Learning more and more about fake pinstriping (with vinyl stripes) I feel like I should at least experience this paint stuff everyone is preaching.
What would everyone recommend for a very basic beginners' toolbox? I am interested in getting as little as possible so I can at least try my hand at this stuff without too much of an investment if I am just not able (shaky hands). Perhaps a simple striping brush, some cleaner/brush necessities and a color or two of paint.
I wouldnt mind recommendations on a book as well, but I think I see enough goodies on the internet to get me practicing.
Thanks for the help! John
Posted by David O'Hanlon (Member # 2754) on :
Get a Double "Oh" Mack, some paint and practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, and when you think you've got it mastered, practice some more.
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
John,
My son's just starting to get into pinstriping and here's some of the ways we practice...
I cut up some coroplast sheets into smaller pieces and practice on them. The flutes give some extra guide for keeping the symmetry and are inexpensive to play on. Another way is to draw out and pounce a pattern to use as a guide.
Typically, we use Mack 00 and 000 brushes, but once in a while I practice with a quill as well.
Grab a couple of small cans of paint and have a blast! Rapid
Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
John, I am not a striper but my husband is. Our son is in the same spot as you. He is tryng to learn. We got him a good striping brush and he is coming home on a weekend every so often and Dad is showing him the ropes. I would think it would be very difficult to teach yourself. MY suggestion would be to get yourself to a LIVE meet and hang out with the stripers. Every meet I have ever been to has a group of 'em. They are usually ANXIOUS to show someone else the ins and outs of the trade. You can get with some real pros and avoid all kinds of bad habits you might not realize you fell into. At a larger meet you can usually purchase brushes on the spot and there is all kinds of 1 shot there usually to try out different color combinations.
Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
I have seen folks dig an old car door out of the junkyard, clean it up, and use it as a "test" piece. They stripe it, wipe it, stripe it, wipe it. Maybe it's best to use the real thing as a substrate! I won't get into which brushes, paints, or reducers, etc. to use cuz Joey will holler at me, I'm a letterer NOT a striper. And please do yourself a favor and go to a live meet. Watching a Pinhead is a thrilling experience. And if you ask one, nice, maybe he or she will show you the ropes. Good Luck! Love...Jill
Posted by Mike St.George (Member # 4224) on :
An awesome book to start out with is "Pinstriping and Vehicle Graphics" by John Hannukaine
A good base for practicing is a piece of 11 X 14 glass edge taped to a piece of wood with 1" graph type paper between. If you only tape 3 sides you can even use different colors of paper under the glass for trying differnt color combos on different backgrounds. Graph helps keep design even and glass makes it easy to clean. The whole setup can even be used at different angles to practice.
[ May 19, 2004, 07:23 PM: Message edited by: Mike St.George ]
Posted by BrianTheBrush (Member # 1298) on :
When people inquire of me about wanting to learn some striping, or improve existing skill...
If they're looking to learn the long lines aspect of the trade..practice on their own vehicle. Stripe, wipe, stripe, wipe, etc.
If they're looking to acquire ornamental striping skills, I make the following recommendation. Get an Xcaliber striper, a pint of one shot poster black, a 16" x 20" piece of glass, and a 16" x 20" piece of white card stock, or coroplast, with a 1" grid marked on it with a sharpie marker. Lay the glass over the grid, and use that grid to help you develope symetry, or at least assymetrical balance. If you happen to stripe a design you like, the poster color will be dry enough in a few minutes, to throw it on a copier, or even snap a digital pic. Start your own library of designs that work, and you'll see a pattern develop...the designs that are appealing, are all going to be appealing for many of the same reasons. The beauty of the poster color is it's drying time. The beauty of the glass, is that it wipes clean easily, or if you let something dry to document it, it cleans up with a razor blade. The beauty of the whole system, is that if you can get a grip on striping on glass with poster color, the first time you go to lay 1Shot on a bike fender or a decklid, it'll be like a walk in the park.
Basically, learn under the worst of conditions, with the best of brushes.
You can even lay your black and white copies under the glass, and use a second color to develop those skills.
And get to a meet. Or a jam.
Posted by Dan Streicher (Member # 4515) on :
Thank you Brian the (kick butt and make it cool while doing it with a) Brush, I tell everyone find a design that you like enlarge it and print it out on paper and tape to the back of a piece of glass and go over it and over it and over it and over it, wipe off scrape off until you have trained yourself in the motions, there is no way around the practice....
Posted by greg feil (Member # 4379) on :
Although I am still learning. The best advice I got was GO TO A LIVE MEET. I learned so much from just one meet. I also recommend Pinstriping and Vehicle Graphics by John Hannukaine and the Ed Roth interviewing Von Dutch Video.
The key is Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice, and more Practice every single day.
Posted by John Milleker (Member # 4572) on :
Thank you all for the excellent help, i'm not sure, but I suspect that a bit of practice may be involved..
Not a problem, I am expecting my jump to go from 'enjoyable' to 'can draw a straight line' to take a long time.
I broke down and bought the Mr. J's Pinstriping Kit today after recommendations in chat. This should be perfect for my needs. I'll also look to pick up a Mack brush so I can figure out if I enjoy the Xcaliber or Mack better.
I'm sure this wont be my only question on this subject, thank you all for taking the time to point me on the right path.
I definately want to do a Meet, the closest happening to me will be the Sign Show in Atlantic City, i'm hoping I can see some pinstriping magic there. I know this isnt a real meet, but until I can find something close, this will have to do.
Thanks again!
quote:Originally posted by John Milleker: Learning more and more about fake pinstriping (with vinyl stripes) I feel like I should at least experience this paint stuff everyone is preaching.
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
John, You got to come to the Detroit meet. As a committee member, I got the coolest idea to do something that will help very beginner pinstripers learn strokes and how to do a design. I don't want to go into yet but its going to be sooooo cool and so easy.
Posted by Barbara Murrell (Member # 3879) on :
Great Laura, I can't wait for this Detroit Meet. I've always wanted to have a go at pinstriping and i've only ever done a little bit at college. As you know I am a real beginner. Cheers
Hope you can come too John, we will be two baby stripers together!!
Barb x
Posted by John Largent (Member # 4606) on :
Not sure how many stripers out there tried to answer your question . . not many, apparently.
Pardon me, but lets start out in the "Ford" mode. Meaning, let's start with equipment you can afford to use and learn with: A 00 Mack series 20 brown striper, a quarter pint of One Shot 199-L Black, a pint of O S Thinner, a pint of Neatsfoot oil (to oil youir brush), an old phone book and a 24" X 18" X 1/8" sheet acrylic or "Plexiglas", and a roll of cheap 3/4" masking tape. "Bout $30 American.
Your plastic sheet is your practice substrate, the phone book your pallette. The hardest thing to learn is to load your brush correctly. Looking at your brush, from the pointed end, about 1/4 inch is your working surface, the rest is "Belly", where the paint that feeds from the working area, to the substrate (Plastic) is kept. In other words this is an ancient fountain pen, used first by either the Egyptians about 2800 BC or the Sumerians about the same time . . (You needed to know this, heh, heh . . .)
Dip the brush into the black paint about 2/3s the way, bring it out and "FLOP" it onto the phone book. OK, now "Flop" it side to side til you can hold the brush up with the point at the top and see that it is approximately twice as thick in the middle than it was when you started.
Now, with your hand at a 30 to 45 degree angle to the surface put the tip down and pull the brush towards you. Wow, it makes a line . . given the right pressure and speed, it'll make a consistent line, and with a lot of practice, it'll do things that'll dazzle ya.
Want the rest of the story? large44@comcast.com
I'm a teacher . . .
Posted by Mark Higdon (Member # 2990) on :
Great to the see the infamous "Large" on the board. The man has more knowledge and is willing to share with any one interested. One great man and the tallent to back it up.
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