Killer work! I like yours too! That wall stuff works for a while, but not at shows. Any way keep it up! I realy dig Tinglers stuff too! Thanks for your input! Eye Bone
Hahaha.....yeah.....I've only done a few shirts, maybe 6. Not good enough yet to do shows or make $$$....... That No-Mad shirt rules...great DETAIL in it......
Are you the Lil' Billy from the Road Zombies? I do all kinds of art but the 2 hardest types I've ever done are Pinstripping & and the "Free Hand Airbrush Techneque" that you have to lear to do shirts But it was worth every bit of that T-Shirts can be a gas! It all depends (like anything eles) on how you aproch it! Go for it! I'd posibly be willing to teach some SF Bay Area folks if there would be enough intrest and a space to do it! Eye Bone
I still got a shirt from Giant he did back in 1977 or so.... maybe 78. i don't think his style has changed at all since then. there was a guy at Bakersfield doing T-shirts... really good. can't remember his name though. also did big art on canvas. I've done a grand total of 3 myself. the first one I did on an old shirt from the rag pile... it came out pretty good, when i tried to duplicate it on a good shirt it came out kind of sucky ... I never even finished it. Tingler rocks. he doesn't even draw it out first. his brain must work different from everyone elses.
It's neat artwork, but styles change. And right now airbrushed shirts generally mean your mullet is waving out the window of an 83 camaro while your lady's smile shows off both her teeth. Sit tight, styles always come back. 10 years it'll be huge again. Til then, keep monster roddin.
Keep it up that's the only way you get it! That is rare! Most every guy I ever met drew first even if it was just a few quick lines! Go Tingler! I have to do a real tight drawing bugged Reinero to death but that's how I had to do it.
I haven't bought an airbrushed shirt since the sixties. But I plan to soon. I'll be ordering from Tingler. He's good and all that, but since I've given that boy so much crap on here over the last few years, I think I OWE him.
Ya but it doesn't have to mean that does it? I mean we controle that don't we? You can't picture shirts that would fit how you aproach Rodding? Let them have their shirts we'll paint our own! Go for it somebody! Not me my age and the fact that I came of age in the "Hippy 60's" makes me suspect! I know the score! (like any of that should matter!) But someone in your age groupe in touch w/your scene could do it! I just want to see the art keep going! That's what maters to me!
The Jalopy Journal
