Ferrari 275 GTB Pen Sketch + ramblings

Ahhh morning time again- time for coffee and to plan the day out a bit. Fortunately some of yesterday will make today a little easier content wise. Last night in IG I did a Live vid for about an hour where I went thru the process I use to sketch in ball point pen. Simultaneously while I'm drawing I'm reading the chat and trying to answer as many questions as I can which is a lot of fun and a great to way to really interact with folks. Admittedly I was initially going to draw a modified Chevy C10 (very out of character I know), but ultimately decided that since I end up keeping/hanging on to a lot of these sketches, it might as well be something I personally really enjoy. While yes of course I love C10's, so naturally I have pleeenty of drawings of them around. Enter the Ferrari 275 GTB. My list of all time favorite cars is mostly occupied with Ferrari's, and if you've read far enough back on this blog you'd have seen that I used to work on them exclusively. So to say they are special to me is an understatement. I am indeed a Porsche 911 enthusiast and owner, but nothing quite strikes me as deeply as Ferrari's and that has been the case for many many years.But I digress- back to the drawing. The live vids are some of my most favorite content to make, partly because it's so interactive and partly because I feel more space to actually be me. In a photo I post Im left to caption it in a way that gets people interested in what I'm doing, which is totally fine, but in order to keep it to the point I often have to leave a bit of 'me' out of it which is a bummer. In live vids it's just as much a chance for folks to see/hear the person behind the artwork as well. Plenty of people think that Im actually older (not that Im particularly young), or went to school for this, or my dad did it before me... all these things are easily addressed in videos. Sure, I could write out these answers, but the story telling element and connectivity isn't the same. Maybe it's surprising or maybe it isnt, but I love being in front of an audience. Probably a carry over from my days as a musician being on stage, but I always enjoyed a crowd and I never get nervous about it. In a lot of ways it creates an energy that you just cant synthesize. I think the general consensus is that artist's are more introverted and that may be true, Im just not one of them. I've had to learn how to be more introverted so that I can still be productive and happy working at home, but most days I would way rather be out in the world with people. Dont even care if their strangers. I can draw anywhere, so so long as I have a sketch pad and just a pen I can actually get a lot done. 

So if you've gotten to this point and you're like "Hey, are you going to talk about how you actually did this drawing?". Sure, I guess I could do that. If you're new here, welcome to my ramblings! I don't intended for these posts to be anything but me typing what I'm thinking and doing, and life isnt really a straight line. The moment I have to be more precise about what Im writing is the moment it stops being fun and let me tell you how much time im going to spend on something that I dont think is fun. But anyways, the Drawing:

We know it's a Ferrari 275 GTB, yes we've covered that. We know it's pen on paper, but there's a little more to unpack there. I use 2 pens to sketch with- a Pentel Fine black pen and a Bic Medium Black pen. Why? Each has a different tip size giving a little more overall range. Yes I can sketch and line weight with 1 and be fine, but if Im at my home studio Im going to use everything I have. In this case, Pentel for the initial sketch and Bic for the final lines and line weight adjustments. Everything is roughed out freehand and then tightened up a bit with Ships Curves, but there still has to be a lot of freehand to keep it balanced looking and not overly rigid. I say this in all my vids about the wheels: They really should be round. So if you're not good at free handing them, grab some ellipse tools and use them to get ultra precise shapes. Wheels being out of round is suuper distracting and even tho its just 1 detail, it diminishes the look of the entire drawing. From there, start to balance line weights allowing some bolder areas to grab attention while some thinner areas and transitions can show flow and shape with a lot more interest then simply using a 1.0 mm micron and making perfect, precise lines. Sure that can be done, it's not my jam.

I suppose I should also mention why I like to sketch in Pen as opposed to pencil. In short, pencil is messy and unattractive. Yep, it has an eraser. That's great. I dont draw with the intention of making mistakes (although of course I make them, a lot sometimes) so I prefer that a tool force me to be a bit more confident with my lines. I want to spend more time drawing, not erasing. And ultimately I like a nice bold sketch, and ink does that so so well. Plus I only need 1 tool to do everything at this stage, so I can take it anywhere and still be able to get work done. Of course there are times when I sketch in pencil- complex drawings that I know will need a lot of rework- but that doenst make it my preferred method. True of everything, use the tool for the job base don the scenario you're in, and adjust as needed. I have 1 of everything here at the studio, so if an approach isnt working I can change it up and try a different way so at least Im trying to make progress.

Well that's all for now- thank you if you made it this far and have a great day!

#ferrari #vintage #classic #italian #sportscar #v12 #bic #pentel #ink #sketch #sketchbook #drawing #howtodraw #carart #cardesign #creative #process 

The Traditionally Non-Traditional Hot Rod

 

I know what it looks like- "Hey arent you just using the same content from IG and FB here?". Technically yes, but also no. What I've learned from my years as an artist on social media is that I basically have to do the abbreviated version of everything on those platforms. Two sentences explaining why what I do should hold your attention is quite difficult, especially every day the way I do it. And pieces take hours and sometimes days, yet Im still to try to fit it all in to this minimalist typed space because well, people dont social media to read long posts. At least not on my posts, as I've found. So that brings be back to the beginning here- part of what I had loved about writing blog posts years ago here was that I could be as long format as I want, share photos, videos, links, prints, paintings... pretty much anything without feeling constrained. In fact, some of the best things I was writing 10+ years ago was right here, long before I joined the IG and FB. Ahhh it was a different time. A simpler time. In truth, I loove to write long posts over explaining things and sharing more of who I am comes with a lot more words. 

Maybe now I can finally get around to the actual post here- the artwork it self. This drawing is from 2016, and is one of my favorite pieces of content to share on social media almost purely because of the style. A loose sketch done using a Blue Erasable Prismacolor pencil followed by marker tones done using Chartpak markers, a little airbrushing courtesy of an Iwata with Golden Fluid Acrylic paints, and final details done using White Acrylic Paint for highlights. What I like about this drawing is that it is incredibly simple, but also thorough enough to show the hot rod idea I had at the time. And even being a 4 year old drawing, to me it still holds up. Some of my paintings from last year dont age as well as this has. But that's the simplicity of sketching- ideas dont have to be the full story, they are more suggestive. In fact, the more you leave to the imagination, the better (up to a point). When I'm drawing/painting, im often trying to figure out what to leave out, not how to add more in and just make noise. Simplify Simplify Simplify. That doesn't mean dont add details, that means add details where it matters. Sure, a more fully realized painting is going to have more details, and it should. But a concept sketch should leave some room to move forward with. Even here I probably got a little carried away and in truth I often do. At the very least if I start really simple it's much easier to ramp up then starting with so much detail that it's overwhelming to keep going and it can just feel like it's endless. 

Well that's my ramblings for the day on this one. Already super excited to rediscover there's a place on Ocean Avenue... oh wait that's a song. What I meant was there's a home for all my wordage that I never get to use anywhere else. Doesn't even matter if no one sees this, Im still glad to be able to do it anyways. Admittedly if more people did see it it does make it easier to keep at it, so there's that. Also if you made it this far and are even remotely interested in a signed and numbered print of this particular piece they are available right here: https://www.pinstripechris.com/store/Traditionally-NonTraditional-Hot-Rod-p90495235

Have a good one!

#carsketch #cardesign #drawing #sketching #hotrod #concept #sketch #rendering #hotrods #markerrendering #designstudio #creative #process #carart #industrialdesign 

Fresh Porsche Painting and a Fresh Perspective

As much as I'd like to make posts here a bit more frequently, I feel like I already struggle at times to manage the time I have involved in things I'm working on. That said, I'm happy to finally be sharing SOMETHING. Although I post almost everyday on IG (@pinstripe_chris) and FB (Chris Dunlop/Pinstripe Chris), posting here gives me the space to speak out loud about much more of what's going on and the process of doing things. On social media in general I get right to the point of my post- here I feel like I can open up a bit. So lets dive in to the why of this particular painting: Late Monday night I had been watching some videos on YouTube about other artists and their story (something I love to do and often inspires me)- a particular video resonated with me about how a particular artist was very aware of his 'bad paint days' (where artwork just does not come together) and rather then scrap the pieces he uses them as the story behind his day. One's mood can certainly effect artwork in many many ways- this artist chose to not use the bad days as self criticism, but rather evidence of what he was like that day. I had never thought about that before- I certainly have bad or off days where the artwork just does not meet my standards. Often times I will just smear the paint in worse just to end it, but not always. With that in mind, I had done a quick/rough paint comp of this Carrera RS piece that night with the aim of picking it up the next morning. The next morning my mood didn't match what I had started the night before. Rather then setting the piece aside, I decided to paint over what was already there (which served as a nice base) with a fresh look that I could connect with right then. The clean piece I had started with quickly become messy, energetic, and exciting. Admittedly I also enjoyed some good coffee in this process as well. This ended up being extremely cathartic for me, especially since I had spent the last month or so working on very clean illustrations for shops. It's tough to explain what it's like going from a clean to messy when the typical process is in reverse. I literally had to bury what I was comfortable with in order to create something authentic. When inspiration strikes, I grab anything and start drawing/painting on it. In the case of this piece I didnt have any canvas available so I grabbed a very used aluminum paint palette and worked straight over it. The result is a lot of spontaneous texture which I find interesting that the panel itself has its own story before it had artwork on it. There's a part of me that's apprehensive about sharing a more genuine/authentic side to what I really like to do- in this case, making a mess. I wonder if people who enjoy my clean artwork will be confused by my messier artwork. In a time when many creatives are focused on realism & detail, I would prefer to see the world thru a unique lens. I like the power of brush strokes and textures that life isn't likely to create. Does it seem like a step backwards? Maybe to some, but to me it's more me then I've been in a long time.

-Chris Dunlop / Pinstripe Chris

I bought a Porsche 996 and now I seem to be doing a lot of Porsche Artwork

I bought a Porsche... whaaaaat? No seriously, yes I did. And lately that's inspired an unusual increase in German car art. I'll get in to the story of my particular car in a separate post, but I can say even from my point of view it's sort of odd that I got one. I'm very much a hot rod/classic car person, and when it comes to luxury/exotics I'm very much a Ferrari person. I certainly don't like ALL Porsche's, but there are a few generations that have my attention for clean, classic design paired with surprising performance. Last night while looking at some fellow enthusiast's cars on the Facebook I happened across a couple shots of a 996 Turbo and decided I had to do a nice dramatic painting. Like NOW. So I black gesso'd a piece of illustration board so I could start with a dark base, then transferred a sketch/outline using a white chalk technique. Initially I was going to use Oil paints, but once I got lines transferred I decided I was going to dust off the ole' airbrush and use some of my favorite paints: Holbein Acryla Gouache. These are basically Gouache paints that will dry permanent like an acrylic (instead of being able to re-wet with water). They also dry in a nice rich matte sheen which is super clean. All the airbrush is done freehand (no masking or stenciling) followed by final details & highlights done using paint brushes and the same paints. I'm a big fan of illustrating/painting in this dramatic/dark studio lighting type of fashion, and I always light my pieces from scratch (no photo reference) and I've recently been informed that that is quite an odd thing to do. For me I feel like I understand lighting & toning well enough to create shape & light interaction from scratch without an image to work from- this gives me the flexibility to highlight what and how I want without being limited to source material. I had an absolute blast working on this painting, next step is to varnish then have it off the framers to get properly completed.

The finished framed original artwork is available, please email us if you are interested: PinstripeChris@hotmail.com

"Bot-Rods": A New Addition to the Art Line Up

Well hello, blog friends! Let me start by saying I know it's been a while since the last post, but there was indeed a good reason for it; it seems for the last 4 months any attempt to create a post with photos didn't seem to work. I have no idea why, despite doing research on the issue, and then all the sudden it works. That's cool, I'll take it!

Alright, to the purpose of today's post:

Although we have a lot of catching up to do from... February?? Seriously! I'd like to start with something recent and fun. I've been starting to include my robot character artwork in to more artwork this past year and in the past few weeks had experimented with a new approach to that inclusion. Where previously I had been doing the Robot Artwork as it's own thing using a separate color palette, tools, and styles, recently I decided to re-approach it from my traditional illustration format using the tools, techniques & style that I am most familiar and comfortable. To my surprise, it went quite well! I mean, I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, but it felt like a refreshing way to combine the way I do illustrative car renderings with the Robot artwork that I enjoy so much. And so a traditional mix of Markers, Inks, Acrylics, and Airbrushing make up the examples shown here- some of my most favorite tools. The result of using the more familiar techniques allows me to get my concepts down quicker and cleaner as well as appease both my Hot Rod loving fans an
d my want to cross over in to the more 'story telling' side of things (which I generally feel is stronger with a character). This crossover lets me explore both the Car Design side of things in a traditional way, as well as add some flair to the artwork in a story telling way. I've got lots more to learn and explore in this method to really find a strong effective balance, but I look forward to sharing lots more "Bot-Rods"!

www.PinstripeChris.com

#hotrod #botrod #robot #scifi #artwork #pinstripechris #chrisdunlop

A Mopar piece from the Early Days for Mopar Monday

For Mopar Monday here's a 69 Charger piece from the very early days of doing artwork full time. This piece was done completely freehand using Sharpies, pens, and markers- no rulers, curves or ellipses were used for any of the lines; Good Times! One of my best memories of the early days of doing this type of artwork was my lack of ability to afford the cool tools that would no doubt make for a cleaner, sharper, end result- but I rose to the challenge by using pinstriping techniques I had previously spent many years learning and it seemed to work. I used those techniques (and still do) for more pieces then I can count. Now a days if im after perfection I will likely grab the appropriate tools- the difference is often what im looking for in an end result. For example if im doing a build rendering, im going to want more accuracy. However if Im doing a more stylized piece of artwork I will do what feels the most stylistic which rarely involves many tools at all.

 We are currently doing a small print run of these, check them out at: www.pinstripechris.com/store

Big Changes as a New Art Direction Takes Hold

I see it has been way too long since the previous post so I thought I'd start by talking about the latest in the studio happenings here. 

For the past several weeks I have been working on nothing but paintings from watercolors, acrylics, digital paint, and large scale traditional and I love it! The subject is of course the same, but I had decided to let go of what was the norm and create the visuals in a different way. In letting go of what I would 'normally do' I quickly found it was a lot of fun (even tho Im making mistakes in order to learn) to start fresh. A traditional rendering type illustration very much gets the point across of a cleanly represented design- which is fantastic, but for me lacks a bit of energy (at least the way I was doing it). So leaving the cleanliness of a fine render behind I picked up large brushes and new mediums to create in a way unfamiliar at first; but only to feel very comfortable in creating something a bit chaotic. After having done just a few of these weeks ago I have been doing it non-stop and I can honestly say it feels quite liberating to cut loose and make a mess. The theme is still there and hopefully the drawing accuracy is as well- but the concept is more driven towards an artistic approach rather then a technical approach. 

The piece above is a painting I worked on last week to really open up to some size options and get comfortable in that realm. Working on a 30"x60" piece meant changing paint consistency's, sketching larger, bigger brushes, and ultimately a piece with a greater presence.

This particular painting is going to be Framed and will be Available for purchase- Please email us for details:   PinstripeChris@Hotmail.com

NEW Prints: the "Technicolor 500"

Brand new prints of the "Techniclor-500" painting are rolling off the machine today- we're offering them in 3 sizes to offer some flexibility on a luster paper that really brings out the color. All are signed & numbered, check them out at:

 http://www.PinstripeChris.com/Technicolor500

_____________________________________________________
 
#indy #indycar #indianapolis #indy500 #racecar #racing #color #acrylic #contemporary #design #art #v12 #futurism #comic #comicbook #graphicnovel #robot  

NEW Lamborghini Framed Original Art

Just got back from picking up 7 of my original piece from the framers and couldn't be happier with how they came out! All of them will available including this Lamborghini Murcielago which measures 27.5"x18"x.75" matted, wooden framed, ready to hang. This one here is $300 and no prints will be made, Email me for details before they are listed on the site! 

PinstripeChris@Hotmail.com

Thanks!
______________________________________________________________________

#lamborghini #lambo #Murcielago #v12 #exotic #supercar #italian #luxury #millionaire #performance #carsketch #cardesign #automotive #illustration #original #design #art  

Post Apocalyptic 67 Mustang Fastback to kick off the week

For Mustang Monday brushing up on my graphic novel style for some up coming artwork- 67 Mustang Fastback with a post apocalyptic feel. It's such a great feeling to be back in the studio after taking a solid week off for our honeymoon and diving straight back in to energetic artwork. The time off gave me a lot of space to think about how I would like to approach some new artwork as well as some new avenues I would like to spend some time on.

The moral of the story here is: Personal time for reflection may feel like it's difficult to actually make time for and hard to feel good about (since you are physically stepping away from your daily norm) but ultimately can be very clarifying and help you redirect focus.

 This Original illustration is available- please Email me for details:
PinstripeChris@Hotmail.com

New Art for Ferrari Friday, and a Fresh outlook on Analog Art

For Ferrari Friday signing brand new prints of the F458 Italia Design as they are rolling off the machine. We're running just 25 of these 8.5"x11" giclee's on heavy weight matte paper, they are $20/each- check them out at http://www.PinstripeChris.com/Store  or Email me for details:
PinstripeChris@Hotmail.com

Also, I'd like to take a minute to expand on the slight change of recent artwork direction:

I could go on and on about how the digital art platform has raised the standards for many types of artwork, but I also think its created a bit of a disconnect with the viewer and the creator. That got me thinking about the types of "Analog" artwork I enjoy and would feel more of a connection with personally- the answer for me was more designerly artwork that emphasized almost an entire process of a single piece into 1 piece. Bu that I mean working the actual sketch out (not tracing), refining part of that sketch with line weights, rendering part of that refinement, then detailing just a part of that refinement. The end result is a window into my process that shows the layers in the most honest way from the roughest sketch parts to the refined parts. This, I think, gives a really great connection from creator to viewer without the feeling that something was mislead, post edited, digitally manipulated- This is RAW Analog art it's purest while maintaining my passion for the cars and designs I've always enjoyed.  Well enough for now, but stay tuned for lots more as I've been working on this series a couple weeks now and have lots more planned!

Kustom 49 Ford Shoe Box & Ferrari F40 Original Art

It's been an awesome week this past week as my wife and I have been having profound conversations about some direction changes with artwork and our business as a whole. All good things, I promise- a lot of reflecting (which I highly recommend making time for). The really great thing about looking back at times is how it can help you look forward- in this case some of our new ideas are based on refining older ones. But I digress! Since we spent a lot of time talking about about art, I gave myself some space to create my own ideas every day this past week instead of what we had planned. The result was something in the neighborhood of 5 or 6 original pieces, 1 of which was a painting on canvas that I am really looking forward to sharing. Among the new artwork is the 2 drawings  above: the Kustom 49 Ford ShoeBox (done using pencils, ink, & gouache on 11x17 paper), and the Ferrari F40 Design Compilation (done using pencils & gouache on 11x17 paper)- both of which illustrate not only some of my favorite designs, but layouts and techniques I personally really enjoy. Out of all the artwork I made and shared this past week, these 2 are the only remaining available originals I have left- if you're interested in owning one of these original drawings please check them out at:

http://www.PinstripeChris.com/Store

Or Email me at:  PinstripeChris@Hotmail.com

Have a great weekend! 

NEW Prints! Starting with the Toyota Stout

We're beginning to list new Prints on the site starting with the Toyota Stout- Signed & Numbered 11x17 for $20 and comes with a Piston Sticker. Available at:

 http://www.PinstripeChris.com/Store

  #toyota #stout #pickup #truck #slammed #art #prints #paintmarker #cardesign #jdm #classictruck #minitruck #drawing  

Fresh Art- "Butterscotch Tux" 34 Roadster

Fresh off the page- "Butterscotch Tux" done using Markers/Airbrush/Acrylic & Pencil on marker paper. I had started out drawing a 34 Roadster and got all kinds of carried away- but in the right way. This original is available

www.PinstripeChris.com 

Kustom 52 Chevy Birthday Artwork

Today is my friend Lizzie's Birthday so I did an ink & paint marker on newsprint version of her 52 Chevy this morning as a gift. Happy Birthday Lizzie, hope you like it!

Inspiration? Anything Goes

Inspiration can come from anywhere- as a full time artist that never went to art school or had any formal training I look at things from my youth to keep a fresh perspective. The things you know you enjoyed as a kid can be a lot more relevant then you think as a grown up kid- you just have to turn that part of your brain off that thinks there are rules, and that they matter.

www.PinstripeChris.com

NEW Custom Nova Wagon Painting

Time flies when you're having fun- Started on this 2 door Nova Wagon painting yesterday and just about have it wrapped up. Down to some final outlines & highlights and it'll be complete. Definitely going to be doing more artwork like this

www.PinstripeChris.com 

#TBT Mustang Painting

For #TBT here's a painting I did in the long long ago- it was a gift for one of my brothers and he's a Mustang people.

www.PinstripeChris.com

NEW 1953 Ford F100 Prints Avaialble!

I've been on quite an F100 kick lately and as a result have another new print available:
1953 F100, Signed & Numbered Limited run of 150-  $20 (includes shipping)
This print and many other are available here:  http://www.PinstripeChris.com/Store

New 64 F100 Prints Available!

Brand NEW prints available! Check out http://www.PinstripeChris.com/Store for all the new goodies as well as a preview of some upcoming ones.

Custom 64 F100 Signed & Numbered 

Limited run of 150

$20 includes shipping