Sharpie Cars & Art

I've done about a dozen Sharpie Art vehicles located all over the world (yes, artwork done by hand using Sharpie Markers) and countless other Sharpie Art pieces despite the opposition from the general art community early on- Never let anyone tell You what's Impossible, or what You can't Do.

www.PinstripeChris.com

Ah yes, The Sharpie Cadillac

Someone recently asked me what my 1st Cadillac ink art piece was, and as it turns out it's an actual Cadillac done with Sharpies. This was also the very 1st commissioned Sharpie job for me as well, and it was such a blast a great story. I got to fly to California for a week and do what I love, what's better then that?

Sharpie Art on Canvas Complete

 

As it turns out, I really like working with canvas- it has its pluses and minuses, challenges and what not, but in the end, after cars I think this my next choice. The added challenges also help keep it interesting which is a huge plus. This piece came out smooth and sharp and the artwork goes all the way around the corners- this is something someone can just put straight on a wall. There's still a bit of blank space left that I might do something crazy and experimental on... yesssssssss. But as far as blank space goes, I like the look of something that isn't just filled up. So lately I haven't been filling every square inch with sharpie. I think the method of NOT filling up the whole thing is more challenging then just filling empty space. Sometimes, yes, I like to full something up-  but not every single thing   :)

Sharpie (toy) Lamborghini Aventador For Sale on eBay

Now for sale at a local eBay near you- The Sharpie Toy Lamborghini! It's a great time of year to give so I present you with this super cool, customized toy starting at $0.99- no reserve. I'll be happy to see it go to a new home at any price  :)

This is a 1/18 Scale Lamborghini Aventador made by Barango that has hand drawn Sharpie art from end to end

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sharpie-Toy-Lamborghini-ART-CAR-Burango-Aventador-1-18-Custom-MINT-/300837538029?pt=Action_Figures_Diecast_US&hash=item460b5088ed

Happy Holidays!

Some rare never before seen Sharpie Car Photos

 The Sharpie Camaro-  This was taken the night the car was finished, but the night before the photographer came out and took the awesome photos.

 The Sharpie Fiero- Not many know that there's a Giger style skull piece on the trunk of the Sharpie Fiero. This photo was taken very early on before the area was finished.

 The Sharpie Harley Davidson-  Cleaning up the original photos I took of this one is long overdue, but I'm finally makin' some progress!

 The Sharpie Mustang- This was one of many many shots I took of the roof during Phase 1 of this job.

 The Pro Street Camaro-  I have very very few completed pictures of this car since it was assembled after I moved, but I took this one while I was traveling to the area to do Phase 2 of the Sharpie Mustang.

As it turns out I have a whooooole archive of never before seen pictures of some of the Sharpie Cars- some in process, and some finished. Typically I like to hire a professional to do the final pics and they always come out fantastic- but throughout the process I take a bazillion pictures. Now that Im keeping the site in order regularly, updating the Facebook page constantly, and adding pics to Pinterest, I've been getting my practice in with photo editing. And what better to practice with then some old photos- So here's a peak at what's to come!

Another NEW Sharpie Art Piece (WIP)- bigger is better!!

Yesterday I was out at the art store and decided to pick up the largest, smoothest piece of illustration board they had in White- it was 32"x40". It's a bit larger then the desk I usually use so some modification were necessary. But, I managed to get setup and inking pretty much right away. I decided I wanted to make this one like the last one I did ("Sharpie Labyrinth") in that it was really well detailed using a number of different tip sizes depending on what I was trying to achieve. This piece will likely end up being cut into 3 tall sections (triptych) when it's done. My lady took this pic just before I stopped for the evening to have dinner with her... so here's where I'm at after a couple hours.I'll get back on it and done in the next couple evenings so I can have it ready for this weekends art show.

Thanks for looking!

www.PinstripeChris.com

NEW Sharpie Art Piece "Sharpie Labyrinth"

A couple evenings ago I decided to try out a new piece of 15"x20" Marker Illustration Board to see what it could handle. To my delight and surprise, it handled everything that I wanted it to very very well- no bleeding of edges, the white was very clean and smooth, and the board was nice and firm. Just fantastic. I wish I had gotten a larger piece actually. In doing this piece I also decided I wanted to try and do a more 'traditional' sharpie piece- something without airbrushing or acrylics. As a result I found myself spending more time on detail to help make the piece more interesting and really bring it to life. Somehow, it still has a little feeling of depth. I'm very very happy with the way it came out and can't wait to get more!

This original piece is now available for only $100:
www.PinstripeChris.com/Sharpie-Art-Alt

To see more Sharpie art on Cars & Canvas, please check out my website:
www.PinstripeChris.com


Thanks for looking!

Sharpie Art PRINTS have arrived!!!!

It was a late night, but FINALLY, the store page of the main site is up and running. It's a little simple right now since new site templates won't be available for another few weeks, but I figured it was important to get it going. SO... now when you go to the main site www.PinstripeChris.com one of the buttons is the Store- check out out and buy some prints! Right now I'm offering 8.5"x11" Prints for $20 plus $2 shipping- all you do is find the print you like, hit the "Buy it Now" PayPal button and you are on your way! Originals of the Illustrations and Illusions are also available!

Makes a great Christmas Gift

Thanks for Looking!

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!

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!

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.

Sharpie (toy) Lamborghini!

UPDATE: This toy Lambo is for sale on eBay! Starting at $0.99 with no reserve, Check it out:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sharpie-Toy-Lamborghini-ART-CAR-Burango-Aventador-1-18-Custom-MINT-/300837538029?pt=Action_Figures_Diecast_US&hash=item460b5088ed

Well it's been a long time, so here's something I did for fun. Sharpie recently sent me a package full of lots and lots of markers. Included in this box was a 1/18 scale model of a Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4. Very generous gift, so I thought what better then to Sharpie it. It actually turned out to be quite challenging- The surface area was so small and I wanted to try and get in as much as possible. It got easier as I went along though. And as I was working on it I was seeing how the scale of the artwork as well as the design and shape could have a major impact on the finished product. I didn't really see it until I was about half way through, but it at least made me consider a few things. I really like doing the highly detailed and dense artwork- but maybe I need to put more focus and emphasis on the overall shape and flow. The original Sharpie Lamborghini did this wonderfully. Now it's time for me to take my artwork a little further. Looking at this scale model helped me to see the entire thing at once rather then being hunched over an area for hours at a time But back to the mini Lambo! I got the artwork done in under 2 hours- I even went as far as to take a white Sharpie Paint marker and pinstripe the rims. It may not seem like it, but it made a huge difference. Next I got to practice using the manual features on the digital camera. Since the object I was shooting was pretty small, the auto settings weren't cutting it. Just couldn't get it to focus correctly. I used some white and black illustration board as background and foreground for my make shift photo shoot. Some spiffy angles later, and some sharp focus and Voilà- we have cool photos! I definitely want to be doing some more of these in the future- it's great practice and a lot of fun!

The Sharpie Camaro hits 100,000 views on YouTube!!!

As of Friday, June 22, 2012, the Sharpie Camaro video on YouTube hit over 100,000 views! I completed this car last October for a customer who drove his car to me from Arkansas to have his 2010 Camaro sharpied. Since it's completion, it has been featured on many sites such as:

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2011/10/artist-stretches-the-limits-of-a-sharpie-marker-on-a-chevrolet-camaro/

http://www.lsxtv.com/news/behind-the-marker-sharpie-camaro-artist-talks-about-the-project/

http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2011/10/17/A-Chevy-Worth-Sniffing-The-Camaro-Sharpie-Car-7705295/

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/17/artist-createst-indelible-camaro-graphics-with-sharpie-markers/

http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sharpie-camaro

http://www.motorcitymusclecars.com/auto-news-2/artist-chris-dunlops-sharpie-camaro/

http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2011/10/19/Top-5-Sharpie-Cars-7705302/

http://www.camaro5.com/camaro-with-one-of-a-kind-sharpie-drawn-stripes

As well as maaaaaany others. I've been so fortunate to have anyone take an interest in what I'm doing, as well as having many great customers. This particular Camaro is #4 of 6 cars I've Sharpied since my start in the sharpie world just 2 years ago.

Thanks to everyone for their support and interest in my artwork- I'm always looking out for and forward to the next Sharpie job!

And thanks again to the shop owner Racecar Robbie, and the photographer Beverly Gail Jensen

The Sharpie Camaro SS

The Sharpie Mustang was finished and delivered just in time to receive the next sharpie car- this 2012 Camaro SS. The customer has a lot of great ideas and we spent a great deal of time talking our way through them all. Initially I was going to be doing SS style stripes on the front and back, but I felt like 1 wide stripe would be just a little bit different from that as well as give enough surface area to get some nice artwork in. This one is going to be different then the other Sharpie Cars in a couple ways... one of which being that I wont be posting the step-by-steps on the blog until the job is completely done. Not that I mind sharing, but after having done a number of these I've found that the reaction from the customer upon delivery isn't as exciting because they've already seen so many pics of it. I like to keep them as involved as possible, but we're going to try something a little bit different on this one. I've got lots of info and pics to work from so I'll surprise until the end. I'll be back in a few days!

The Sharpie Mustang Part 13 FINISHED!!!

After the clear coat was finished, the next step was to wet sand & buff. After that was done the next step was to clean the car very nicely for some photos. Friday was d-day as well as photograph day. The photographers name is Bethany Eteeyan- she is an awesome artist when it comes to just about about anything. She does incredible drawings and is always ready to learn something new. As it turns out, she's also really great at taking photos. So we rolled the Mustang over to an empty lot where she took lots and lots of pictures. I'd post them all if I could... but time... there is so little of. Hopefully Bethany will have her site all the way up and running so I can share some more of her work with the world.

So the Mustang is finished! Now I'm on to the other Sharpie Car...