Sharpie Lettering "Debbie" Graffiti Style with Color

Earlier today I was talking with a friend who said she was in a "grouchy" mood... I decided I could help by offering to make her something. When I asked what she would like she simply said "Surprise Me". Debbie is a hard working mom that seems to do a lot for people and gets little in return. So I spent part of my evening making this piece to help show her some appreciation. I had lots of ideas I wanted to try out, so I grabbed a fresh piece of 15"x20" illustration board and drew out my friends name... stylishly. I got all the blank ink down first, then moved on to the outer 'border' by pouncing a custom mix of green acrylic paint with a plastic bag. I used a more diluted version of the paint nearest the lettering, and a more opaque version towards the outside. Then I used a low pressure sprayer with transparent black to darken and spatter the outer edges further. Custom mixing the same green with black and white, I brushed in all the little cracks around the borer. Once that was dry I moved back to the lettering where I made an acrylic wash of a very lime green, and went over all the letters with a brush. I went over them 2 or 3 times with the same wash in areas I was planning on darkening top build tone. Next I grabbed the airbrush topped with an acrylic deep green ink- I used that to shade some shape into the existing green. Next I topped the airbrush with a weak mix of acrylic black to make the outer drop shadows. Then I made a white acrylic wash that I used with a paint brush to start lightening the corners I wanted highlighted. I went over each highlight a few times and smaller each time until I got the highlight I wanted. Last but not least, I grabbed 1-Shot Bright Red Enamel and outlined all the letters. As with always, every step was done completely freehand. This piece is crazy cool-  adding color like this is a little a-typical of me, but I'm glad I went this direction.

I definitely had a lot of fun making this piece, and I sure hope she likes it!

Got a name you'd like to have done as an illustration? Email me!  Cruizin4customs@Hotmail.com

"Debbie" Sharpie, Acrylic, Enamel on 15"x20" on Illustration Board

Custom Sharpie Mac & Laptop Decals NOW AVAILABLE

Now that the Holidays are here it's time to announce some new products-  1st of which is going to be Custom Vinyl Decals for Laptops, Macs, Mac Books... even iPhones, iPads or other mobile devices. The initial batch of these is going to be hand done, 1 of a kind genuine pieces of Sharpie Art on matte white vinyl done to order- starting at $100 (laptops). Personalizations, and airbrushing area available at an additional cost.

If you are interested, email me with the dimensions of your device and any other details you may want included. Shipping is determined by location. This is a LIMITED run of one of my most requested items- every single one of these is going to be different. Now is your chance to have a very cool piece of art for your mobile device that is also removable. Makes a great Christmas gift!

Email - Cruizin4Customs@Hotmail.com

Thanks for looking!

Sharpie Art Portrait

A couple weeks ago I was asked by a good friend and customer of mine to do a Sharpie piece in the style of my "Sharpie Thoughts" piece using a portrait of his daughter. It was a great idea and was intended as a birthday gift for her. Initially I set out to do a sketch of the idea before I went full on with ink... but i decided to put some ink into my initial layout anyways so that he could see how the original would potentially look. What was tricky about getting the ink down on this one was that because of the small scale I was working in, I did most of this inking with a 0.3 mm Sharpie pen- which leaves pretty much zero error for mistakes or wobbles. But it came out great! I was a little surprised at how sharp the initial 'sketch' had come out, so I sent it off to the customer for approval. He said if I could finish it out then to just go for it! So the last step was to try and get some airbrush detail in like I have been with recent pieces. I veeeeery carefully airbrushed drop shadows below every single curly-Q, dot, and arrow. In a addition I did a little shading in the portrait to bring all the tones together, but without getting too carried away. Tucked neatly into the artwork it says "Kira, Sweet 16". As with always, this is 100% free hand- no templates, stencils or tape was used. This was a great idea and a lot of fun to do. Ended up being a little abstract, a little decco, but very cool.What a great gift from a father to his daughter  :)

I would love to be doing more of these type of illustrations- so if you're interested feel free to send me an email-  Cruizin4Customs@hotmail.com

"Kira"  Sharpie and Acyclic on 13"x15" marker paper

© Chris Dunlop "Pinstripe Chris" 2012

Random Sharpie Piece on Grey Illustration Board

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

So I'm sitting here on Thanksgiving on the computer already and thought I might as well put up a couple updates to the site and blog. Today's random piece was done on grey illustration board that I bought the other night not totally sure where I would go with it. At the time when I was inking it my head was full of lots and lots of thoughts and ideas (as there is a lot going on right now), and the artwork will usually come out in the form of how I'm thinking- so this one ended up being made up of a lot more fine lines/components. As a result it feels more mechanically detailed then some of the other pieces I've done recently. Even as busy as it is, I still wanted to get a little airbrushing in there to help it take some more shape- so a little bit of acrylic black and white were added to finish it out. I think this one is really interesting to look at from the surrounding 'waves', to the clean curved shapes- definitely something different.

Thanks for looking!

2 NEW Sharpie Art Pieces to start a NEW Series

Since my original travel arrangements have quite gotten sorted out, I've had a lot of time to really put some ideas down on paper, illustration board, shirts... with a variety of ideas that I've wanted to try. These 2 pieces however, are indicative of a serious change of direction with the Sharpie Art I do. The high contrast of the Black & White pieces work especially well on large scales- but I think the smaller illustrations should be different then it's big brother. Not entirely, but noticeably. And since Im gearing towards a lot more illustration and print work, I really wanted to start pushing the boundaries of the art and try to make a bigger visual impact.

Up 1st is my new personal favorite- "Surreal Chess" on 23"x14" paper. This piece started out as a sketched idea from the night beforethat I knew I wanted to try, but wasn't totally sure how it would come out. So the next day I grabbed a fresh sheet of paper and drew out what I imagined in the perspective I imagined. 90% of this piece is done with Sharpies (fine, ultra fine, king size), but it's the 10% done with very transparent Acrylics through the Iwata Airbrush that bring everything to life. The only 2 colors of any product used on this were black and white. I intended this to be a test piece, but I was so happy to be able to complete it without destroying it. Big time artists that do perspective, lighting, and shadowing flawlessly really amaze me, and I hope to get to that level one day.

The 2nd is also my 2nd favorite- "Sharpie Illusions" on 16"x22" paper. This one is few days older then the 1st one, but the idea is similar- visual impact, but with simplicity in mind. It was also intended to be a test piece of an idea, but ended up being very clean. I set out to practice perspective and shadows, and how they can effect even a basic design. Again this is about 90% Sharpie, but the 10% of airbrushing really makes it. I was very careful with perspective on this one and even went as far as to paint in where the paper is distorted and ripped from entry. To me it's really neat. I could have gone further, but I thought I'd save that for the next one.

As a result of some of these ideas working out, I've decided to do a series of these called "Sharpie Illusions". They will have their own page on the Sharpie portion of PinstripeChris.com and will be available as prints and originals.

Thanks for looking!

©Chris Dunlop "Pinstripe Chris" 2012

Sharpie Lettering "Jacob" PLUS a How To

Yesterday I evening I had a little extra time to pass so I grabbed a fresh sheet of 18"x24" drawing paper and started on a fresh piece. Anytime I'm uncertain of what the outcome will be, or if it's not a final piece, I'll usually do it on drawing paper since it's not as serious a loss as canvas, illustration board, or marker paper would be. So I set out to write the name "Jacob":

With my fresh sheet of paper tapped down to my desk to keep from shifting while working, I grabbed my trusty Sharpie Pro Fine Tip (4) and drew out the letters and how I wanted them to interact paying close attention to line clearances, line weights, and and black and white balance. With the basic lines down, I went heavier with black in areas to achieve the perspective I wanted. At this stage I only have the name outlined- none of the other black arrows or daggers that protrude outwards exist yet.

The next step is the red, so I grabbed my Copic Cadmium Red (5) to add the outline around the outsides of all the letters while again being slightly heavier in the direction of the perspective I'm working towards. I know right here people would be asking 'Why didn't you use a red Sharpie?'. In this case, brands like Copic and Prismacolor offer markers with incredible tone control- so I can build up to a nice bright red and even darken it in some areas with the same marker. This can be done with a red Sharpie as well as long as that shade of red is what you are looking for.

Next is to go back to the Sharpie Pro Fine Tip (4) and start working shapes into the remaining areas of white inside the letters- this will help balance the white and black a bit. While doing this, I also took some of the black outside the letters just to be more interesting overall. Again, that will help with the color balance.

The next thing I did was use the Sharpie .3 Pen (6) and sharpen all the corners and tips that way I want.

Now I can see how much room I have around the letters... so I decided to grab a low pressure Paint Sprayer (1) and fill it with a mix of Basics Acrylic Black (2) and water to dilute it to my liking. It ends up being mostly water since I want the black to be pretty week. Outside the paper is masked off to keep overspray from getting on the desk. The result of a couple passes around the edges is a nice course gravely effect.

With that dry I used a White Sable Brush (8) with the same acrylic black mix from the spray and start painting in spider cracks. At first they dry grey, which is good because you dont want them too strong at first. Slowly I'll add a little more black paint to the mix and work the lines until the darkest parts are concentrated towards the outer edges, while the lighter grey is closer to the letters. This helps keep the center of focus on the letters, but still allows for a little detail around the edges making the drawing feel more complete.

Now that the border is done, time for some airbrushing with my trusty Iwata Eclipse (7) which has been converted from a .5mm nozzle to a .35 mm. I'll make up a mix of Craftsman Acrylic Black (3) and water until I get the transparency of grey I'm looking for- again basically mostly water with a little black in it. I used a different brand of black from the earlier step because the Craftsman brand is a little thinner and goes through the airbrush easier then the diluted version of Basics I think. It'll take a couple passes over the shadowed and shaded area to get the tone I want but thats ok- I'd rather build up the tone slowly with a weaker mix of transparent black then out too much down too quickly and ruin the whole effect. The shadows themselves also have to placed correctly in order for certain effects to really work- in which case light source and perspective come into play. But done with care, shading and shadows have a big impact in the final piece.

The result is something wickedly cool and totally unique. From start to finish this piece took about 1 1/2 hours to complete including dry time in between acrylics, and everything was done completely freehand.

Thanks for looking!

Sharpie Car done LIVE at CBad Cars & StumbleFoot Brewery

Yesterday I was invited to an event that was 2 events in 1 to do some live artwork on a car-  CBad Cars (which is an early morning gathering of cars in Carlsbad, Ca from 7am- 9am), and Stumblefoot Brewery (which a number of people from the 1st event also go to the 2nd to hang at the brewery). So I got up super early to drive down to San Diego County and be on time. There were already plenty of cars there, a lot of which were show cars from SEMA 2012. I met the owner of the truck there for the 1st time and he was super open to what I was wanting to do and just let me go at it. There I got to meet lots of cool people and show them what I was doing as well as talk about my artwork. Its always so much fun to do these types of jobs at shows where people can physically see it happen. LOTS of photos being taken too. After a short while it was time to relocate to our next destination- the brewery. We got set up there and I continued to draw until the point I realized most everyone had left. I was having too much fun and didn't really see that happening around me. So I finished off the 'island' I was working on, and that was that! This particular piece was done just for the shows, and it worked out terrifically. I've been getting more requests lately to travel around and do these live at events-  and I'm always up for it! As always, this was a total blast and I can't wait for the next one!

Special thanks to Michael J Macare for organizing the events, and Victor Lopez Jr for bringing his truck!

Sharpie Speed piece with Airbrushing

                                         30"x15"

Last night I decided I want to just put something down on paper- no specific idea to try- just wanted to hammer something out. I did want to do it quickly to see where I could be at in what kind of time tho. So I grabbed a Sharpie and got all the ink down on this piece fairly quick- about an hour. It doesn't have the pazzaz that some of the more detailed pieces has, but it's still very clean, and very straight, and very sharp. As with pinstriping and same areas of airbrushing, the faster you move, the sharper and smoother your lines. The trick being that you need think as quick as you draw to put our lines down where you want. This piece is a good example of that. I hung this one on the wall with the rest of the random pieces I have earlier in the day... but when I got home I saw it and thought that I could make it better. Typically once I've got completed photos of something, I feel pretty comfortable making additions to see where it goes. In this case, I picked up the airbrush and filled it with a very weak mix of acyclic black. From there I carefully went around and shaded a few things while shadowing others. When I was done with that I felt the piece was much more complete and interesting. It's funny how much little things can make a difference. Well Im totally happy with this piece now-  back on the wall it goes!

The Sharpie Helmet

                                         ^^ All of these were taken BEFORE clear coat^^

                                          ^^ Here it is in the booth getting cleared by me  :)

                                          ^^The original helmet

Yesterday afternoon I was handed a brand new Simpson Racing helmet that belongs to one of the customers at Cw Restorations... and it was white. With the owner only asking me to incorporate a few details- he said the rest was up to me. So naturally, I say Sharpie! A little diss assembly and prep later and I was layin' some ink down. The helmet was a really interesting shape to draw on-  constant curve. First it was one of those fun new challenges, then it was the catalyst for the flow and shape of things. A little bit last night, and a little bit this morning and the ink was done. I incorporated the owners name (Mike Wong), shop name (CW), car name (Cam-Manche), and my name/site (C. Dunlop/www.pinstripechris.com)-  I got everything in there and in a way that isn't too distracting I think. Next step was to run over to the shop and get it the rest of the way ready for clear, and clear it. A short while later and it was SHINEY. I'm still having debates with people about the effects of clear coat on Sharpie... but that's alright. Here's another example of the possibilities. I'll post finished photos soon!

High Quality Canvas Prints of Sharpie Cars, Sharpie art, and more are coming to the website!!

Since I had this past week off from the shop I've been able to do many of things needed to be done during normal business hours. One of which was visit a company that would potentially be in charge of the prints I'll be selling on my website www.PinstripeChris.com. The company's name is Maxwell Dickson, and they're a print company based out of LA completely run by artists- so they make their own art as well as print it. They specialize in VERY high quality prints on canvas. The folks there were incredibly nice and answered all my questions- I can tell they're going to be a great company to work with. As part of the visit, they printed me a 24"x16" of the Sharpie Camaro-  and it looks fantastic! Soon I'll finish up adding all the buttons to the site necessary to purchase prints of various sizes of everything from Sharpie Cars, to Sharpie Art on board, to Renderings- right from the image you're viewing. Since the cars I do go Bye Bye once I'm done, I really have no way of doing anything else with the artwork after that. And since I've gotten to work with some awesome photographers, the photos themselves are excellent. Now that I'm selling originals on illustration board, it also seemed smart to be producing prints of those as well. I'm super excited to get this rolling!

3 NEW and unique pieces of Sharpie ART

                                          ^14"x14"

                                          ^20"x30"

     

                                          ^18"x24"

I really love the artwork that I create-  especially the Sharpie Art. From one project to the next the ideas and limitations change and progress into a newer version of itself. Lately I've looking at the artwork from a different point of view-  how can I keep it moving forward? What I'm basically looking to do is pump more creativity into my ideas to make them more effective- using other tools I have. These 3 pieces are examples of that. The addition of some light shading in places to show more shape, as well as drop shadows done with acrylic washes to help show more depth. Line weights are also something I'm putting more thought into- how distances can be easier read by variations in line weight. The really tangled looking piece (bottom) was my 1st go at being a little more strategic. The roller coaster looking piece (middle) was my more thought out version of the overall idea of depth and shape, while adding a couple elements in from other pieces of my Sharpie art. I carefully made tried to treat each element with a certain perspective and light source. I also tried to make sure that no element appeared 'flat'. On the 3rd piece (top), I toyed with the idea of selective focus. The goal being to see what it would look like if the closer shapes were sharper then the far away ones- would it create any depth? Seeing how it was my 1st attempt at mixing airbrush and Sharpie in this manor, I think it could be better and ultimately, more effective. But- this is still really neat. I also crashed one of the rails thru another to see what that would look like. All done free hand with sharpies, pencils, and acrylics via airbrush and paint brush- no digital tricks were used to make or distort any shapes.

Fun with Sharpie & Perspective

With my week 'off' I've really been able to catch up with some of my ideas and finally put some down. Now that I've caught up a bit on sleep I can see which of my ideas make no sense at all and which are worth trying out. So today I tried a common twist of perspective on paper. I'll typically try something out on a small scale first before committing it to something full scale. So I got out some paper and drew out some of the basic lines of a design I would do, but with emphasis on certain areas. I also focused on trying to stay true to 1 perspective instead of a more random abstract set. The combination of the new techniques I'm working on and the sleep I've gotten really aided in producing these very quickly. With a bit more practice I feel like I can make the artwork have a better impact, but I say it's a good start.