Layin' Lines | DIY Pinstriping Basics

So, you want to follow in the legendary line-laying footstep's of Von Dutch and Big Daddy Roth?

Well, were not going to lie to y'all. It's a long road to be in the ranks of the pros and there is no crash course. It is going to take a lot of practice and tons of dedication for any beginner to create great designs while pulling straight lines.

Even if there is no other reason than wanting to see if you have the right stuff or not, we have amassed some guidelines and professional tips to get that brush in your hand and on your way to striping it yourself.

Supplies
Here is a list of the supplies to get you started

Pinstriping Brush
There are lots of pinstriping brushes on the market, but most pro pinstripers use a Mack Series 10. Mack Series 10 brushes are available in many sizes, but we would suggest starting out with a 00 due to the versatility of this size of brush. Once you have a good grasp of the 00 and its capabilities, you then can move onto other sizes.

Paint
1-Shot Sign Painter's Enamel is also the pro's choice for pinstriping. There may be other brands, which may be just as good, but when 99 percent of the pros use this brand, why bother using anything else to learn with?

Odorless Mineral Spirits
You might need to thin the paint out just a little depending on the weather or location you are pinstriping. Thinning the paint makes it flow better when in the act of striping.

Palette
Most pros use either a glossy-paged magazine or their own hand to "palette" the paint. The term palette is any surface used for holding, mixing, and reducing colors. Because the paint and reducer contain harsh chemicals known to cause cancer, to form a good habit we would suggest going the magazine route.

Practice Surface
Glass or Plexiglass (lexan) are great surfaces to begin on because even if you let the paint dry you can always remove it with a razorblade and start again. We also suggest practicing on other surfaces like your refrigerator, garage door, toolbox, pet monkey, or anything else that will stand still long enough to lay down some lines.

Brush Maintenance
After each use and after the brush is cleaned with mineral spirits, oiling the brush keeps any paint that wasn't removed from drying out and destroying the brush. The pros suggest using 1-Shot's oil because you can buy it just about anywhere you can find the paint.

The Basics
Here are some techniques to get you started. Our pal Harpoon agreed to show us how it's done with an old Wassel tank we had laying around.