A Lesson In Simple Pinstriping
This project is for one of our neighbors who is finishing up a ….. project that he has been working on for quite awhile. The Hot Rod flames on this air scoop is the finishing touch to a gloss black beauty.
I have chosen to use a One Shot Process Blue as a compliment to the classic yellow to orange hot rod flames. I use One Shot reducer to thin the paint to the perfect viscosity. As with airbrushing, proper viscosity is integral. You need to make sure that the paint is thin enough to flow out level, but not so thin as to allow the brush to “blow out” in the curves. The paint is what holds your bristles together. Proper viscosity will also keep you from having large or “tall” edges to clear over. The paint should lay down nicely as you are pulling the lines.
The process of paletting allows you to work the paint evenly through the brush. This is also important. You want to “load up” your brush with enough paint to pull your line.
I like to start in the middle of a big turn because it creates a good point to come back in and overlap going the other direction. Remember to plan out your line and know how much paint you need on your brush.
I like to use my right hand to help steady the line and the pinky on my left hand to manage uniform thickness by keeping a consistent height from the surface.
As you pull your line around curves, you should turn your brush “into the curve.”
Always try to work towards yourself – from the farthest point to the closest point – so that you do not drag your hands through your work. This is especially a problem with slow drying paint like One Shot.
Let the paint edge from taped off flames help guide your brush.
It is so much easier to get a fine tip if you stripe ensuring that the tip is at the end of your stroke. It is very difficult to get a super fine tip if you start your stroke at that point. I always work from the center of a curve to the tip of the flame.
Notice that I started on the top and center of the air scoop and worked my way out and down.
I like to let One Shot sit overnight before I clear just to be sure there are no issues. You should always double check how your clear reacts with One Shot before committing to use One Shot under clear.
If your clear does not work well with One Shot you will get bad things like wrinkles, runs and sags in the stripe.
All clear and lovely!
A final sand and buff and this beauty is out the door!
