Yet another striping masterpiece done by following a few simple rules.
We asked a few hotshots of the pinstriping realm to give us some of their top suggestions for stripers who are just starting out.
Von Franco
Franco is a cornerstone of the Kustom Kulture scene, and as a youngin', striped beside both Von Dutch and Big Daddy Roth. He has made a living doing both pinstriping and painting his whole adult life.
You're going to know if you have what it takes to pinstripe within 15 minutes of trying to do it.
Practice straight lines and circles for hours on a slick surface before moving onto anything trickier.
Hold your breath as you stripe. It will create steadier lines.
Practice on how to properly load your brush with paint. This is one of the most important things you can to do when learning.
The Harpoon
This self-taught paint layer hit the top of the pinstriping ranks before he was even of legal age. He has floored bikers, car buffs, and veteran stripers with his contemporary style and fearless interpretations of classic designs.
Part of your practice should be sketching out ideas. Filling sketchbooks with your ideas will also show your design progression.
Tight turns and curves when you are beginning are especially difficult so you will have to work up to those before they are perfected.
Plan accordingly. The object, be it gas tank, toilet seat, or whatever, needs to be complemented by the pinstriping. Think about how your designs will best benefit the shape and look of the object you are to be painting.
Connect your corners without overlap. The biggest sin, besides throwing symmetry to the wind, is not connecting your corners. It shows laziness.
Andy Anderson
Owning and operating Anderson design studio in Nashville, Tennessee, for more than 40 years, Anderson is a legendary motorcycle painter who knows a thing or two about pinstripng.
Try a few brushes to see what works best for you. Some work better at long line work than others. Some do better with design work and outlines. Brushes often need to be trimmed. Sometimes just a slight amount off the tip will do the trick.
After loading the brush with paint, dip it in your reducer, then palette the brush again on a piece of slick paper. I like the coated magazine pages to palette the brush.
When you are in the act of striping, you are looking for a slight drag to the brush with the paint loaded on it. As you gain experience, this process will become easier to control and you then can pull longer lines.
Don't be afraid to pre-draw your designs and use them as patterns. Even us pros still do this!
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Pulling the first line will tell you a lot about what needs to be done with the amount of paint loaded and the physical pressure it takes to make a line. Practicing on glass is best due to its slickness and ease of reuse.
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Pulling the first line will tell you a lot about what needs to be done with the amoun
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To produce a good curved line, you will have to pivot on one of your base fingers to make it happen. You'll also need to swing your elbow as the line curves. Some stripers even move their whole body in unison to accomplish tricky curves.
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To produce a good curved line, you will have to pivot on one of your base fingers to
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Many stripers, such as Harpoon, use a two-handed technique where one hand steadies the other. Practice makes perfect. Stripe everything you can get your hands on.
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Many stripers, such as Harpoon, use a two-handed technique where one hand steadies th
The Lowdown
Man Hours: As many as you can fit in a day
Difficulty: Intermediate to advanced
Aftermarket Parts Used: Brush, paint, mineral spirits, glass panel
Total Cost: $127.85
Sources
Coast Airbrush
(714) 635-5557
coastairbrush.com