Airbrush Action May-June 2008

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CONTENTS [ MAY–JUNE 2008 ]

24. THE HUGH HEFNER INTERVIEW

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Why is Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner important to airbrush artists? Because he has continually promoted our style and the market for our work. Hef speaks at length with Airbrush with Airbrush Action for the occasion of our 23rd anniversary issue.

14. THE SMASHING NEW GETAWAY LINEUP House of Kolor’s Art Kolor’s Art of Painting and Painting and Alan Pastrana’s Pastrana’s Automotive Automotive Art and Illustration Techniques Techniques classes were big hits at the February Airbrush Getaway in Las Vegas. Find out why many of the students will come back for more!

16. GHOST FLAMES By Russ Gerner Ghost flames are visible on direct views but disappear into the base paint on side-cast views. Russ Gerner works bey ond custom painting’s paradigm using Auto Air’s “killer” water-based automotive candy colors.

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20. THE DRIVER OF DOOM By Craig Fraser If Freddy Kruger swung an iron, he’d probably choose this tricked-out ghoulish-themed golf club painted by skull ma ster Craig Fraser.

32. JENNIFER JANESKO: JANESKO: PART 2 By Dru Blair In part two of this exclusive—and exhaustive—step-by-step exhaustive—step-by-step special feature, Dru Blair reveals how he renders flesh tones and other effects in this nude study of sexy pin-up artist Jennifer Janesko.

40. BODY ART UNLEASHED By John Maurad Learn the nuances of rendering a tiger on a model’s back using TEMPTU’s Dura line of paints, the crème de la crème of body art colors.

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DEPARTMENTS 9 AIR NEWS 10 KUSTOM Q & A 12 READER GALLERY 42 AIRBRUSH ACTION DIGIT DIGITAL AL 43 GE GETA TAW WAY IN INFO FO 60 BACK ISSUES 68. DVDs 77. CLASSIFIED ADS 78. BOO BOOKS KS / ART ESP ESPRIT RIT .

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COVER ARTWORK OF HUGH HEFNER BY MARK FREDRI FREDRICKSON CKSON

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50. PARTY ANIMAL APPEAL

By Terry Hill Party designs are fun, popular, and if crea tive and edgy enough, highly profitable. Terry Hill shares some of his hot sellers, and how to find the right balance in taste between bible-belters and hard-core party animals.

56. LET’S GET WET! By Michael Cacy The master of illustration cheap tricks and special effects demonstrates how to translate the interesting reflections in standing water onto any surface.

58. HOK’S URETHANE FLESH TONES

By Deborah Mahan A Marilyn Monroe portrait is painted, step-by-step, with House of Kolor’s new 6-color urethane flesh tone kit. You’ll learn all the nuances and tricks using this paint system, including the proper use of toners, color pitfalls, and more.

62. HO HOG G TR TRIB IBAL AL By Jeff McCann Jeff McCann, of Stockton, California has been custom painting motorcycles since 1968, and he has worked with many industry leaders and manufacturers, including the legendary Arlen Ness. Enjoy this rare opportunity to learn from an old school maestro. 72. SO-CAL STYLE SHARK By Jeff Styles In the “too cool” category, this project rocks! Pinstripe master Jeff Styles demonstrates how to airbrush and flame out a 9-foot blacktip shark. “I have to say,” Styles exclaims, “that painting sharks is a little bit more of a challenge than painting flames on automotive surfaces, to say the least. because their unusual contours make them awkward to handle and paint.”

www.airbrushaction.com MAY–JUNE 2008 VOLUME 24, NUMBER 1

publisher and executive editor Clifford S. Stieglitz art and production director Brian J. Woodruff associate editor David Monnig contributing editors Melanie Alexander Dru Blair Michael Cacy Craig Fraser Russ Gerner Terry Hill Pete Johnson Brian Lynch Deborah Mahan John Maurad Jeff McCann Javie r Sot o Jeff Style s Mike Wilbert customer service Linda Furiato circulation Lia Rosado digital media Allen M. Gottf ried advertising director Clifford S. Stieglitz AIRBRU SH ACTI ON MAGAZ INE

P.O. Box 438, Allenwood, New Jersey 08720 (732) 223-7878; Fax: (732) 223-2855 Airbrush Action (ISSN 1040-8509) is published 6 times per year: January-February, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October, and November-December by Airbrush Action, Inc., 3209 Atlantic Avenue, Allenwood, NJ 08720. Periodicals postage paid for at Allenwood, NJ and additional entry offices.

Postmaster: Send changes to Airbrush Action , P.O. Box 438, Allenwood, NJ 08720. Contents copyright 2008 by Airbrush Action . All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES

Send all remittances, requests, and address changes to: Airbrush Action, P.O. Box 438, Allenwood, NJ 08720. Subscription rates: One year $26.95, two years $42.95. Canadian orders: One year $33.00, two years $48.00. All other foreign orders: One year $50.00, two years $88.00. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and photographs submitted if they are to be returned. No responsibility will be assumed for unsolicited material. All rights in letters sent to Airbrush Action will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and is subject to Airbrush Action’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially. Manufactured and printed in the United States of America.

AIR NEWS >> AIR NEWS HELPS YOU DISCOVER NEW EVENTS

AND PRODUCTS OF INTEREST TO AIRBRUSHERS.

CREATEX

NEW AUTO AIR COLORS DVD RELEASE Auto Air’s new Colors User Guide DVD features Cross-Eyed, Vandemon, and Simon Murray demonstrating the latest techniques and tips on how to use Auto Air custom water-based paints for professional results. This DVD is a must have for anyone seeking to achieve superb detail, and ultra deep pearl kandy finishes. Learn about the basics and advanced techniques with water-based paints, the future technology of automotive custom painting. Retail price: $19.95. For more information, contact Auto Air Colors at 1.800.509.6563, or online: www.autoaircolors.com. KUSTOM SHOP

ARTIST ANH PHAM BRINGS A WICKED NEW SERIES OF KUSTOM SHOP STENCILS TO YOUR ARSENAL Kustom Shop introduces Screamin’ Demon stencils by artist Anh Pham. These single-layered stencils help you achieve 3-dimensional murals in half the time. They’re easy to use, made of Mylar, can withstand solvent-based paints, and they’re available in three sizes: full (car hoods), medium (motorcycle tanks), and mini (small models). The Screamin’ Skull Stencils are available at www.kustomshop.com 1-858-909-2188 Screamin’ Demons Screamin’ Skulls MACK BRUSH ACQUIRES LAZER LINES Andrew Mack & Son Brush Company has purchased Lazer Lines Brush Handles and Brush Heads by Robert Nouis, Jr. As a result, Lazer Lines products will be more accessible through Mack’s distribution chain, and the product names will remain unchanged. However, the Handover brush head will be discontinued as soon as the limited stock is depleted. Mack’s commitment is to continue building the Lazer Lines offering, and already has a few ideas in the works. If you have any questions or concerns regarding Lazer Lines, please don’t hesitate to call Mack at 517-849-9272.

SATA

THE NEW SATA RPS MIXING/PAINT CUP

SATA RPS (Rapid Preparation System) is a single-use mixing cup for painting, staining, varnishing, refilling, and storing paint, stain, and varnish material. No special adapter is required, and RPS is excellent for mixing and refilling with easy-to-read graduations. The QCC system permits quick cup changing and also attaches to SATA spray guns with standard threads. No strainer is required because of the integrated cup sieve. The RPS cup weighs 1.8 ounces and is 70% lighter than same-size conventional cups. SATA offers adapters for other paint gun manufacturers.

LETHAL THREAT

NOT YOUR AVERAGE DECAL Lethal Threat Designs offers a line of cutting edge graphics that are reproduced as top quality screen-printed vinyl decals (die-cut to the exact contour of the design) and highly detailed embroidered patches. Exceptional quality, vibrant colors, and artwork from world-class airbrush artists (Craig Fraser, Gerald Mendez, Rod Fuchs, Killer Kreations, Vince Goodeve) make these decals the best in the market. Lethal Threat decals make automotive customizing highly affordable, and are available in mini to full-size car body graphics with a selection that includes skulls, wildlife, graphics, sexy pin-ups, and more. Lethal Threat products are available at your favorite auto parts store, motorcycle dealer, or airbrush supply store. Also, Lethal Threat always seeks talented artists, so check out their ad in this issue. www.airbrushaction.com

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Q KUSTOM Q

Q & A

THIS COLUMN IS HERE TO ANSWER ALL YOUR AIRBRUSHING QUESTIONS. BY TERRY HILL >> WELCOME!

Q

I’m having trouble determining what pressure I should spray at. I’m a newbie at airbrushing and I’m getting confusing and contradictory advice from the chatboards on the internet. I have a few of the Airbrush Action DVDs and they’re great, but I’ve noticed that even the pros in your videos seem to have quite a large range of pressures that they recommend. Why does everyone seem to have a different answer for my question? By the way, thanks for such a well written and informative mag. It’s my only source of reliable information. I’ve met some other artists who use the airbrush but they aren’t very open to share their techniques. I anxiously await each and every issue!

A

The recommended air pressure for airbrushing ranges from about 5-psi (pounds-per-square-inch) to, in extreme cases, 100-psi. I can certainly understand why you’re confused. The most commonly used pressure is about 30-psi, so when in doubt, start there. In order to understand how to set the pressure correctly for a specific application, we must first understand all the variables in determining the correct air pressure: the paint or other sprayable media’s thickness (viscosity) and its relative spray characteristics, needle and nozzle size, and the substrate (surface) you’ll be spraying onto. This is why you’ve received so many different, but nonetheless correct answers to your question. Careful consideration of these three factors will allow you to more accurately determine the proper air pressure. To understand material thickness, experiment by simply spraying water through a clean, well maintained airbrush at 30-psi. The water should spray perfectly through the airbrush without spitting or sputtering. This water test is the benchmark for what proper atomization looks like. The thickness of the material is the next item to check. Generally, the thicker the viscosity, the higher the pressure is required to achieve the same quality of atomization as experienced in the water test. Many paints are designed specifically for the airbrush. They usually spray well straight out of the bottle and don’t require any thinning. If they aren’t spraying well I recommend increasing the air-pressure to solve the problem rather than thinning the paint. However, some paints, such as automotive urethanes, require thinning well beyond the manufacturer’s recommendation to achieve proper atomization through an airbrush. The needle and nozzle may also need to be changed on some airbrush models to accommodate a particular viscosity. The smallest needle-nozzle combination is reserved for the thinner viscosities, and conversely, the larger needle-nozzle configuration is suited for heavier viscosities. It’s a common error to assume that


the smallest needle and nozzle are for fine lines and detail. This is only true when using the thinnest material. Paint characteristics can also wreak havoc on your settings. If you’re using a paint that’s designed to dry very quickly, it can actually dry on the needle and cause tip dry, where the paint dries so fast that it builds up on the needle and disrupts the flow of air and paint. This happens because the lack of airflow prevents the siphoning action needed for the paint to spray properly. When this happens, many perceive the airbrush to be clogged, but it isn’t. To avoid this, simply wipe the needle clean as soon as you notice any build-up. The final consideration is the relative absorbency of the substrate or object you’ll be painting on. Hard surfaces are nonabsorbent and therefore require lower air pressures. Automotive surfaces, helmets, illustration board, surfboards, skateboards, etc, all fall into this category, and typically use a range of 5- to 30-psi. Absorbent surfaces, such as T-shirts, require higher pressures of 40- to 100-psi. Because textiles are so absorbent, the higher air pressures are perfect for forcing the paint into the fabric without the danger of spidering that a higher pressure would cause on a hard surface. I personally prefer to work at 60-psi on T-shirts, and find that an extreme pressure of 100-psi tends to cause an excessive amount of overspray. Higher psi’s require greater speed of airbrush movement and are more useful when the airbrush is gauged much farther back from the surface; for example, when fast coverage or extremely high volume production is required. The tradeoff, however, can spell disaster if you don’t know what you’re doing. So, the proper formula is really a delicate mix of all these variables. As long as you achieve proper atomization of the material at a pressure that is comfortable and controllable in your given situation, you’re using the right pressure.

QUESTIONS? We’d like to hear some from you! Please email your questions to [email protected]

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ONE DEVICE FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF APPLICATIONS

Y READER GALLERY

WHAT DEFINES A MAGAZINE BEST? WE THINK IT’S THE TALENT THAT READS IT! >>

THESE ARE SOME FINER EXAMPLES OF OUR READERS WORK: DEAN DUBOIS Haileybury, Ontario, Canada

SCOTT BEROSIK / PRO ART CUSTOM PAINT St. Paul, MN USA


NEW GETAWAY CLASSES A BIG HIT HOUSE OF KOLOR’S ART OF PAINTING AND ALAN PASTRANA’S AUTOMOTIVE ART AND ILLUSTRATION TECHNIQUES WERE BIG HITS AT THE FEBRUARY AIRBRUSH GETAWAY IN LAS VEGAS. “The class was great,” said Tim Meyer, who attended House of Kolor’s new course conducted by Brian Lynch. “The amount of knowledge that came over was astronomical. Brian is just superior in his knowledge, and he wasn’t product-biased. He told us to use what’s best for us, but he prefers House of Kolor from his experience. I’m associated with a bigger shop that uses PPG paints mainly, and they would say to stick with PPG because the supplier said so. Now, I understand the difference between the paints. Brian covered it from the ground up, from the finish to the clearcoat. He was a great instructor.”

I wanted to learn more about using big guns, and I enjoyed the oneon-one instruction from Brian. He got into so much detail and information about the paint technology, and that alone was a huge resource. The class helped me to become a better custom painter. I painted some cars before and ran into some problems. I have a job lined up in a week or so, and after taking HOK’s class, I’m extremely confident that I’ll be able to lay down the paint perfectly. You can read it in a book or watch a DVD, and just attend the Getaway, but if you combine all three, you really have a three-way punch going on.” Students were just as passionate about Aut omo tive Art and Illustration Techniques with Alan Pastrana, Honorio Reynolds, and Darryl Strader. Student Thomas Puentes, found that “the three

“

I had a whole different vision of what applying paint to vehicles was all about. You watch some stuff on TV and they don’t show you everything; they don’t show you the secrets. But, Brian showed me everything.”

The students’ intensity was the signature of Alan Pastrana’s new class.

The consensus of the 12 students echoed the same sentiment. Ed Star, another student, added, “I had a whole different vis ion of what applying paint to vehicles was all about. You watch some stuff on TV and they don’t show you everything; they don’t show you the secrets. But, Brian showed me everything. He taught me a lot about controlling and adjusting the spray gun and how to apply the paint, how the chemicals come together, and which paints to use for graphics and which to use for detail work. I already recommended the course to a few friends, and that guy Brian is a genius!” “I’m amazed Brian Lynch was able to teach at all,” explained Cliff Stieglitz, Getaway director. “He had a high fever for a couple of days and at times I didn’t know how he was still conscious. Brian is one tough guy.” “I didn’t want to let the students down,” explained Lynch, “and I’m on a very determined crusade to make what is wrong right in custom painting. Although the pace could’ve been better had I been healthy, I think it flowed very well. People completed simple but detailed projects on their surfaces (metal blanks and a mailbox) painted, and the stuff came out amazing.” Robert Carroll would definitely recommend the class to others. “Brian Lynch is a top-notch instructor. He’s extremely knowledgeable.


instructors fit together very well. Alan had the business background, Honorio had experience and knowledge of airbrushing, and Darryl had quite a bit of technical advice. I thought it was a really good class. I’ve been to about 12 Getaways, and this course changed the way I worked, primarily in rendering shadows and shading. A lot of people use a transparent black for their shadows, but with Alan’s color theory showed how to use complimentary colors to bring out more of the gray tones and present more realistic shadows. At the Getaways, you always learn something new. No questions about that. I recommended the class and Alan’s Hip Hop Art DVD.” Anthony Negreta agrees. “I really liked it a lot it. Alan’s class was very well organized and structured; everything was outlined. I learned a lot more about the color wheel exercises, and even things I learned previously all came back. This was my third Getaway and every time I learn more, and each time is more beneficial than the last. In fact, Pastrana’s class made me more motivated than ever after a Getaway, and I’ve been painting every day since. The project we did with the eagle and Hip Hop character was really along the lines of what I wanted to do and I achieved it. Hope to see you next September! It’s great to be in an atmosphere with all these great artists, too.” Alan Pastrana, the lead instructor, was very proud of the outcome. “The students were very receptive to what I was teaching them, and they enjoyed it very much,” Pastrana stated. “They actually seemed surprised that they learned so much in such a short amount of time. In fact, they reminded me of how eager to learn I was when I started 20 years ago. We’ll continue to evolve the course and change it up a bit, so each time we’ll bring something new to the table. I really look forward to continuing to teach the class.”

Overlapping Ghosted Flames By Russ Gerner Paint Master Art Studio, Las Vegas, Nevada

In For this particular paint job, the customer wanted wild addition to wild paint jobs on hot-rods and bikes, many of my flames over candied pearl. The customer was open to ideas but customers are interested in a cool, kustom kulture paint job for stated he liked the color blue. I chose Auto Air Sparklescent their daily driven vehicle that still has a professional look. A Nightmare Blue, a killer candy pearl color that works very well subtle approach to making a mass-produced vehicle stand apart as a base for ghosted flames done with Auto Air Gem Sapphire. is the use of ghosted graphics—visible on direct-views but To really trick out the flame job, I chose an overlapping flame disappear into the base paint on side-cast views. The flames are style, something rarely done with ghosted graphics because there but do not overpower the overall paint job. pinstriping is not used to separate the flames. >> GIVING

THE CUSTOMER WHAT THEY WANT IS MY MISSION.

1. The vehicle’s existing finish was in great

2. Over the dark sealer, I applied Auto Air

3. I applied four coats of Sparklescent

condition, allowing for minimal preparation. After cleaning, I simply wet-sanded the finish with 500-grit sandpaper, then degreased and masked off. I used Auto Air Sealer Dark, reduced10%, and 4011 Flash Reducer for improved flow to establish an even, dark base. The sealer covers excellent, requiring only one quart to cover the entire body. No scuffing was required before applying the base color.

Metallic Midnight Blue, reduced with 4011 Flash Reducer. The metallic base will accentuate the Sparklescent’s candied effect as light will refract off the metallic back through the Sparklescent’s transparent toner for a brighter direct-view, and darker side-cast view. The pearl flakes in the Sparkelscent will also have more pop versus applying over a non-metallic base.

Nightmare Blue as the mid-coat color, spraying light coats in an even, overlapping pattern. Just like a candy color, a Sparklescent finish will show irregular color build-up and striping if applied unevenly.

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4. After allowing the base color to cure

5. Using an overlapping flame design, I traced

6. Then, I connected the lines where the flames

overnight at 55-degrees Fahrenheit, I applied high-tack masking tape over the areas where I’ll apply graphics. Use of an inter-coat clear isn’t necessary because tape can be applied directly to Auto Air when cured.

the pattern onto the tape. The flames start just after the front wheel fenders and along most of the car’s side to match the long, sleek appearance of the Magnum.

overlapped. These lines will be cut away, too. I used a Sharpie pen so the lines show up in pictures. A pencil is normally used for the purpose of erasing and re-drawing.

7. I cut away all lines being careful not to push

8. Using 1/8-inch tape, I re-created the

9. I applied three light coats of Gem Sapphire

overlapping lines within the flame. The underlying base color will create the separation in the ghosted flames and keep the graphics truly ghosted so they’re not visible on side-cast views. Pinstriping creates too distinct a separation from the base paint and graphics, defeating the purpose of the ghosted effect.

for the graphics—it’s a royal blue-to-nothing holographic pearl flake that’s vibrant and deep on the direct-view and completely invisible on its side-cast view. It’s also the pearl used in the Nightmare Blue making the graphics color-key perfectly with the base paint.

10. For the dimensional shadowing around the

11. Working with minimal amounts of material,

12. After letting the paint air cure overnight, I

flames, I used Transparent Blue Violet, which is a toner to the Nightmare Blue base color that makes it slightly darker by adding 5% Transparent Black. This keeps everything working toward the ghosted effect. As with pinstriping, using black alone loses the ghosted effect.

dimensional shadowing brings the flames to life and helps with the separation of the crossover flame licks. Auto Air’s new transparent colors spray excellent. I reduced a bit with their 4011 Flash Reducer and experienced no tip-dry after 20 minutes of spraying.

applied a catalyzed, urethane clear with a hightemperature reducer. Working with water-based paints, a slower curing clear adheres better than a quick curing clear and has an even flow over the pearl flakes to help eliminate an orangepeeled finish.

too hard and cut into the base paint. This step can be difficult, so using a sharp, new blade is important.

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13. The finished job.

! AUTOMOTIVE ART & ILLUSTRATION TECHNIQUES S S A L C W E N LEARN FROM THE

HIP HOP BIKE ARTIST Looking to improve your skills painting illustrations on motorcycles and cars? Alan Pastrana will teach the brand new oneday Intro and a four-day AUTOMOTIVE ART & ILLUSTRATION TECHNIQUES

workshop at the upcoming Charlotte Airbrush Getaway (Wednesday, May 14 through Sunday May 18, 2008). Alan’s amazing hip hop bike was featured in the July/August issue of Airbrush Action . Now you can work with the artist in person and get in-depth exposure to his cutting-edge style and techniques.

FOR MORE DETAILS OR TO SIGN UP, SEE THE COMPLETE PROGRAM FOR THE AIRBRUSH GETAWAY STARTING ON PAGE 43

CALL 800-232-8998 TO REGISTER TODAY. (OUTSIDE THE U.S. CALL 01-732-223-7878 )

By Craig Fraser

1 Using waxed 1/4-inch crepe tape (vinyl works, too) I masked off the edge of the metal face and the bottom of the club. You need a non-feathering tape to keep the edge clean when it’s prepped. Any paint that gets onto the metal face risks delamination or chipping. 1.

2 With the polished metal surfaces masked and protected, I sanded and prepped the surface with 600-grit dry sandpaper, and then applied KC-10 precleaner. Any engraved logos may be sanded and filled at this phase, but I prefer to leave them because they may mean something to the owner, and they don’t get in the way too much. 2.

Kustom Painting Gabe McCubbin’s Big-Bertha Lefty REMEMBER THAT JUST BECAUSE THIS IS AN AUTOMOTIVE COLUMN DOESN ’T MEAN YOU HAVE TO stick to painting cars and bikes. These stencils can be used for everything from body art, to wall murals, to cake decorating, and they’re made with a solvent-proof polymer, so you don’t have to worry about what you paint them with because you aren’t going to hurt these babies. For this 23rd installment, I decided to do something for the guy responsible for all these laser-cut monstrosities: Gabe McCubbin, the owner of Artool. Gabe heard that I paint golf clubs for a couple of local pro shops, and sent me one of his drivers to trick-out. Although golf clubs are pretty easy to paint, the main trick is to not get too much material on the club itself or it will impact the overall weight and balance of the club, not to mention causing an increase in chipping, too. A common concern begs if the paint is strong enough to take a hit and not chip. Well, theoretically, if hit correctly, the ball should only touch the face of the club, not the painted section. The same goes for the bottom of the club swiping the ground (pretty good incentive to not slice your drive, huh?) Even if they get chipped, they’re real easy to touch up. Roughly, only about 5% of the clubs I paint are returned for repair work. Because Gabe has always been a fan of skulls, and since the majority of stencils I designed for Artool are skull-oriented, the concept came easy: a nice pile of skulls with the Artool logo embossed across a big screaming one. After all, what says golf more than a pile of skulls? Enough talk, let’s paint. >> 20

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3 After giving the club a nice coat of AP-01 adhesion promoter, I sprayed three light covering coats of BC-26 basecoat white. The TH-3 Iwata is perfect for this application because it’s small enough to work in and around the club, and the fan head option produces a good covering spray pattern. 3.

4 After giving the club a half-hour to cure, I used the new mini version of the original Frontal Skullmaster stencil. I used the positive part of the stencil for the general outline for the main skull of the design. I fogged House of Kolor BC-25 black along the edge for the relief effect. 4.

5 Switching to the mini version of the Son of Skullmaster Frontal , I achieved a killer skull face and open-mouth layout with basecoat black. At this point, I used the stencils as sketching tools. If you had 10 clubs to paint identically, you don’t want to do it freehand. 5.

7 Heck, I had a whole mess of mini’s lying around, so I grabbed Wrath of Skullmaster , one of the newest ones. Remember the playing cards that go under the skull in the Mr. Potato Bonz stencil? Well, here they are, laying out a set of cards behind my golf club skull. 7.

6 Using Artool’s new Ultramask, I masked off the skull area I just roughed in, and cut the edge with an X-Acto knife. This allows me to paint around the skull for the background and come back later to finish it. The masked edge will emphasize the separation, and give it a cool 3-D effect. 6.

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8 Using Skullophenia, a stencil from the popular Nano series, I airbrushed a random pattern of skulls throughout the entire background. Skullophenia is perfect for jobs this small. Golf clubs and RC car bodies can get real awkward when trying to use full-size stencils. 8.

With the stenciling complete, I performed freehand work. Triple reduce the BC-25 black, add a little SG-100, and you’re good to go for detail work. An excellent trick to spraying small detail areas is to keep the air pressure low. The higher the pressure, the more the tip dry. 9.

Time to unmask, and work on the big skull. A little shading and shadowing and you get a nice rendered skull. Great thing about using the stencil for the layout is that if you make a mistake, you can come back in with white and the same stencil, and not disturb the surrounding detail work. 11.

10 Of course, what would a pile of skulls be if their eyes were not all glowing? So, time to clean out the Micron and add a little hyperreduced BC-26 white (always test your detail white on a scrap surface when tweaking your reduction ratio. Nothing messes up a bunch of skulls like white paint spit!) 10.

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11

By Craig Fraser

13 12 To complete the airbrushing, I used the same hyper-reduced BC-26 white. Remember, white can make or break a design. For highlighting, use as little white as possible for the most effect. 12.

FINAL.

If you’ve never painted a golf club, you should give it a swing sometime (get it?). Although they create a challenge for tight detail, there’s relief in knowing you won’t be working on it for days. Who knows, you might even like working on them. As for the new minis and Nano stencils from Artool, they’re not designed just for golf clubs, of course, but for all small areas. In fact, they’ll likely pay for themselves after the first job. Heck, how many tool manufacturers can guarantee that?! Paint to live, live to paint. –Fraser

I used the TH-3 to clear the club (I added some FA-01 flattening agent to the clear for a satin finish, and to actually make it more durable and scratch-resistant.) Here’s a trick from Brian Lynch, of House of Kolor, for using the flattening agent: mix 13.

the FA-01 to equal parts RU-311 reducer first, and set aside. Then, mix UFC-35 clear with KU-150 catalyst as usual, but don’t add any reducer. Then combine equal parts of the clear and the FA-01 reducer mix. This formula is killer.

Craig Fraser has been airbrushing for more

than twenty years, is the owner of Air Syndicate Inc., and, since 1992, has been the in-house airbrush artist and designer for Kal Koncepts, of Bakersfield, California. Kal Koncepts/Air Syndicate specializes in automotive kustom graphics and the fine art of the Kustom Kulture. Craig divides his time between the shop, teaching workshops (the esteemed Airbrush Getaway, House of Kolor, Coast Airbrush), and writing articles. He’s also the author of Automotive Cheap Tricks and Special F/X , and the star of 15 instructional DVDs on kustom painting techniques. You may view more of Fraser’s artwork at www.gotpaint.com.

www.airbrushaction.com

23

Presents

Introduction By Pete Johnson

THE

H

INTERVIEW

Q

Why is Hugh Hefner important to airbrush artists? A. Because he has continually promoted our style and

the market for our work.

Many people will immediately get the connection. However, if the link isn’t clear, here’s some history to consider.

of our heroes’ aircraft reinforce the Americanness and wholesomeness of the style. It’s a style everyone recognizes and identifies.

1921. A Peruvian immigrant with a thing

1945. Then the war ends. America is flood-

for showgirls paints with watercolors through a contraption that blows compressed air down a hose, through a tube, past a paint reservoir… and the most amazing thing happens. Pigment is atomized and lays down smoothly, making it possible to create realistic paintings of the smoothest object known, the female form. With this ability, the Peruvian, whose name is Alberto Vargas, bamboozles his wife and her associates into being models. He experiments with composition and props. He produces a series of posters for New York shows.

ed with ex-servicemen getting educations on the GI Bill, and many choose photography as a field of study. Some pursue it professionally; many keep it as a hobby. The 1950s come, and public morals change and slip. A young woman named Bettie Page becomes a model for a photographer named Irving Klaw. Dozens of photography clubs meet, sometimes on the sly, to photograph more-and-more willing models wearing less-and-less. Photography is somewhat easier than airbrush art, faster, and one can make multiple prints quickly. Advances in offset printing make color pinup photographs the rival of airbrush art.

1931. George Petty, a commercial advertis-

ing man in Chicago, picks up the tool, the airbrush, and begins his own concept of pinup paintings. Petty’s paintings fold out from the center staple of the magazine, and are often yanked out and “pinned up” to inspire red-blooded males. Many other artists follow, some still using traditional brush-andoil paints. But many take advantage of the airbrush’s smooth gradients, fast application and drying time, and correctability. Vargas labors during the 1930s largely in obscurity. 1941. Vargas begins replacing Petty at

Esquire. The pinup goes to World War II. Air crews adapt sultry images by Vargas, Petty, et al. to the sides of airplanes using whatever paint and brushes they can scrounge. Photos 24 AIRBRUSH ACTION | MAY–JUNE 2008

1955. Congress investigates the perceived

sinking of America into immorality. There’s huge ferment of rock and roll, a growing civil rights movement, and slow involvement in a war called Vietnam. Other publications spring up and print a growing supply of risqué photography. Airbrushed and other painted, stylized pinups are still running in some of the men’s magazines. Vargas’ paintings appear monthly in Playboy. 1960s. The meaning of the word “playboy”

changes. Most people now picture Playboy magazine. Hugh Hefner, smoking his pipe, greeting visitors in his silk bathrobe, is known far and wide. The rabbit-and-bow-tie logo shows up on everything from cufflinks to mudflaps. 2008. Mr. Hefner speaks at length with

Airbrush Action for the occasion of our 23rd 1953. A former Army journalist named anniversary issue. He says that as a kid, he Hugh M. Hefner sees a publishing opportu- read Esquire in the basement and was very nity. He has a degree in psychology, with taken with the pinup art of Vargas, Petty and double minors in creative writing and art. the gang. Airbrush art inspired Hefner and he Playboy magazine becomes a child of the still loves the topic. Vargas provided Hefner union of good writing, airbrush pinup paint- an illustration a month for years. The magaing, and pinup photography, but it’s much zine continues to showcase the paintings of more. It thrives amid (and maybe fuels) the Olivia De Berardinis, worthy successor to controversies it reports—the debate over Vargas. The Playboy commercial empire is drug legalization, foreign policy, civil liber- huge, but Hugh Hefner still loves and respects ties, and the like. Playboy is one of the best his roots—art, good storytelling, journalism, showcases for professional editorial illustra- and popular culture. tors—through the year 2000 and beyond, it Hef (he likes to be called) is a real gentleman buys original editorial artwork when many and a great guy to talk with. Let’s kick off the other publications have completely dropped interview. >> out of that market.

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Hef and his “girls next door,” (left to right) Bridget Marquardt, Holly Madison, and Kendra Wilkinson

Airbrush Action: We publish a magazine

that originally catered to illustrators, and Playboy has always been known as one of the premier showcases of commercial artists. The people that read Airbrush Action have got an eclectic group on interest, and it’s a treasure for us to talk to you about this because you literally mid-wifed this thing that’s the pin-up. Since you worked directly with Alberto Vargas, what were your recollections of him and working with him as an illustrator? Hefner: I was a huge fan of Petty when

George Petty worked for Esquire. And then there was a falling out over money between Esquire and Petty. And then, you probably know this story, they found Vargas as a replacement for Petty and they put him under a very onerous contract and created something that they called, because of their experience with Petty, the Varga girl. They gave it a special signature, and then Esquire trademarked that name and that signature, so that Vargas was creating the Varga girl for some time. He was putting out a tremendous amount of work for very little money, and finally he gave up on it, but when he left them he didn’t have the right to the Varga name or signature. So he drifted for a little while and then he had done a series of paintings called his legend collection. He was married to his beloved wife Ana-Mae, who was a former Ziegfeld girl, and Vargas actually began as an artist working for Flo Ziegfeld doing the lobby cards and other similar art of Ziegfeld girls back in the 1920’s. So we did a pictorial of nude legend art because most of what he had done for Esquire was semi-nude but not nude. We did that and got a very nice response from our readership. One of our assistant editors, Reed Austin, was a huge fan of Vargas and he kept talking to me about the possibility of doing Vargas on a regular basis and finally I agreed. And it was Reed Austin who worked directly with Alberto. Alberto was located out here on the West coast and we were located in Chicago. So that was the relationship. Layouts would be done on tissue paper, before the fact, that would come to us and be approved, and then he would do the finished art. Airbrush Action: Haven’t you had a lot

of personal involvement with the art that you’ve bought?


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Hef busy at work on his first issueof Playboy

Hefner: That is true. I was very much influ-

enced by pin-up art when I was growing up. I was raised in a very typical mid-western Methodist home and a very orthodox family; not much hugging and kissing. Esquire was not allowed in my home, and I saw Esquire for the very first time in the basement of a girlfriend when I was in 8th grade. Her father was a commercial artist, and they had copies of Esquire there and that was the first time I actually saw Esquire magazine and the Petty girls. That made a big impression on me and I started collecting the Petty girls and hanging them on my wall. Even though she didn’t really approve, my mother let me hang them. And that was the beginning of that interest in terms of pin-up art and then, of course, the photo pin-ups were very popular when I was in service. Clearly, that good girl art and the whole tradition of pin-up

photography and art that came out of Hollywood and many other sources was really the forerunner and the inspiration for the creation of the centerfold. Airbrush Action: Being a big fan of

Petty, did you pursue him at all to illustrate for Playboy? Hefner: I didn’t. By that time he did some

work after Esquire for True magazine, and some other things etc., but I really wasn’t pursuing anybody in the 50’s. So it really began with the pictorial collection that we ran in the late 50’s on Vargas and then starting the series with Vargas in the 1960’s. I was a huge fan of Petty in his earlier days with Esquire. His later stuff, when he was doing the ballet slippers, etc., began to lose their sexuality for me.

“

I saw Esquire for the very first time in the basement of a girlfriend when I was in 8th grade... That made a big impression on me and I started collecting the Petty girls and hanging them on my wall... And that was the beginning of that interest in terms of pin-up art...”

appealing about the original airbrush illustrations is that an airbrush can give you a perfect paint gradient; it can give the painted woman the idealized skin and features and so on, and I just wondered if that was a conscious influence in the way you continue to present the women in your magazine? Hefner: Well, there’s no question. I can’t

Airbrush Action: Hef, you have a back-

Hefner: In the beginning, in the 50’s and

ground as a journalist. Did you ever get any formal or informal art training?

60’s, the pictorials in the magazine were semi-nude; there was no frontal nudity, which we began around 1970. That was inspired by the fact that at that point there was full nudity on the Broadway stage in both the show Hair and Old Calcutta. In the months and years that followed, hardcore pornography became very commonplace in movies in the 70’s.

Hefner: Yes, my minor. Because I was

interested in cartooning, and always interested in graphics and art, I took one course at the Art Institute in the summer of ‘46 right after I got out of the Army, and then I minored in art at the University of Illinois. I majored in psychology and minored in creative writing and art. Airbrush Action: That’s an interesting link

to get you into the career you ended up in. Hefner: Well, you will find that before I

started Playboy, my wife and I lived in an apartment on the Southside of Chicago and I decorated everything in it, and I had a very real eye and a real sense for design, and it was done in a very contemporary way. The furniture was Knoll and Eames, all very high line contemporary. Airbrush Action: Did you ever use an

airbrush? Hefner: (laughs) No. I never have. Airbrush Action: You had a hands-on

involvement in the production of your magazine and one of the things that kind of intrigues people who started with airbrush is the notion of airbrushing or photo-retouching. How did you go about hiring people and what’s the real story behind how you started doing your photoretouching to evade the censorship laws of the age?

Airbrush Action: One of the observa-

tions that friends of mine who are illustrators have made is that they follow with great interest how Playboy obviously integrated digital technology in pre- and postproduction photography. Did you have a hand in that?

overstate the impact that I personally had, and continue to have on the art, illustration, and photography that appears in Playboy. It is the part of the magazine that I am most intimately interconnected with, and that I am a lifelong lover of airbrush pin-up art is obvious, and it began with Petty and then to Vargas, and then Olivia. The Olivia illustrations come to me directly and I have to figure out captions for them before we decide what we’re going to schedule. Olivia and her husband are very good friends of mine. Airbrush Action: How much original

illustration do you still purchase for pin-up or for editorial? Hefner: Well, we run seven full-page car-

toons every month and I would say, even Hefner: I really don’t.

Holly, one of my girls, my special gal, is very involved now with the photography related to the playmates and she does oversee the digital retouching on the playmates and the playmate pictorials out here. A good retouching as far as I’m concerned, of course, is retouching that you’re not even aware of. Keep it as natural as possible. Airbrush Action:

Right, exactly, and I think it’s a great invitation for perfection because one of the things that was so

“

...photo pin-ups were very popular when I was in service. Clearly, that good girl art and the whole tradition of pin-up photography and art that came out of Hollywood and many other sources was really the forerunner and the inspiration for the creation of the centerfold.” www.airbrushaction.com 27

though I never really counted them, that there are probably half a dozen major pieces in the magazine that are illustrated either by photos or by art, and we make it a point of running one piece of fiction every month in Playboy . When Playboy began, and when I was growing up, I mean there was so many markets and places where commercial art was used as illustrations in magazines, and now much fewer, and Playboy continues to keep that alive. And from the beginning al so, our concept, and I don’t know if it’s fully appreciated and understood, it is Playboy that broke the boundaries and the walls between traditional commercial art from the past and fine art. Taking the position, quite frankly, that if it was good it didn’t matter. We were doing that from the magazine point of view at the same time that Andy Warhol was doing it from the fine art point

of view. Playboy’s impact, in other words the kind of illustrations that we run, in many cases they’re not Norman Rockwell. They are not the traditional kind of art, they’re wide varieties of different kinds of art and it’s one of the things that makes the magazine exciting. Airbrush Action: So many illustrators

are doing a lot of custom auto work on these high-end choppers and automobiles and aircraft. Have you ever wandered around and seen any of your images on these things, and if you have, what did you think about it? I mean the centerfolds and that kind of thing. A lot of times the playmates of the year will end up gracing a motorcycle tank in a beautiful rendering. Hefner: No I’m not. I’m aware of it in the

historic sense. In other words, I’m aware of

it dramatically in terms of World War II nose art. The art of Vargas and Petty wound up on bombers and vehicles of war. But no, I’m just not out and about sufficiently to see the kind of things you’re talking about. Airbrush Action: It’s really interesting,

though, and I think you might enjoy it if you can go incognito to something like the Easy Riders chopper show in Anaheim, California, and just walk around and see how many of your images appear on some of these things because a lot of people’s clipping files are full of back issues of your magazine. Hefner: Well, it doesn’t surprise me

because the impact of the images related to Playboy, and particularly the trademark itself. It does never cease to amaze me. They talk about bunnies multiplying and proliferating, and that has certainly been the case with the Playboy bunny. He is everywhere around the world. Airbrush Action: Since we’re all moving

into the digital age do you ever have the chance to talk with commercial artists and give them advice about the diverse media that the Playboy Empire has, and advise them to go into all digital or web design, or that kind of thing? Hefner: Never had a conversation of that

kind at all. Airbrush Action: Do you ever get out

and lecture at any of the art schools in California? Hefner: No. No. The only kind of lecture

thing that I do every year is a course in film censorship that I funded at U.S.C. But no, nothing related to art. I had a very nice art collection for a while. I purchased a number of very nice pieces, de Kooning, Pollock, a number that became very valuable. I purchased most of them in the early 60’s before they became very popular. Airbrush Action: Do you have a favorite

fine artist? Hefner: Yeah, Picasso. He the man. Airbrush Action: You’re still very much

part of the editorial cycle of your magazine.


How many hours per issue do you devote to art direction or creative direction, editorial work and that kind of thing? Hefner: Well, a lot. It’s the part of the

company that I am still most intimately interconnected with, and although our editorial and art offices are in Chicago and New York—most of them—I’m in almost daily contact with my editors, and prior to this phone call I spent about two-hours on the phone going over layouts, stories, and pictorials, etc. So it’s a regular routine and I’m continually very much involved. I still approve every pictorial and every cover. Airbrush Action: Do they give you final

proofs before it goes to press? Hefner: We put together a dummy here

that’s duplicated in Chicago and New York, and it includes proofs of all of the photography before it goes to press.

■

Olivia, Hef, and Airbrush Action publisher Cliff Stieglitz at Olivia’s invitation-only gallery opening in Santa Monica, California, in February.

other kind of almost illustrated look, particularly that can create very attractive girls.

Airbrush Action: Would you be accept-

Airbrush Action: So you saved everything? Hefner: I’m a saver. I think that’s part of

ing new pin-up artists? If somebody were to submit a portfolio for your consideration, to whom would they do that?

Airbrush Action: I understand that you,

Hefner: Well, I would say that for the

Hefner: I started cartooning when I was a

foreseeable future it’s gonna be Olivia. When I decided to take Olivia on, my then

very small boy and then I did a number of homemade cartoon books and comic books

too, were a cartoonist. What were the subjects of your cartoons?

“

I can’t overstate the impact that I personally had, and continue to have on the art, illustration, and photography that appears in Playboy. It is the part of the magazine that I am most intimately interconnected with, and that I am a lifelong lover of airbrush pin-up art is obvious, and it began with Petty and then to Vargas, and then Olivia.”

the journalistic heritage. I also did a cartoon book on Chicago. As a matter of fact I noticed somebody was selling a copy up for auction on e-bay a couple of days ago. It was a paperback cardboard book, kind of in the same format as a book called The Frenchman, from back in the 1950’s. It was a cartoon book that sold for a dollar and it was all about Chicago, and it was called That Toddlin’ Town. So, all those cartoons were related to various kinds of gags related to Chicago, and I did that a year or two before I started Playboy. Airbrush Action: Have you ever consid-

ered publishing your scrapbook?

n r o h n i E s s u R y b o t o h P

editor who is now retired, didn’t like the idea because he felt that it would seem oldfashioned. My feeling about it was that it would give the magazine the kind of retrocool quality that I’ve always looked for in the magazine, and I think that’s the way the readers have responded to it. I’m not looking for, at this point, any new pin-up artists, except in terms of something we might do on an individual basis where they would do an illustration or also in terms of cartoons. Most of the full-page cartoonists in the early days of the magazine were not cartoonists at all; they were commercial artists. So, I’m always looking for artists or cartoonists that can create that

on all kinds of subjects. Superheroes, murders, horror, etc., and then in my senior year of high school, 1943, I started doing a comic autobiography of my life and put it in little binders and added photos. It was really about my friends and myself. I created a little world in which I was kind of the center of that world. And I added clippings and photographs to the front of it, and I continued to do that after I graduated, and I continued to do it though the Army, and then into college and right up until the time I got married. That then morphed or turned into a scrapbook that I continue to do throughout the years and it still exists today with almost two thousand volumes.

Hefner: I think that would not be practi-

cal. But, we are doing with passion a sixvolume which will be out in the fall of this coming year. A six-volume book called Hugh Hefner’s Playboy that will include pages from the magazine through the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, and in the front of each volume there is material from the scrapbook, and the most interesting one is the first volume because that includes a lot of material from the scrapbook and art and cartoons that I did even as a small boy. So it really gives you kind of a preview of what I was up to as I grew up in the pre-Playboy days. I assume you also know that at this

www.airbrushaction.com 29

Hefner:

I think they’re both available at Barnes and Noble, and a lot of other places. In the months and years ahead we will be doing all of the decades. Cover to Cover on the 50’s is just the first of a series of these. Airbrush Action:

When did you first find out about Airbrush Action magazine? I think probably when you did a piece on Olivia a couple of years ago and I got copies of it, and when Kent Lind did a caricature of me in Airbrush Action. Hefner:

particular moment we have two rather stupendous book sets that are out right now. One of them, Cover to Cover, is a digital CD-ROM of all of Playboy from the 1950’s and that box set is $100 dollars.

For that you get a CD-ROM that contains all of Playboy from the 1950’s: the centerfolds, the fiction, the advertising, the cartoons, everything in a CD-ROM, and then along with it a 200-plus page book on the

“

Art is art. I have no prejudices in it. It depends on the quality of it, and as you know from Playboy we publish a wide variety of different kinds of art.” 50’s and some of that material does come from my scrapbook and inner-office memos, artwork in process, etc, plus a facsimile of the very first issue. And then in addition to all of that we just released the Centerfold Book . The Centerfold Book contains every playmate from the very beginning, full-size without the staples, without the folds, beautifully reproduced in a book that is inside a black suitcase with a rabbit stamped on it with a little combination lock on it. The whole package weighs over 35 pounds.

That’s right. When you requested five copies of that issue I thought you were going to sue us. Airbrush Action:

Hefner:

(laughs) Quite the contrary. I wanted to be sure I had clean copies for my scrapbook. For the record, I did offer to send more if you wanted them. Airbrush Action:

You were nice enough to send the four or five copies of each issue. Hefner:

I can’t tell you how euphoric Kent Lind was to receive his autographed copy of that issue and I wanted to thank you very much for doing that. Airbrush Action:

Well, it is my pleasure because I know the fans of your magazine are fans of what we do. So we appreciate it. Hefner:

Airbrush Action:

digital art? Art is art. I have no prejudices in it. It depends on the quality of it, and as you know from Playboy we publish a wide variety of different kinds of art. Hefner:

Airbrush Action: Airbrush Action:

Where are these books available? 30 AIRBRUSH ACTION | MAY–JUNE 2008

How do you feel about

Hefner: I

did, too.

We really enjoyed this.

PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST

Jennifer Janesko PART TWO

This

is a continuation of a painting of artist Jennifer Janesko from the previous issue. My intent was to create an image with a painterly feel and slightly soft focus. To keep the background edges soft required that I abandon frisket and shields for the most part. >>

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STEP 26 At this point, I decided to render the legs and feet. The hair still needed some work, but I wanted to revisit it after the painting was more complete in order to more clearly evaluate the necessary changes. As with the arm, the highlight was established first, as a base color. Because this part of the painting would be out of focus, it required that I freehand everything in this area.

STEP 28 Another darker opaque gold color established the shadows on the calves and feet. The shadow of the calves will eventually be covered with an even darker color. Opaque paint tolerates darker colors over lighter colors without consequence, but not lighter colors over darker colors.

STEP 27 The next darkest opaque color began to establish the form of the legs and feet. The edge of the arm was moved a little to the right to make the arm thinner.

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STEP 29 An even darker green-brown opaque color was used to render the shadows in the feet and calves. The opaque color also helped establish some background elements. STEP 30 An opaque brown and red-violet mix defined the boundaries on the right side of the legs and feet.


30

BY DRU BL AIR

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STEP 31 To make minor adjustments to the hues in the calves, I used transparent yellow and moss green. At this point, I noticed that the edge was too crisp at the base of the left calf, and used an opaque yellow to cover it up. The resulting color shift toward blue mixed with the yellow in the applied opaque color to form a green hue.

STEP 34 I applied another opaque color for the brick in the background, using a freehand technique to keep the appearance soft and out of focus.

STEP 32 I used the opaque dark brown from Step 29 to cover the light green area, but some of the green still bled through.

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STEP 35 The second brick color was applied with a little more red and white in the mix. Varying the hues will create a more convincing image.

STEP 33 A dark opaque red-brown reduced the green color and reestablished the curve of the calf, with a softer edge this time.

STEP 36 In this step I added a small amount of green to the red-brown brick color. I also created an additional brick color by adding a few drops of red-violet to the mix. These two colors are visible on the test paper at the bottom of the image.

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REFERENCE AREA: Taken from final image

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STEP 37 An overall view reveals a continuation of the brick color from the previous step applied across the painting to the left of the head. I added opaque white to the brick color to create more variety in the values. I then added a few dark accents with transparent sepia. Afterwards, I sprayed small amounts of transparent yellow and red to shift the hue in some areas. STEP 38 The highlights on the fabric above Jennifer’s shoulder had become too dark due to overspray from the surrounding areas. There are two options to correct this: A: remove paint with an eraser or sandpaper. B: spray a lighter opaque color on the dark area. Option A would introduce texture, which would obliterate the blurry, soft focus look I am trying to achieve, so I decided to use a light opaque color to correct the problem.

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STEP 39 A light yellow-orange opaque color was applied to create highlights in the fabric, and I prepared to remove the “bruise” on Jennifer’s shoulder. STEP 40 Mixing an orange-red opaque color, I covered the dark gray spot on the shoulder. I kept my distance from the surface of the board to avoid a blotchy look to the repair. STEP 41 The red color on the shoulder seemed too intense, so I used opaque white mixed with yellow to lighten and reduce the intensity of

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the red. The formula is that the white by itself would have created a blue shift. When the blue of the shifted color mixed with red, it would have created a violet or purple cast. To nullify the purple cast, I used its compliment (yellow) with the white opaque paint. STEP 42 Next, I used a dark brown opaque color to further enhance the shadow of the leg and foot, carefully keeping my airbrush away from the board to keep the edges soft.

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STEP 43 Starting with the lightest color, I established the background area to the left of the feet. As the background takes form, other

problems such as the flesh color of the calves become noticeable STEP 44 A medium value golden color was then added over parts of the background. The calf color was adjusted to a more golden yellow, and a transparent red was used to further develop the feet. STEP 45 The red color was used to balance the overall fleshtone of the feet and calves. 42

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STEP 46 Before too much paint was applied, I taped a piece of open mesh cloth to the board. I will continue spraying through this mesh to create a subtle light pattern. A previous pass through the fabric is visible below the mesh. STEP 47 An opaque green was used to render the fabric to the left, but at this point, I felt that I had added too much green. STEP 48 Some opaque red removed the intensity of the green color, but now there is too much red.

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THE PROBLEM WITH FRISKET Chances are, if you’ve recently purchased frisket in the United States, you’ve experienced pain and frustration due to the excessive adhesive qualities of the product. If you were lucky, the frisket was just difficult to remove, and didn’t destroy your painting in the process. Perhaps you even tried alternative brands of frisket, searching for something with a little less stickiness, all to no avail. What is the problem with frisket, and why did all brands of frisket suddenly go bad all at once?

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STEP 49 I decided to return to green because it seemed more pleasing to the eye.

The answer is simple. Only one company in the U.S., Grafix, manufactures the frisket and sells it to various companies who re-brand it using their own name. Whether the name on the label is Grafix, Badger, Artool, or “The Original Frisket Film,” you are basically getting the same product, so it’s quite useless to search for other brands as alternatives here in the US. When Grafix produced a large run of frisket three or so years ago, too much adhesive was applied which caused problems with glue residue and an extra amount of undesirable stickiness. Many artists, including myself, have damaged paintings because the sticky frisket tore the paper off the backing of the illustration board. I corresponded with a Grafix representative who politely indicated that the company was aware of the problem, but did not yet have a solution. Several companies who private-labeled Grafix frisket—Iwata/Mede/Artool, Coast Airbrush, et al—have pulled the bad frisket out of their inventory in order to protect their clients. Other companies we’ve contacted have denied that a problem even exists. Since it doesn’t look like anyone is going to be fixing the problem soon, my assistants and I devised a workaround. We found that oil from one’s skin helps to neutralize the sticky nature of the frisket. By placing and removing the sticky side of the frisket on an arm, a leg, or other parts of the body a dozen or so times, you can reduce the tack to acceptable levels (and exfoliate at the same time). Other methods for reducing tack that did not seem to work as well were dusting the sticky frisket with baby powder and pressing the frisket against cloth. Until the manufacturing issue is resolved, the only other alternative is to locate frisket that was manufactured more than three years ago, or seek imported frisket. In the meantime, you may want to consider contacting the companies that still sell faulty frisket and share your sentiments.

STEP 50 Returning my attention to the background above Jennifer’s head, I positioned the mesh in preparation to fill in some of the vacant areas. STEP 51 A close-up reveals the scale of the mesh fabric. It can be purchased in varying sizes from a fabric store. STEP 52 I applied paint to the background area. The fact that there was already existing paint on the background helped keep the pattern created by the mesh fabric subtle.

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STEP 53 On the left side of the illustration board the frisket pulled away some of the paper surface, leaving a damaged area that was highly textured (see sidebar on Frisket). Some light sanding removed some of the texture. It is important to sand in small circles to avoid straight sanding marks that would otherwise stand out as unnatural. STEP 54 Using gesso and a squeegee, I applied the gesso much as one would add joint compound to a damaged wall. All that was left to do was some light sanding in small, circular motions.

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STEP 55 Now it was time to turn my attention to the sheets on the right side of the figure. As always with opaque colors, I began with the highlights first. STEP 56 The next darkest color was then applied, an overall view shows the large amount of bedding material that needed to be addressed. 57

STEP 57 I removed the frisket from the sheets below the hair, and then using the same sequence of light to dark, I established the sheets to the right of the hand. I then placed frisket on the areas surrounding the arm and hand to contain overspray as I prepared to render the forearm and hand.

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STEP 58 Using opaque flesh tones, I established the forearm and hand. I didn’t quite finish this part to make room for later tweaks and adjustments. STEP 59 I removed the frisket from the sheets above the hand and forearm, then covered the hand and forearm with a piece of frisket to protect them from overspray. I then rendered the sheets

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above them. When I removed the frisket, I noticed a small white speck on the wrist where two pieces of frisket overlapped. This will be repaired with an opaque color later. STEP 60 I moved forward with the sheets, taking note that the shadows were not simply shades of gray, but rather a variety of hues reflected from the surroundings. STEP 61 Darker opaque colors were applied to further establish the folds in the sheets. To keep overspray off of the arm, it was necessary to re-use the same frisket that I had used earlier for the arm. STEP 62 An overall view shows the continuation of the sheets toward the left of the figure. I wasn’t sure where I wanted to crop the image, so I painted beyond the original intended borders of the painting to give me the option to crop larger if I so desired. STEP 63 After evaluating the image, I decided that the sheets were too blue, and too light in the shadows. I warmed them up by adding a bit of burnt sienna to the opaque colors, and mixed a dark-


62

er color for the shadows of the sheets. As I made the corrections to the sheets, I noticed that the arm on the left seemed to be too thick at the elbow, so I shaved a little bit off by sliding the frisket covering it to the right. I also was not satisfied with the way the knee was looking, so I altered the sheets to obscure it. STEP 64 After correcting the rest of the sheets, I determined that the right foot was too thick,

63

64

65

so I narrowed it using the opaque background colors from earlier steps. I also took the time to repair small areas such as the white speck above the wrist.

parent sepia and burnt umber to punch up the shadows on the nose, cheeks, forehead, and around the eyes. I then used burnt umber to darken the shadows of the lips. The biggest overall challenge for this painting was keeping my distance with the airbrush to keep the background soft. Keeping the overall saturation of the painting higher than normal also presented some adversity, mostly due to my tendency to keep the colors in my paintings subtle.

STEP 65 After completing the background, it became more apparent that the face was lacking contrast, so the final tweaks are simply a matter of deepening the shadows in the face. In this case, I used a mixture of trans-

Artist and subject: Dru Blair and Jennifer Janesko

It’s probably important to note the giveand-take interaction with this painting that became a process of applying, and then tweaking the colors as the painting progressed. With airbrush being so cerebral, the usual method is to plan well ahead of the painting process. Jennifer and I decided to make prints of this painting available, and more information about this painting may be f ound at her website: www.janesko.com.


BY JOHN MAURAD

STEP 1 OR THIS BODY ART APPLICATION,

I USED TEMPTU’S DURA LINE

of paints. To prep the area, I cleaned the model’s back with 70% Isopropyl alcohol to remove any oils, creams, or impurities from the skin. Then, using a custom mixed brown-sepia color, I airbrushed the sketch onto the back and filled in the dark areas. You may also use a stencil made of very thin acetate or paper to aid in the placement and scale of the design.

STEP 2 & 3 Using Iwata’s Revolution gravity-feed airbrush, I rendered the fur with a lot of quick strokes. Caution: the airbrush is often gauged closely to the surface, so be very careful not to scratch or poke the skin with the needle of the airbrush. Because I use very low air pressure for this process— about 10- to 12-psi—I constantly go over each stroke until I reach the desired intensity of color. Although this is more time-consuming than, say, painting a T-shirt, it’s the recommended way to go.

3

1 4

STEPs

2


5

6

STEP 4, 5 & 6 Here, I began adding color, starting with the white of the tiger’s fur. I continuously go from white to brown, and back to white for the fur. This layering leads to greater realism. To achieve extra fine hairs, I switched to Temptu’s SP-35 airbrush. Once the white is completed, I apply the orange color (a combination of Dura yellow, orange, and red) using the same layering effect—going from light to dark, then back to light. To make some areas brighter, I use white, which is opaque, and then layer the other transparent colors over it. For the shadow areas, I used my original base color. Next, I painted the teet h and tongue, also using custom mixed colors. Highlights to the tongue, teeth, and eyes are done last with the SP-35 airbrush. I also used it to outline the whiskers and to add any fur that I felt needed to stand out.

STEP 7 I added grass and a sponged rock effect to the surrounding areas to not only increase the size of the painting but to blend it in better to the model’s back. For the final step, I added the company’s logo to the painting, and completely powdered the tiger with talcum powder. This painting took about 3 hours to complete and held up for a f ew days. About the Artist

John Maurad is a self taught artist with 24 years of airbrushing experience. A New York native, John began airbrushing on T-shirts at 16. Today, his portfolio also includes automotive painting, canvas, murals, and body painting.

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AIRBRUSH GETAWAY HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS

CHARLOTTE, NC-MAY 14-MAY 18, 2008 LAS VEGAS, NV-SEPT. 22–SEPT. 26, 2008

CLASSES 4-DAY CLASSES:

––––––––––---––––––––––––– HOUSE OF KOLOR’S ART OF PAINTING –––––––––––––––––––––––––– ACHIEVING PHOTOREALISM –––––––––––––––––––––––––– AUTOMOTIVE GRAPHICS, CHEAP TRICKS AND MORE –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Automotive Art and Illustration Techniques –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Pinstriping & Lettering Mastery –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Automotive Murals On Steel –––––––––––––––––––––––––– T-shirt Airbrushing –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Pin-Up ART

1-DAY CLASSES:

Airbrush Seminars for all Skill Levels Novice to Professionals Whether you’re a complete novice or a seasoned professional, spend five exciting, information-packed days learning from top professionals in one of the best airbrush seminars you’ll ever attend. Be a part of the traditional comradery and bonding that develops between students and staff at every Getaway. Of course, there’s always the opportunity for a much-needed social break at the end of the day—in the hotel lounge or out on the town. Our seminars have attracted students from corporations as diverse as AT&T, Boeing, Texas Instruments, Ball Aerospace, Hallmark, and many others, as well as free-lancers, small business owners, and students of all skill levels.

––––––---––––––––––––––––– IntRo to Airbrushing –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Intro to Murals on Steel –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Intro to Pinstriping –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Intro to Automotive Graphics –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Intro to Automotive Art and Illustration Techniques

REGISTER TOLL FREE:

800-232-8998 International: 732-223-7878 www.Airbrushaction.com

------------------–-------- SPONSORED BY ---------–---------------Official Paint of the Airbrush Getaways

Official Airbrush of the Airbrush Getaways


REGISTER NOW! TOLL FREE: 800-232-8998 International: 732-223-7878 Online: www.Airbrushaction.com

CHARLOTTE, NC • LAS VEGAS, NV

ACHIEVING PHOTOREALISM

AUTOMOTIVE GRAPHICS, CHEAP TRICKS, AND MORE! (Four-Day Class)

(Four-Day Class)

Dru Blair’s groundbreaking course reveals the secrets of painting photorealistic fire, ice, metal, water, glass, fur, and many other subjects that often challenge artists. Students will learn to quickly match colors with extreme accuracy and precision through Mr. Blair’s Color Buffer Theory. Class projects offer a variety of subjects designed to heighten a student’s visual perceptions and serve as a springboard to the mastery of photorealism in the media and field of ones choosing. In this course you’ll learn: ■ Mastering color through the application of Dru Blair’s Color Buffer Theory ■ Transparent vs opaque techniques ■ Understanding white and the impact it has on your images ■ Dru’s 8 rules of photorealism ■ The 12-point photorealism checklist ■ How to really understand light ■ How to survive catastrophic painting errors ■ How to automatically discern problem areas in your paintings that might otherwise go unnoticed ■ How to develop observation techniques that allow you to expand your visual discrimination

This high-energy workshop is only limited by your imagination! Kustom legend Craig Fraser and Ryno of TV’s Trick My Truck fame have partnered up to offer one of the hottest automotive kustom painting classes ever. Craig Fraser has developed this high intensity workshop to encompass every aspect of kustom painting in one class. Students will work on multiple projects that demonstrate some of the latest, cutting-edge techniques and effects, including basic freehand tricks, faux F/X (wood, water, metal, and much more), multiple approaches to rendering realistic fire (including their negative and positive use), Artool’s hidden secrets, biomechanical art, tribal graphics, methods for working on large surfaces, time management secrets for meeting tight deadlines, and more. Each class is geared toward the latest kustom trends and therefore changes with every Airbrush Getaway. And, as an added bonus, Fraser and Ryno will welcome any special requests to meet your unique needs. Also, you’ll be introduced to new products from House of Kolor, including Kosmic Krome, Ice Pearls, and more. Beginners* and seasoned veterans will be equally challenged by this course. *Students without prior airbrush experience are required to take the one-day Intro to Automotive Airbrushing class. WHAT TO BRING Your creativity, a note pad, dual-cartridge respirator (also available at the Getaway), and a digital camera (optional). All equipment (Iwata airbrushes, air hoses, air supply, art materials, etc) are provided. Students may bring their own airbrushes.

Achieving Photorealism is open to artists (and non-artists) of all skill levels. Even artists with no prior airbrush experience will learn to apply these techniques! The color theory taught in this class is in no way limited to just a irbrushing; it crosses over to every aspect of life where choosing and/or manipulating color is important.

Instructors: CRAIG FRASER, RYNO, JASON BROOKSHIRE Locations and dates: CHARLOTTE, NC: MAY 15-18, 2008 (THURS-SUN) LAS VEGAS, NV: SEPT 23-26, 2008 (TUES-FRI)

Instructor: DRU BLAIR, MELANIE ALEXANDER, AUGIE SACCOCCIO Locations and dates: CHARLOTTE, NC: MAY 15-18, 2008 (THURS-SUN) LAS VEGAS, NV: SEPT 23-26, 2008 (TUES-FRI)

Seminar Cost: $575

Seminar Cost: $595

BLAIR

ALEXANDER

FRASER

SOTO

SACCOCCIO

REYNOLDS

PANTALEON

CROSS-EYED

RYNO

TRAIN WITH THE TOP GUNS • NETWORK WITH YOUR PEERS • BECOME WHAT YOU DREAM * Instructors are subject to change without notice

BECOME WHATYOUDREAM

BRING YOUR

IMAGINATION PINSTRIPING & LETTERING MASTERY (Four-Day Class)

Hands-on, you’ll learn taping tricks, dagger designs, designs that sell, color use, how to successfully market your work, how to create award-winning displays, and much more! You’ll also learn how to work bike events, car dealerships, car shows, fairs, and other venues. This course also includes instruction on sign design, layout, color combos, Jersey Style truck lettering, airbrush blends, fades, chrome and bevel outlines, and more. Software, plotters, and other sign equipment will be demonstrated in detail. Instructors: GARY JENSON Locations and dates: CHARLOTTE, NC: MAY 15-18, 2008 (THURS-SUN) LAS VEGAS, NV: SEPT 23-26, 2008 (TUES-FRI) Seminar Cost: $575

AUTOMOTIVE MURALS ON STEEL (Four-Day Class) Murals on steel is the hottest and most lucrative of kustom applications. Conducted by world-famous custom masters, this class will teach you the top pro tricks for creating high-impact images on hard surfaces. This handson course raises the bar for serious artists seeking the next level in kustom excellence and mastery of color. As a bonus, business aspects, client consultations, pricing, and more are all addressed. Prerequisite: 1-Day Intro to Murals class for beginners. Instructors: CROSS-EYED, JAVIER SOTO, JONATHAN PANTALEON, CHARLES ARMSTRONG Locations and dates: CHARLOTTE, NC: MAY 15-18, 2008 (THURS-SUN) LAS VEGAS, NV: SEPT 23-26, 2008 (TUES-FRI) Seminar Cost: $575

LE AR N T HE

I CE P EA R LS T EC H NI QU E F E AT UR ED I N J AN / F EB 2 0 0 8

T-SHIRT AIRBRUSHING (Four-Day Class) This dynamic and completely hands-on course is a must for anyone wanting to master the secrets of T-shirt airbrushing and maximize their earning power. Designed for the serious beginner to professional shirt artist who wants to improve in all areas, this class lets you work at your own pace. What you’ll learn: ■ Designs that sell ■ Pricing guidelines ■ Professional lettering and stenciling ■ The business side of T-shirt airbrushing ■ Custom portraiture, cars, logos ■ Shortcuts for fast turnaround & high volume. Instructors: TERRY HILL, KENT LIND, JENNIFER JORSTAD Locations and dates: CHARLOTTE, NC: MAY 15-18, 2008 (THURS-SUN) LAS VEGAS, NV: SEPT 23-26, 2008 (TUES-FRI) Seminar Cost: $575

LIND

JORSTAD

STRADER

CROSS-EYED

DRISCOLL

ARMSTRONG

HILL

SPERLONGA

JENSON



REGISTER NOW! TOLL FREE: 800-232-8998 International: 732-223-7878 Online: www.Airbrushaction.com

CHARLOTTE, NC • LAS VEGAS, NV

INTRO TO AUTOMOTIVE ART AND ILLUSTRATION TECHNIQUES One-Day Class (Lecture and hands-on) This intro class will teach you how to use an airbrush, including the mastery of basic strokes, troubleshooting, maintenance, and how to render a variety of shapes. After taking this class, you will have a strong handle on the use of your airbrush. Instructor: ALAN PASTRANA

AUTOMOTIVE ART AND ILLUSTRATION TECHNIQUES Four-Day Class (Lecture and hands-on)

Locations and dates: CHARLOTTE, NC: MAY 14, 2008 (WED) LAS VEGAS, NV: SEPT 22, 2008 (MON) Seminar Cost: $150 (Or, $100 if you also enroll in a 4-day program)

This new advanced course is designed and conducted by Alan Pastrana, one of the top custom painters in the world. “As a veteren instructor of the Airbrush Getaway,” Alan explained, “I wanted to offer a class that fills the voids of the other automotive-related programs. This course is heavy on color theory, learning how to mix colors, in-depth use of a computer and plotter to aid in generating art and custom stencils, flesh-tones, how to create dynamic art on cars, motorcycles, helmets and flat surfaces, how to render a subject in black-and-white and color, and lots more.” You’ll also gain a good understanding of shading, how to render a portrait, and how light affects different shapes. In this course you’ll learn: ■ Introductions and class overview ■ Understanding and rendering values in grayscale. ■ Introduction to plotters and their many uses. ■ The many uses of computer-based programs, including Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Corel Draw, and how they may assist you in creating your airbrushed masterpiece. ■ The rendering of basic shapes to demonstrate their light sources, values, shadows, reflective light, and cast shadows ■ The introduction to free-hand shields and their many uses. ■ Designing and cutting out free-hand shields and masks using the Roland GX-24 plotter. ■ Introduction to color theory and how it applies to the rendering and completion of a project. ■ Class project and demo: realistic waiving flag ■ Evening Business Forum ■ Design and Composition ■ Flesh-tones ■ Class project and demo: portraits and skin tones ■ Class overview, critiques, and evaluations

PIN-UP ART (Four-Day Class) Learn the secrets and master the techniques to create the female form as a classic pin-up in this one-of-a-kind class. Pin-Ups provides instruction on opaque and transparent color use, flesh tones, how to render many textures, various surfaces to paint on for use in automotive applications, illustration, canvas, mural work, and more. You’ll also produce a professional-caliber portfolio piece using the latest stencils, masking material, freehand work, and a variety of mixed media. With pin-up art and its profits at a fever pitch, this is a class you don’t want to miss! Step up to the next level. Instructors: LORENZO SPERLONGA, STEVE DRISCOLL

Locations and dates: CHARLOTTE, NC: MAY 15-18, 2008 (THURS-SUN) LAS VEGAS, NV: SEPT 23-26, 2008 (TUES-FRI)

Locations and dates: CHARLOTTE, NC: MAY 15-18, 2008 (THURS-SUN) LAS VEGAS, NV: SEPT 23-26, 2008 (TUES-FRI)

Seminar Cost: $575

Seminar Cost: $575

Instructors: ALAN PASTRANA, HONORIO REYNOLDS, DARRYL STRADER

PASTRANA

MONNIG

AVERY

PANTALEON

FURIATO

CROSS-EYED

SOTO

FRASER

SUTHERLAND


BECOME BE COME WHATYOUDREAM

BRING YOUR YOUR

IMAGINAATION IMAGIN INTRO TO AIRBRUSHING (One-Day Class)

Explore the different types of airbrushes, maintenance, air sources, safety issues, painting surfaces, preparation, and airbrush media. This one-day course accelerates the skills of new airbrush artists and provides excellent preparation for the four-day classes. Locations and dates: CHARLOTTE, NC: MAY 14, 2008 (WED); LAS VEGAS, NV: SEPT 22, 2008 (MON) Seminar Cost: $150 (Or, $100 if you also enroll in a 4-day program)

INTRO TO AUTOMOTIVE MURALS ON STEEL (One-Day Class) For beginners and intermediates, and a MUST for beginners taking the four-day murals class. If you’re just starting out, and you want to spray in the big leagues of custom painters, Intro to Automotive Murals is a mandatory prerequisite to the four-day Murals on Steel class. This hands-on course is designed to deliver you up to speed with basic airbrush techniques, equipment, and the execution of a project. Instructors: JAVIER SOTO, JONATHAN PANTALEON, CROSS-EYED Locations and dates: CHARLOTTE, NC: MAY 14, 2008 (WED); LAS VEGAS, NV: SEPT 22, 2008 (MON)

INTRO TO PINSTRIPING (One-Day Class) Designed for beginners, this course provides detailed information on product knowledge, including paints, brushes, solvents, tapes, and more. Hands-on instruction will guide you through surface prep, practice strokes, and completion of basic designs with and without a pattern. You’ll learn both primary styles: nostalgic dagger and scroll. This course establishes an important foundation toward striping mastery.

Seminar Cost: $150 (Or, $100 if you also enroll in a 4-day program)

Locations and dates: CHARLOTTE, NC: MAY 14, 2008 (WED); LAS VEGAS, NV: SEPT 22, 2008 (MON)

This excellent primer for the four-day course is designed for beginning and intermediate kustom painters. You’ll learn the basics of graphics, types of airbrushes and paints, safety issues, and much more. Hands-on projects include basic layout, masking, the transfer of designs, faux finishes, special f/x, and materials! This has quickly become one of the most popular classes!

INTRO TO AUTOMOTIVE GRAPHICS (One-Day Class)

Seminar Cost: $150 (Or, $100 if you also enroll in a 4-day program)

Instructors: CRAI CRAIG G FRA FRASER SER,, RYNO, JAY AVERY Locations and dates: CHARLOTTE, NC: MAY 14, 2008 (WED); LAS VEGAS, NV: SEPT 22, 2008 (MON) Seminar Cost: $150 (Or, (Or, $100 if you also enroll in a 4-day program)

LIND

JOHN HALL

RYNO

CROSS-EYED

DRISCOLL

ARMSTRONG

HILL

SPERLONGA

JENSON

TRAIN WITH THE TOP GUNS • NETWORK WITH YOUR PEERS • BECOME BECOME WHA WHATT YOU DREAM * Instructors are subject to change without notice

Yes! I want to attend the May 14-18, 2008 Charlotte, NC Getaway Workshop! WORKSHOP SCHEDULES

O N R E T S G E R

1-Day Mini Courses:

4-Day Courses:

 Intro

Airbrushing

$150

 Dru Blair’s

 Intro

 Automotive

Auto Grahphics

$150

 Intro Murals on Steel

$150

 Intro

$150

to Pinstriping

Graphics, Cheap Tricks & More

$150

$575

 Murals on Steel

$575

 Pin-Up Art

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 9 a.m. to to 5 p.m.

 Pinstriping  T-Shirt

$575 & Lettering Mastery

$575

Airbrushing

 HOK’s Art

$575

of Painting

$575

May 15-18, 2008 Thurs.-Sat, 9 a. m. to 5 p.m. Thurs.-Sat, p.m. Sun. - 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Room Reservations: Call The Ramada Inn, 800-847-7829 704-525-8350

All courses are subject to cancellation. Instructions are subject to change. * SAVE $50 if you also attend a 4-day workshop!

** Hotel subject to change.

Yes! I want to attend the September Septembe r 22–26, 2008 Las Vegas, NV Getaway Workshop! Workshop! WORKSHOP SCHEDULES 1-Day Mini Courses:  Intro

Hotel Reservation: The Las Vegas Vegas Getaway is held at: South Point Hotel & Casino 9777 Las Vegas Blvd, South Las Vegas, NV 89183 Room Reservations: Call The South Point Hotel & Casino, (866) 796-7111

 Dru Blair’s

 Intro Auto Graphics

$150

 Automotive

 Intro Murals on Steel

$150

 Intro

Airbrushing

4-Day Courses:

$150

to Pinstriping

& Illustration

Name (please Print)

$575

Graphics, Cheap Tricks & More

$575

$150 $150

 Murals on Steel

$575

 Pin-Up Art

$575

Illustration Illustratio n Techniques

 Pinstriping

Monday, September 22, 2008

For Las Vegas only: Students under the age of 21 must be accompanied by by an adult.

Achieving Photorealis Photorealism m

 Automotive Art &

 Intro to Automotive Art

Address

 T-Shirt

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

& Lettering Mastery

Airbrushing

 HOK’s Art

$575

$575 $575

of Painting

$575

September 23–26, 2008 Tuesday - Thursday, 9 a. m. to 5 p.m. Friday - 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. All courses are subject to cancellation. Instructions are subject to change. * SAVE $50 if you also attend a 4-day workshop!

Register Today! Company

City

State

Daytime Phone Number (Include Area Code)

Email Address

&

$575

 Automotive Art &

Registrant Information

SPONSORED BY BY

$595

Illustration Illustratio n Techniques

 Intro

Hotel Reservation: The Charlotte Charlotte Getaway is held at: The Ramada Inn 212 Woodlawn Road Charlotte, NC 28217

to Automotive Art & Illustration

Achieving Photorealism

Payment Method (Check one)  VISA  Master Card  Discover  American Express  Check or Money Order  My deposit of $100 is enclosed.  Bill me the balance due.

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By Mail: Send this form to: Airbrush Action, Inc. P.O. Box 438 Allenwood, NJ 08720

By Fax: Fax this form to: 732-223-2855 By Phone: Call Toll-Free: 800-232-8998 732-223-7878 (Int’l callers)

Signature Required

I understand understand that if I need need to cancel, $50 is nonrefundab nonrefundable. le.

Courses are Tax-Deductible! Expenses for registration fees, travel, and lodging are fully deductible if the instruction is to maintain or improve professional skills, or required by your em ployer.

N O S D HA N

OME!

AWES

Absolutely NOTHING Co Comp mpar ares es to to the the Or Orig igin inal al Airbrush Getaway Hands-On Works Workshops! hops! PASTI EARL, PIN-UPS

“

I really liked learning different ways of achieving the same results; Steve’s way versus Lorenzo’s way. Very good!” — Carol Murison (Pin-Ups)

“

It far surpassed what I expected. All my questions were addressed, and the instructors sprayed with us into the wee hours of the morning.” — Michael L. Simon (Murals On Steel)

So MANY So MANY Reasons ... So So FEW FEW Excuses .

B y Terr erry y Hill

m a l PARTY A n i m ¬ ¬ E ¬ * *

P P A A P A L

W

I’m not talking about ice cream, cake, or pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey kind of partying; I’m talking beer bongs, kegs and naked Twister! But the question is, just how far can you take it without offending your more family-oriented clientele? In my case, I work with a group of four other artists at Airbru Airbrush sh Headquarters Headquarters in Destin, Florida, and our personalities run the gamut from ultraconservative to very liberal. Each new design has to be well thought out in order to strike a balance between these differing viewpoints. Because our business is located inside a Wal-Mart supercenter, we must present an image consistent with the world’s largest retailer! Our store happens to be located near the beach and has a hip décor. The management is very supportive of our efforts as long as we create and maintain a fun and exciting environment, and remain an asset to the store. >> HAT T WHA

COULD BE A MORE FUN AND POPULAR CATEGORY CATEGORY THAN PARTY PARTY DESIGNS?

My quest to create party designs that are somehow wholesome but still cool has been an ongoing process for the past several years. I’ve found that the best way to overcome the diversity in our group is to get as many people as possible involved in the process. This article is really more


about teamwork and the value of learning to listen to other people’s thoughts and ideas than it is about any single category, such as party designs. For example, about three years ago, I conferred with fellow artist Gary Worthington about a new design I wanted to create for spring break.

I envisioned a psychedelic-looking tiedyed background involving a brain and the lettering “this is your brain on spring break,” with a few names scattered around the graphic to make it a group seller. We both thought it was a good idea and minutes later Gary downloaded a photo of a human brain from the Internet. I processed the image in Photoshop, reducing it to a simple black-and-white graphic that served as the basis for creating my stencil. I was so proud of this new concept that I exclaimed, “we’re gonna get rich!” After several failed attempts at producing a satisfactory result, I asked Gary to give it a shot. We weren’t happy with his results either. There was just too much lettering involved to produce a pleasing graphic. Although the whole thing was a miserable failure, the idea continued to haunt me. I knew it had merit, but I just couldn’t figure out what was missing. So, this year, while working on new designs for spring break, I turned to our resident party expert, Eddie Davis, and solicited his opinion on the concept. He replied, “toasted.” I thought, ‘WOW, that’s it!’ It was so simple; one word expresses a party atmosphere without being offensive. Why couldn’t I have thought of that? I guess sometimes you just have to turn to a professional. Thanks, Eddie! After further discussion we realized that “toasted” also opens up the possibility of additional elements to the design. Ed also offered, “Why not have the brain soaking in a martini glass?” Once again I thought, ‘WOW, that would work on more than one level.’ We’re constantly asked for martini glass designs, yet we only had one

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choice to show people. With today’s technology it’s so easy to combine elements from different designs to form something totally new, that the possibilities become endless, and almost effortless! All of our designs’ stencils are created on the computer using SignLab software, and cut with a plotter. As a result, our artists have more time to be creative and productive, which in turn increases our profits. If you’re not already using a system like this in your business I highly recommend it. Airb rush Ac ti on has worked in conjunction with CadLink, the developers of SignLab, to produce StencilBoss, an inexpensive version of their program. This software has everything you’ll need to go digital with stencil making. Add a plotter, which is capable of producing 500 grams of down force, and you’re ready to go!

TOASTED!:

recently been working on a green beer mug of his own for St Patrick’s Day. I thought to myself, why not take the same idea and apply it to a beer mug? This might appeal to a completely different demographic of drinkers. I had barely gotten the idea out of my mouth when I noticed Eddie busily sketching on an easel. He then added my brain stencil into the mix and once again, “WOW.” I had to say it: “we’re gonna get rich!”

IMAGE 2 Here’s Eddie caught diligently sketching away at the easel. Who says all that partyin’ won’t come in handy someday? Bear in mind, though, it takes years of experience to perform at his level!

7

vent underspray, I applied pressure with a small brayer, also known as an ink roller.

IMAGE 6 Starting with opaque black, I IMAGE 3 Nathan Tetzlaff, another one of our fine artist’s assistants, at the spray booth prepping my freshly cut stencil with spray adhesive.

traced all of the edges and filled in the blanks with my airbrush. Be careful not to go crazy here; a little black goes a long way. You don’t want your design to end up fuzzy and dirty looking.

IMAGE 4 The stencil is applied in the IMAGE 1 Jo Roberts, one of our fabulous and talented artist’s assistants, worked in SignLab to combine elements from Scott Wilson’s martini glass design with my brain graphic. Scott Wilson, artist and owner of Ai rbr ush He a dquart ers, had

correct position on the shirt. My stencils are made of a clear Mylar, but colored blue so that you’ll see them.

IMAGE 5 To assure that the stencil is evenly adhered to the shirt, and to help pre-

IMAGE 7 Violet was applied in a similar manner. I took this opportunity to airbrush the names around the glass. Adding names to the design is akin to adding fries to a burger order; potentially, a single sale turns into a multiple sale.


IMAGE 8 Now it’s time to peal the stencil away to check the results. Be careful here; it’s easy to damage the stencil, and you also want to minimize how much the shirt moves and stretches.

IMAGE 9 Deep green was airbrushed to represent the libation in the glass and to help shape the contours of the olive. Green is a conscious choice here. We could make our drink any color, but because the brain will be pink, green (pink’s complementary color) will create a more dynamic looking design.

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IMAGE 10 Fluorescent hot green was airbrushed to create a sense of transparency, warmth, and dimension.

IMAGE 11 Fluorescent hot pink accents were added to the names, and the lettering is detailed and shaded. I was careful not to overwork the shading of the brain. I wanted just enough color to balance the green in the glass.

11

IMAGE 12 I completed this section with a

IMAGE 15 I followed with a little violet

little bit of fluorescent hot yellow on the olive’s sword, and then airbrushed some subtle details to the glass to accentuate its contours and to remove the harshness of the stenciled look. Finally, after waiting three years, I’m happy with the way my brain graphic looks!

along the bottom side and into the details on the mug. Violet is a complimentary color to yellow and will turn an earthy brown when the two are combined in a later step. I

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also used fluorescent blue to wrap around the top of the design.

IMAGE 16 Golden yellow is applied over the violet and into the scallops on the mug.

BRAIN CELLS: IMAGE 13 The stencil was applied to the shirt with spray adhesive.

IMAGE 14 I airbrushed opaque black to

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the edges of the stencil. Notice that it’s not applied everywhere. I’m particularly careful not to get a lot of overspray into any area that may include yellow later on.

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As we see here, the color shift from violet produced exactly the affect I wanted.

IMAGE 20 Fluorescent yellow was air-

IMAGE 17 I carefully peeled the stencil

IMAGE 21 I peeled the stencil to reveal

to inspect my results.

the results.

IMAGE 18 The next part of the stencil

IMAGE 22 Fluorescent blue was used to

system was registered with the outlines of the glass.

create details and soft shading in the foam.

brushed over everything in the opening.

28

IMAGE 23 Gray was used to detail the mug. IMAGE 19 I started this sequence with opaque yellow airbrushed to the puddle of beer at the bottom of the glass, followed by transparent light brown to shape the edges and to create the shadows of the foam at the top of the glass.

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IMAGE 24 Violet was used to shade along the bottom of the brain and to tie the two together. I put a little bit into the reflections in the mug. 29

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IMAGE 25 Fluorescent hot pink was 22

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applied to the brain, being careful not to make it too dark.

IMAGE 26 Red lettering acts as a strong statement and adds nicely to the overall impact of the design. I purposely left some space at the bottom to add a few names.

IMAGE 27 A touch of opaque black was

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added to the top of the lettering as an accent, and names were added to make this a group design in an effort to increase our profits.

IMAGE 28 As a humorous finishing touch, a gun sight was stenciled into place using red.

IMAGE 29 As mentioned previously, you can clearly see that it was important to keep the color of the brain light enough in the middle to allow the gun sight t o show up.

IMAGE 30 Here’s the completed design in 26


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all its glory. We’re all gonna get rich!

N EW

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TEXTURE AIR

BY MICHAEL CACY

Let s’ Get Wet! All kinds of interesting effects can occur as reflections on standing water depending on lighting and surroundings. Surface tension causes the water to cling together on a non-porous surface, giving it mass and dimension. Though water is clear, there may be stark contrast as well as hard and soft edges to shapes within the water and upon its shiny surface. >>

I started this project by drawing my hand lettering. Then, I needed to determine how the letters might look if they were actually “liquid.” After splattering water onto my kitchen counter (in front of a window) I shot a few reference photos. I traced my hand lettering, incorporating curves and shapes evident in my photos. A quick marker sketch was rendered on a photocopy of the drawing, and I was ready to get rolling.

STEP 1 Reference photos, initial hand lettering, pencil tracing, and marker sketch.

STEP 2 I positioned the pencil drawing on a lightbox and placed a sheet of smooth, hot-press paper on top. The contours were drawn with a blue technical pen. The highlights were drawn lightly in pencil. This paper drawing was then mounted to a piece of rigid illustration board with an aerosol adhesive.

STEP 3 1

Please note that the highlights and background are masked with frisket film in this photo. The larger mass of water (the areas with the exception of the highlights) has been revealed, and I sprayed the contours away from the lit side with a mixture of Com-Art transparent ultramarine, royal blue, and black.

STEP 4 A little overall tone was added by spraying a few passes of royal blue (the highlights and background remained concealed.)

STEP 5

2 56 AIRBRUSH ACTION | MAY–JUNE 2008

Here’s a better look at what has been painted so far. The background frisket mask has been revealed. The background is ready for paint. Frisket masks still conceal highlights within lettering, droplets, and splash shape.

3

4

5

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STEP 6

FINAL PAINTING

Transparent emerald green was sprayed over the exposed art (lettering and background) to create a background color. Then, with the highlight frisket shapes removed, the art is essentially complete.

I “caressed” a few linear edges along highlights with a blue pencil before calling it quits.

About the Artist

Michael Cacy is a world-class illustrator whose career spans more than 30 years. A recipient of the 1997 Vargas Award, Cacy’s client list includes Iditarod, Nike, Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, and many more. His and DVD, Illustration Cheap Tricks & Special F/X , is considered one of the best airbrush instructional presentations ever made.

www.airbrushaction.com

57

Fresh Flesh Tones By Deborah Mahan

L

AST YEAR, H OUSE OF K OLOR’S K USTOM K REATOR K OLORS program invited 15 artists to submit their favorite arsenal of custom mixed colors. Because of my fascination with pin-up art and portraiture, I contributed my “boutique” palette of flesh tones. As a result, Dave Monnig, of Coast Airbrush, agreed to market a premixed kit of those colors, and Airbrush Action asked me to write this step-by-step on how to use them. These flesh tones work simply and can be used to create any flesh tone type. The kit consists of 6 colors: Flesh Base, which is the beginning of all flesh tones; Dark Shade is the darkest shading color; Pinky Flesh Tint is used for the lips, around the eyes, and for any area that requires a rosy tint. Gold Shade adds a golden tone to the skin. Dark Flesh Shadow (green shade) and Dark Flesh

STEP 1

I lightly sketched my drawing on the panel.

STEP 2

STEP 6

STEP 7

I applied the Pinky Flesh Tint to the lips, eyes, cheeks, ear lobe, and hair. A little bit of this color goes a long way.

Shadow (red shade) are used to create shadows and “ethnic” tones. An important trick to rendering flesh tones with automotive urethanes is to be careful not to overdo some of the toners, such as House of Kolor’s KK Kandy Koncentrates. For example, if you use too much of the gold tones or orange tones, the colors may become too dominant once the art is clear-coated, and may make your subject appear jaundiced, or that they dieted on too many carrots! For this article, I rendered one of my favorite subjects, Marilyn Monroe, and I used all House of Kolor products, including the flesh tone kit, RU311 reducer, BC26 white base-coat, BC25 black base-coat, and SG104 Euro Red base-coat. Also, I used an Iwata Kustom CH airbrush, and a white powder-coated aluminum panel for my substrate. I reduced the colors, 1-to-1, with the RU311.

Using the Flesh Base, STEP 3 I switched to the Gold I loosely airbrushed her hair, Shade and painted all the and fogged in the whole image. shadows and details of the subject, and then lightly fogged just outside the darker areas— this starts a nice transition between the colors.

With the Dark Shade, I painted the hair, creases of the mouth, eyebrows, eyes, and all those really dark shadows around her arms and chest.

THE FINISHED PROJECT.

STEP 4

I layered in the Dark Flesh Shadow (red shade). Because the subject is sunlit, I want most of my shadows to be warm. Then, I deepened the details of the nostrils, eye creases, folds in the skin, and the darkest shadows.

STEP 8

To make her ey es and lips pop, I added a little BC25 black to the eyes and the opening of her mouth. Also, I used SG104 Euro Red on her lips.

Even if you paint someone with a darker, or different, skin tone, you’ll still begin with the Flesh Base and use the other colors to shift everything. Good luck with your adventures in skin tones, and I believe this kit will make it easier. 58 AIRBRUSH ACTION | MAY–JUNE 2008

STEP 5

Applying white at this stage serves two purposes: white overspray is easier to clean with darker colors later on, and it keeps the whites from taking over. This is the area where most people make a mistake.

CORRECTION

KUSTOM CROSSWORD

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In error, the below ‘clues’ were ommited from the March-April 2008 issue. ACROSS

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Dru Blair’s photorealism technique, “Color ___ Theory” 34. Floating ice 35. ___ preparation, the hardest and most important part of airbrushing cars 36. Airbrush paint choices that require a low psi 38. Lunch stuff 40. Airbrushed hogs, with hot 42. Behold’s partner 44. Providence locale 45. Anchorage locale 47. Commonly airbrushed image 49. Rapper prefix 51. Declines in amount 52. Ford model 53. ___ feed, airbrush model that is easy to maneuver 56. ___ Hill, airbrush body painting master 59. Navy ship 60. Social equal 62. Fix the problem 63. 2008 airbrush workshop state 64. Quick naps 65. Dorothy’s aunt 66. ___, the people.. 68. Pressure measure 69. Non-transparent airbrush technique description 32.

Not that either 27. Marcus ___, Australian-based airbrush artist 29. Spheres 30. King or gun? 31. Mistake 32. Saloon 33. LA or SB preceder 35. Essential equipment for an airbrush artist (2 words) 37. Declining word 39. “___ Works”, airbrush book by Lorenzo Sperlonga 41. Approve 43. Airbrush Action’s column for airbrushing questions (2 words) 46. Royalty free airbrush images 47. Red or white follower, to a sports fan 48. King’s pawn in chess, (abbr.) 49. ___ Vegas, location of the 2008 Airbrush Getaway Workshop 50. Type of drip 51. Airbrush paint option that may fade if exposed to light 52. Got bigger 54. Invitation reply 55. ___bench, Airbrush Action’s column for new airbrushing products 57. Cadillac ___ Dorado 58. Motorhome, for short 61. Duran Duran hit single 62. Large body of water 67. Extended play record, (abbr.) 26.

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Airbrush Action May-June 2008

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