What We Do!

We will start by creating a mental layout of how they want their picture to go.

One needs to know where specific details will go (such as planets, trees, mountains, stars, haze, water, etc.) in order to layer the colors appropriately and in the right places.

The process is almost like paint backwards; We must lay the paint for the painting's foreground objects first.

The techniques is a series of well placed layers and textures, predetermined blocking and masking using the lids, bowls and recycled objects.

They can also add ambient effects by using a painter’s spatula, a window scraper and a straight edge.

Sometimes the best tool is to simply use one’s fingers.

This process takes time and practice, but, like any learned art form, can become second nature to the artist.

Which tools do we use!

• Spray paint

• Oil painter's palette knife. Each artist choosing from a variety of shapes and sizes.

• Glossy magazine pages - used to remove paint in a random fashion from the canvas creating texture.

• Bowls, buckets, lids, cans or other circular objects - used as stencils for creating planets by covering a texture from paint which is applied afterwards to form a background.

• Respirator - rated for organic vapors to prevent inhalation of toxic fumes. Paper masks similar to those worn by surgeons are not sufficient and provide very little, if any, protection to the user against the many harmful chemicals in aerosol propelled paint.

• Paper towels, (sea) sponges, plastic grocery bags, straight-edge, inside-out tube socks and countless other items can be utilized to manipulate or apply the paint in a variety of ways to create different textures. Basically, any tools other than those associated with traditional oil painting (mainly brushes) are "acceptable" among puritans of this historically nontraditional medium.

For a good finish it is essential to prepare the surface well, sanding to provide a key and thoroughly degreasing with naptha (panel wipe).

Areas not to be painted should be masked, although for repair work it is important to avoid spraying a full coat right up to the masking tape, which will leave a hard line; it is better to fade the new paint into the existing paint, especially if the colour is a difficult one to match.

The flow of paint should be started or stopped on the masked area rather than over the area to be painted, as aerosols often discharge "blobs" of paint under these conditions. Coats should be built up lightly enough to avoid runs, but a "dry" finish must be avoided by spraying too thinly or from too far away. The optimum distance between the can and workpiece is around one foot (30 cm).

Most automotive paints will require a clear lacquer after the colour coat, normally 24 hours later.