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 

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

It's been quite a productive week (by eliminating distractions)

It's kind of funny- last night when I was talking to my wife about how much I had got done last week I started to feel bad about how selfish I had been with my time; that I had spent all the sun up time (and some some down) working on artwork & paintings instead of putting nearly as much effort in to some correspondences and communications. I love talking with people about artwork and cars and artwork technique, but this week I just focused on having a bit of 'me time' for artwork which I really haven't had in a while. While I was thinking about the week I at first thought of it as selfish, then I started to feel like, "no wait, this is just a display of my work ethic and passion for what I do". I should ALWAYS want to be having this much fun and making new pieces! I should also want to spend time doing the other side of business things or at least admit that I need to hire some help to keep the gears moving while I'm producing artwork. This week was unique in that I started and finished 9 new paintings- NINE!! Most days that was 2 a day, which is jammin'. Interestingly I had got my oil paints out at the beginning of the week and then just never put them away. It is funny how the slowest paints have helped me produce the fastest artwork. And sure, not every piece is amazing, but the process of creating is sometimes more important then the end result. If I could just sling paint messes about every day I fairly confident that would bring me joy, however, I think my social media audience expects just a little more of me. So I've been working on a happy medium- a mix of messy but legible artwork which has been a unique challenge. I've spent years refining what I consider to be a clean art style, so this want to create messes is different. While I've always enjoyed graffiti and many artists I follow that do do beautiful messes, I recognized my happy spot. But now I think that happy spot was a great way to learn a lot of fundamentals that can now be bent and twisted to suit the mood for that particular piece. I've also spent the last several years working on speed and technique mostly on paper which has given me a little edge on canvas. But perhaps the most important thing that allowed me to be productive this week was (almost) a total lack of distractions. We got a puppy for Christmas and she certainly needs plenty of attention thru the day, but, not nearly as much as responding to comments, emails, messages as soon as they are coming in; a habit I'm very familiar with. Yes, those are the things that keep the gears of business rolling, but if my business is art I also need to be creating art, but in an authentic, organic way (not just because its what Im supposed to be doing). There's a time to handle the communications, or at least there needs to be time set aside for them, but when I answer everything in real time I am constantly disconnecting myself from my artwork, and that's not cool. There's still a balance there that I need to work on, but all part of the journey. One last big factor is that I didn't schedule in any commissions for this particular week which kept me 100% focused on what I wanted to create without limitations. Yes I do some commissions, but most of what I do is non commissioned, actually. And while they can be great, too many may take you of course of your goals or eat up more of your creative time then you think, which is why I don't schedule myself full of commissions.

Well I decided today was going to be a non-art day so I could prove to myself Im not a robot. Going to wash the car and cruise the coast with my wife- have a good one!

"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

NEW Painting: Martini Porsche

Today started with a Martini... Porsche. Shaken, not stirred. As I'm mixing up mediums and getting new artwork out I've been alternating between hot rods, race cars, and exotics- today I wanted to get in to a vintage race car with a popular livery. I of course wanted to approach the artwork from a fresh perspective and work the color dynamics in my preferred way.

This Original Painting is available:
Acrylics on 12"x24" Stretched Canvas available at http://www.pinstripechris.com/martiniporscheoriginal

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

Custom 65 Mustang Fastback/Racecar for Mustang Monday

For Mustang Monday here's the rendered version of the 65 Fastback/Racecar that I sketched yesterday- I had a lot of ideas for the color combination but am so glad I went with this one! This piece also gave me some space to try a combination of new techniques I've been working on and using them together- a great way to learn. This original is available, (Email me for details) and prints are coming soon

PinstripeChris@Hotmail.com
 

 #ford #mustang #fastback #racecar #musclecar #hotrod #carsketch #cardesign #chatpak #marker #airbrush #rendering #handdrawn

Planet Express Ship for my Weekend Travels

Happy Friday everyone! I'm getting on a plane today for some cross country travels which inspired this drawing. As a big cartoon fanatic I wondered "If I were to travel by any means of my choice, what would it be?" Planet Express Ship- Oh yes. Markers/Acrylics on Marker Paper.

www.PinstripeChris.com

Custom Nova Wagon Painting Finished!

Here's a clean shot of the finished Custom Nova Wagon Painting- this particular piece really gave me a lot of space to do artwork that I feel has visual impact. It's actually a build rendering that the customer gave me a bit of freedom on which allowed me to mix things together in a fresh way. Definitely looking forward to doing more pieces like this, and prints are coming soon! Acrylics/Gouache/Airbrush on 12"x24" Smoothed Gesso Board

www.PinstripeChris.com

TBT- 55 Bel Air Gasser Artwork

A little Throw Back Thursday action today- this 55 Bel Air/Gasser was a piece I did as painting using acrylics on gesso board rather then markers on paper. Changing the medium = changing the result, and sometimes you have to leave what you do in the 'norm' behind to get a fresh perspective. Prints available at http://www.PinstripeChris.com/Store

The 69 Camaro Rendering made it to it's New Home

The 1969 Camaro Rendering I did earlier this year arrived at it's new home today just in time for Christmas. My friend, the new owner, is quite animated as you may be able to tell from the photo collage she sent me. It's great to have friends like this- not only that love cool cars and fun artwork, but aren't ever afraid to be themselves   :)

Silver Leaf and Pinstripes on the new compressor

Last week the shop received a new compressor courtesy of Ingersoll Rand- it's a great gift but only available in a tan color. That had to go, so Jason and Ron painted it up this very sharp green pearl. My job was to add the CW Restoration logo using silver leaf, and pinstriping around it. I used a banner for measurement references and scale, then went on about the leafing process. The leaf was done before the final clear- and the stripes after that to keep everything clean. The logo came out great- no holidays in the silver leaf, and the lines came out sharp. On the day we were filming for Hot Rod Tv, I got a little bored and broke out the paint and brushes again to do a nice design on one side of the compressor. The design came out great and the colors all worked great together. I think this was the 1st time the guys I work with have really seen me do something that I actually do. I hope they liked it!