TECH:A stripe is born(How To)

I say********* ya man*********!!!!!

 

That was cool i've always wanted to learn how to stripe..Very nice

 

ray, excellent post...it's always an inspiration to see your work...awesome stuff.

 

NICE! makes me want to buy a brush and some 1 shot and give it a try.

 

thanks..that was way better than what i was putting together....and remember,that was holding a camera in one hand!!!

 

Thanks for the input folks;I really had fun trying to put it together.To briefly answer a couple of questions:
Using the grid to lay out a design is all right at any stage of proficieny.To me if it makes the job you're doing easier than by all means use it!
I tell people that even after striping for nearly 50 years I am "practicing"every time I pick up the brush is not a joke.I can always pick up some little nuance that may have escaped my attention previously and the day I stop learning will be the day they place me in the ground.
On the subject of aids to make your job easier:I find that if I am doing a side stripe on a car,I much prefer to use a magnetic strip to use as a guide for my fingers while others feel comfortable working off a strip of tape.
While at a panel jam one time,I was setting up my magnet to do a side stripe and you have to be careful not to slide the magnat too much because attracted metal particles can scratch the surface of the car very easily.I normally would sight down the length of the strip to make sure it was even and adjust accordingly.
One of the other stripers(Dr.Ru actually)asked me why I didn't use tape for a guide.I told him I didn't feel comfortable working off it and he replied,"No I don't mean that;Try putting a line of tape down first and then aligning your magnet with the tape.It's much easier to see".A simple solution to a problem I struggled with for years!
Another tip I got for making sure that the tops and bottoms of letters were sharply defined was from my good friend Bob(who unfortunately is no longer painting and was one of the best airbrush artists I've ever known)was to use pieces of cellophane tape at the tops and bottoms of the letters.He would tape each one individually by folding a small corner over(to facilitate removal)and placing it under the layout lines.The great part was you could paint down to the line and overlap the tape a bit and then pull it off when finished.Presto! A nice sharp edge!
BTW I think I am going to do a follow up to this post on doing a small lettering job such as a car name.Might not be until nxt week but I'll try.Also if anyone would like more info,I host a Yahoo group called the pinstripers page(I know there are several people from here on it already)that has some pretty good tips as well as pictures.There are many other websites out there also that have a wealth of information.
Good luck!
Ray

 

Ray, to lay a nice pinstripe is cool, to lay a nice pinstripe with one hand, and taking a picture with a camera in the other hand is f*cking awesome man! I'm going to get me some pinstriping gear one day and have a go at it
Thanks, Paul

 

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Ray, to lay a nice pinstripe is cool, to lay a nice pinstripe with one hand, and taking a picture with a camera in the other hand is f*cking awesome man! I'm going to get me some pinstriping gear one day and have a go at it
Thanks, Paul

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Thanks Paul but I have to admit that was a little bit of camera trickery.What I did was partially paint the line and then pick up the camera and shoot the picture while laying the brush back down on the line.It was a little tricky trying to hold the brush steady on the line while taking the picture though.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Ray

 

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my problem was trying to expand out too much at one time to make room for a second color of stripes. I see now that you just accent your main color a bit and add some longer lines where permited.

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Pinstriping is part technical,part creative.

The technical part includes how to hold the brush,how to reduce the paint,
controling the line width and direction.
The creative part includes design,composition,balance,color,
the use of positive and negitive space,visual tension,visual interest.
The technical part is about making lines,the creative part is making those lines into art.

As you develop your technical skills,your confidence will allow you to attempt more creative designs.
Alot can be learned on the creative end by studying GOOD work by talented artists.
Learn what you like and why,ask yourself how it would look different with the use of different colors.
After you look at the design as a whole,study individual elements and see how they are combined.Is the design woven together in a pleasing fashion?Or is it just a bunch of lines?
Ray's demonstration here shows that any design is just a series of lines applied one at a time.If you think of it that way,it is less intimidating.

If something doesn't look "right",try to figure out why.There is a reason.
It could be a technical problem,perhaps the line consistancy or symetry is off.
It also could be a creative problem,poor color choice,or too much negitive space.

Some of the creative decisions are part of your personal style.Others are based in sound principles.
One of the few "rules" is: If it looks good,it IS good".

As part of my personal style,I try to avoid perfectly straight lines,especially horizontal or vertical.
Short straight lines at an angle are OK,but not too many.
Line lengths vary throughout the design.Some lines might be wider,or taper in thickness.
If I want to change directions with a line,I try to use an acute angle.The visual energy is greater
than if it were obtuse.Exact 90s are used only when necessary.

In his interview in Car Craft Magazine,Von Dutch said:
If I make a mistake on one side,I just make the same mistake on the other side and keep going.

 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
my problem was trying to expand out too much at one time to make room for a second color of stripes. I see now that you just accent your main color a bit and add some longer lines where permited.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pinstriping is part technical,part creative.

The technical part includes how to hold the brush,how to reduce the paint,
controling the line width and direction.
The creative part includes design,composition,balance,color,
the use of positive and negitive space,visual tension,visual interest.
The technical part is about making lines,the creative part is making those lines into art.

As you develop your technical skills,your confidence will allow you to attempt more creative designs.
Alot can be learned on the creative end by studying GOOD work by talented artists.
Learn what you like and why,ask yourself how it would look different with the use of different colors.
After you look at the design as a whole,study individual elements and see how they are combined.Is the design woven together in a pleasing fashion?Or is it just a bunch of lines?
Ray's demonstration here shows that any design is just a series of lines applied one at a time.If you think of it that way,it is less intimidating.

If something doesn't look "right",try to figure out why.There is a reason.
It could be a technical problem,perhaps the line consistancy or symetry is off.
It also could be a creative problem,poor color choice,or too much negitive space.

Some of the creative decisions are part of your personal style.Others are based in sound principles.
One of the few "rules" is: If it looks good,it IS good".

As part of my personal style,I try to avoid perfectly straight lines,especially horizontal or vertical.
Short straight lines at an angle are OK,but not too many.
Line lengths vary throughout the design.Some lines might be wider,or taper in thickness.
If I want to change directions with a line,I try to use an acute angle.The visual energy is greater
than if it were obtuse.Exact 90s are used only when necessary.

In his interview in Car Craft Magazine,Von Dutch said:
If I make a mistake on one side,I just make the same mistake on the other side and keep going.









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Good stuff Ian and well said.
Ray

 

Killer Post!

I thought...I can do that...and then my confidence started to fade past pic#5 .

Somewhere around pic #13 I decided I can PAY some one else to do that

After the second color was added I thought...I probably can't afford someone that can do that .

I will say that your work is absolutely the best I've seen in this area (Northern Ohio) and I may never pick up a striping brush or any 1-shot but at least I know you are not that far away

 

You sure do pull a nice line. That closeup of your work really shows how consistent and even the linework is. Inspirational stuff indeed.

Anyone know if you can buy One Shot and striping brushes in Australia?

 

Brootal: Send an e-mail to Frank Manning manningf@spraylat.com

He is the Sales and Marketing guy at 1-Shot.
Not only does he know the product,he can tell you every retailer in the world.

For brushes,contact Mack www.mackbrush.com
they should be able to tell you if someone carries their brushes in Austrailia.

 

Hey Ray,

Just an awesome post! That took alot of time and effort. I hope every Striper and future one sees this post.

Your line consistency is some of the best around. Thin is In, but takes Practice, Practice, Practice! My line is a little thick on account of all the 18 wheelers in the past. You have inspired me to start retraining myself for a thinner line.

Congraulations El Vago, you Rock!

Joel

 

Great post Safari, damn all these years and I have been dipping the wrong end of the brush in the paint.
As you said every piece is just practise and from that practise and experience you know what lines work and what don't. I am always playing with style, expanding my repetoire if you will.
I haven't done much sign writing as such but I liked that tip on the use of cellophane tape.
Thanks again Safari your work and everyone elses is a gret inspiration to me and I know from the exposure we all get here all our work will be for the better

 

Thanks to all for the positive feedback;I really enjoyed doing this and hope it serves to either give someone a new perspective on their painting or inspire a non-striper to try doing their own.
I think I might try and do a Tech on applying gold leaf next;possibly adding to the panel I used for these two Techs.I've never tried applying leaf to plastics before so it might be interesting to see how the possibility of static electricity will affect the process.
Ray

 

Great post! I need to try the 1" grid next time.

 

Ray- Nice job on the instructional post. It's always awesome to see you work! Look forward to seeing a 'how to letter' tech post.

 

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Ray- Nice job on the instructional post. It's always awesome to see you work! Look forward to seeing a 'how to letter' tech post.


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Thanks Scott.Did you see part II?
Ray