Pinstripe Practice Surface

[wrenchmaster]

Can anyone recommend a replaceable surface for practicing?
I am currently using glass but my fingers don't slide smoothly.

Someone told be they use roll paper but I would think paint absorbs
and brush wouldn't slide well.

Help appreciated.

 

[SignosaurusRex]

Use some talcum powder on your fingers....better yet, get yourself some billiards finger chalk. You can also cut some fingers off of some cheap cotton gloves such as print media handling gloves.
You can practice on paper all you want with good results, but, what are you going to do when it comes time to do the real deal? Be prepared and practice on whatever you intend to be striping later. Glass is a perfectly good choice for practice.

 

[wrenchmaster]

Is the powder something the pros use? Is this common that fingers don't slide
smoothly? I've watched a few guys at car shows and never noticed powder.
Can you recommend a disposable practice surface

 

[SignosaurusRex]

Is the powder something the pros use? Is this common that fingers don't slide
smoothly? I've watched a few guys at car shows and never noticed powder.
Can you recommend a disposable practice surface

Note: I edited my post
In answer to your current questions......
I know a few pro's that use chalk or talcum from time to time and others that use a solvent to dry it, while most have a very light touch (or drag) with their fingers. The light touch, or drag, is obviously the best technique.
I use powder only on the rare occasions that my fingers are not dry enough to slide. I have been known to carry a couple media handling gloves as well...just in case. My hands have developed a natural dryness over the years and I almost never use a moisturizer.....only when the wife asks for it!
As far as a "Practice Surface"...paper is fine (see edited post). I still have to practice from time to time as I really don't do enough to stay "tuned". I use anything handy at the time, but rarely paper.

 

[OldPaint]

wold be better if you had some 12" X 24" white aluminum or steel panels. since most of the pinstriping you will do will be on metal, practice on metal. if you got a place that makes gutters close, go thet and they have big rolls of .032, .024 aluminum 12" or 24" wide. get them to cut you some smaller panels. good thing with these, you dont like what you did, wipe it with turps or mineral spirits. it new again. you got a junk yard close? go get a door, hood or fender.........will give you the feel for doing autos.

 

[Dave Drane]

Practice on the plastic on Alumicor before you peel it off.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

SignosaurusRex ... is correct

I use baby powder alot cause of the high humidity here a glove would just be warmer except winter.

I also use glass to practice on with the back side one color graph lines
another color simple starter design lines and glass rests on a white vinyl all meant for easy cleaning .. just wipe your pinstriping off with a rag or if dry a razor

Every thing else is also pinstripe practice if smooth enough it gets it from A-Z small or large.

 

[btropical.com]

oLD Paint is right ecept the are called Auto Salvage recyclers , I would bring some cold drinks and see what they will give you . or goto a recycling center and see who is bringing in cars snag a fender

 

[Gino]

Yeah, I use baby powder and the best thing to practice on is a door and a hood from a junk yard. You don't need to keep your artwork, so just wipe it off and start over and over and over, until you feel comfortable.

As for not seeing others use powder, some people's hands don't sweat as much as other, some people have a heavy touch while still others have a slightly oily skin. The powder cuts this right out of the equation.

Good luck..................​

 

[wrenchmaster]

Tried the powder and it does work but, I still suck!!
This is very difficult, to the point that I may not have what it would
take to get just OK. My hands don't shake just wobble a bit and I'm not quite sure how to hold the brush. When using the sword brush, should the belly be to the bottom ie like a knife with the curve to the bottom?

Wondering, if there are any pro's out there, how bad were you when you first started?

Wish me luck!

 

[SignosaurusRex]

It does not come quick. Like I said before in your other thread......"Discipline, Patience (mostly with yourself) and Practice"........lots and lots of practice. Just Do It and keep doing it... It will come. The shakies will go away with practice and developing your own flow.
Like a knife, curve down and try to use an even light touch.
If you google "Steve Kafka", you will find some good videos by him as well as others.

 

[wrenchmaster]

Thx....

Actually I was just watching a Kafka vid.

 

[Gino]

Sometimes, the slower you go, the more wobble in the stroke. Kinda like liver.... cook it real fast, just to take the wobble out and it tastes real good. Anyway, I'm not saying to go fast, but in drawing, throwing a ball, shooting pool or any other hand to eye/eye to hand sport or task, you need to know where you are going. You can't be guessing. You need to decide ahead of time where point A to point B are going to be and get there in the straightest or most direct route you can go. If you have curves or spirals, you just have more points involved.... you still need to know where you want to end up.

Like in lettering, practice making long stokes with different pressures holding your dagger, sword or liner. Once you get a feel for making a straight line having various weights, you can start to experiment in making curves or half moons, then onto full circles or ovals. Once you have the feel for the brush in your hand and it does pretty much what you want it to.... make some pencil patterns or tracings of already finished pinstripe jobs. Put it on a light table [you can make a home-made job for about $15.00] and follow it as a pattern. Once you can copy other's work, you're ready to start on your own feel and create a style of your own.

​

........and again, Good Luck

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Wrenchmaster...

If you are right handed with a Mack brush put your thumb just above the flat side holding with 2 fingers.

Steady your right hand with left.

Pallet your brush using paint & 1 Shot reducer not paint thinner

To thin it will run on edges of stripe ..to thick it will drag as you stripe a line you should be able to do at least 3ft longer as time goes on.

Use 1/8" wide tape as a guide with little finger for straight lines.

Do S curves...C curves, both right & left ... Diamonds ..Stars.. straight lines ...circles

 

[wrenchmaster]

THanks for the feedback!!

 

[wrenchmaster]

Why do you recommend 1shot reducer over thinner?

Wrenchmaster...

If you are right handed with a Mack brush put your thumb just above the flat side holding with 2 fingers.

Steady your right hand with left.

Pallet your brush using paint & 1 Shot reducer not paint thinner

To thin it will run on edges of stripe ..to thick it will drag as you stripe a line you should be able to do at least 3ft longer as time goes on.

Use 1/8" wide tape as a guide with little finger for straight lines.

Do S curves...C curves, both right & left ... Diamonds ..Stars.. straight lines ...circles

 

[Gino]

There are many kinds of reducer and I think 1Shot has two if not three from which to choose. Thinner, turps, mineral spirit kerosene and other thinners work, but some might cloud or dull the finished product more than others and adding too much could cause early fading or peeling, not to mention stroke marks.

I always used Penetrol for my lettering and striping. That's close to 40 years now. Just like the other products, you only want to change the viscosity of your paint so it flows better. With Penetrol, you can't do any harm to the paint. Well, you can, but you have to want to louse it up on purpose. However, only add it as you palette your brush. Never add any of these additives directly to your paint or you'll ruin it for later use. Just dip your brush in the paint, dip in a tin of Penetrol, palette and lay it down. You also don't have to dip in your Penetrol or whatever your choice of reducer is each and every time. It will slowly build up on your palette. Every so often, you'll wanna pull your brush dry and get all the paint out of the heel of your brush and you can add a dip or two of thinner at that time.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Why 1 Shot reducer.... you can use lacquer, gasoline, naptha, kerosene, mineral spirits, turpentine, ...1 Shot reducer low med and high temp,.... penetrol, linseed oil boiled or raw, Smith's Cream.

Ok I listed them in order of what is harsh on brush and how long it takes to dry.
I might have missed a few, basically oil base products can be used.

1 Shot reducer is recommended by 1 Shot and also harder but harder is not needed for practice...1 Shot reducer FLOWS smoother then mineral spirits or turpentine and DRYS faster then penetrol .. I add a few drops of penetrol on super hot days & or in hot sun only....boiled linseed oil I use for blending or Smiths cream depends what is available.

Please ask questions, thank you

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Here's one I missed ..Japan Dryer.. used when colder then 50 degrees or for faster drying till about 25 degrees ... like lacquer thinner also works for this but japan dryer is better.

 

[wrenchmaster]

You guys are fantastic!!

I just bought the 1shot medium flow enhancer you suggested. I'll try this tonight.

Do you still sign paint with all the vinyl around?

Thanks Again

Here's one I missed ..Japan Dryer.. used when colder then 50 degrees or for faster drying till about 25 degrees ... like lacquer thinner also works for this but japan dryer is better.