Whatever Happend to Custom Painting?

[RottenRodney]

Sure, you guys do it, but if you've been around long enough to have worked as a custom painter, say back in the '70s, you'll probably agree that these ain't the good ol' daze.

In recent years we've witnessed vinyl all but replace the nearly lost art of hand lettering. Sure, everyone's a striper now, but what about the rest of it? Is there any particular area in the U.S. where a real-deal airbrush artist can make a go of it? What about a sign painter who's mastered gold leaf, patina, etc.?

I've recently had the pleasure of meetin' and workin' with a guy that I now consider to be the best all-around custom painter I've ever beheld. His name is Ray Hill, and although he's well-established and busy at home in Sweden, he's wanted for some time to set up shop here in Southern California -- the undisputable birthplace of custom painting. Ray has been here for three months now, he is working, but guess what? It's not like he thought it would be -- he's slingin' mud and paintin' cars one color with guys like me.

Check his resume! http://sprayhill.webplus.net/page5.html

Have Talent -- Will Travel... Where should he (we?) go?

[Mooch]

Wow . That is impressive work . I was around for the birth of custom painting and growing up in Florida ,we always looked at CA as the place to be .

Can't think of a place in America that would be better for him then CA .

Mooch

[Sid]

I've been in this buisness since the early to mid 70's, did alot of work for next to nothing just to gain experience, seems all the older guys from that era are gone now, I just done less and less of that kind of work as time went on. I probably don't even do a half dozen complete repaints a year now, heck the last 2 or 3 weren't even preped in my shop I was just the trigger man.

[Serge]

Its pretty expensive to have those done today...when you spend 300 hours on a car...you can't do that for $2000 ...

I also think that the novelty of it has been removed by all the vinyl wraps we see going around...graphics cars are ordinary now.

I think that the art of lettering will die with the few last guys still doing it. Its progress I guess...

Its not only this trade that has gone for economic reasons...its tough to earn a living as a tradesman anymore...think of the trades gone...

...shoe maker
...stone mason
...blacksmith
...sign painter
...milk man
...etc

The value of work has gone down a lot. Only large corporations have value now...everything mass produced and cheep... no value in work...

Sad...

[RottenRodney]

Thanks for your input, guys. Please keep it comin'. Let's take a poll around the country, shall we? Is custom painting alive and well anywhere in the U.S. today? If so, we wanna know.

[Len]

Thanks for your input, guys. Please keep it comin'. Let's take a poll around the country, shall we? Is custom painting alive and well anywhere in the U.S. today? If so, we wanna know.

It's alive and well in NJ, you can go to a different cruse several times a week and see some beautiful custom paint work at every event.

[RottenRodney]

Okay, so custom painting still goes on in New Jersey, as well as all over Europe so I hear. Humm... Until just lately, I didn't give it too much thought. Perhaps we're just focused on the type of work that comes to us automatically -- mostly restoration type stuff. I don't have a clue how it got that way. It wasn't an overnight occurance.

Perhaps what California needs is a second van craze, like the one we saw in the '70s. That's when things were happenin'! I was too young for cobwebs and lace, but in '78 I joined a team of four full-time custom painters. We were very busy with vans: airbrush murals, Saran Wrap murals, acetylene smoke murals, freak drops, wood graining, flames, scallops, graphics, and combinations of all the above, while the shop's owner drug his brushes around all day long. That shop is still in business today, but it's not like it was.

Anyway, as soon as we can break away from what we're workin' on (a one-color car, of course), I'm goin' to take Ray for a ride. I want him to meet an ol' friend of mine, the guy I worked for when I was a kid in fact. Richard Mc Peak has been in the custom painting business in California longer than anyone I personally know. We'll git his take on the future of the craft and report back to y'all.

Thanks

RR

[Hot Rod Mike]

I don't know if you call it a dying industry, but I searched out some stripers a few years back. I even took a class from Bob Bond, who lives outside St. Louis now (former Californian). He gave a 2 day class, still does, on how to stripe, do graphics, gold leafing, a & a few other tips. The money spent was well worth the time just to listen to Bob talk about his adventures. Bob is the editor of AutoArt magazine... just google this & it appears to me that the custom business is alive & well, although I can't compare it to the 1970's. FYI - the magazine is full of how to's, & usually displays current "pinheads" which apparently is their name for anyone devoted to this business. They often do "panel jams" around the country where they show up & stripe 2 X 3 panels, or toilet seats, etc. These meets are open to the public & sometimes they sell their works or donate proceeds to local charities.

I attend major street rod shows in the mid central USA & see stripers @ most of these shows, willing to stripe your car on the spot. It's impressive to say the least to watch a Pro first hand, displaying his talents :0

Bob told us one story when he was doing a car @ a show : a women walked up behind him while he was pulling a line the length of this 57 Chevy, & commented how straight the line was. Bob turned around & talked to her while he continued to pull the line. He said her eyes just about bugged out of her head when she saw he wasn't watching the surface that he was striping 8)

Regards,
Mike

[slyhog22056]

Well in the Dallas / FtWorth area there are still a lot of custom painters, airbrush guru's and a LOT of places that still do chops and channeling. As well as a lot of REAL lead sleds. There are at least 10 weekend cruise-in's around here and you will see something different every weekend. The biggest thing thing i havent seen much around here are pinstripers. Seems like everyone uses those templates now and pulling a line freehand seems to be dying out. I have only been striping for about a year now and sure could use someone around here to learn from.

[Hot Rod Mike]

Well in the Dallas / FtWorth area there are still a lot of custom painters, airbrush guru's and a LOT of places that still do chops and channeling. As well as a lot of REAL lead sleds. There are at least 10 weekend cruise-in's around here and you will see something different every weekend. The biggest thing thing i havent seen much around here are pinstripers. Seems like everyone uses those templates now and pulling a line freehand seems to be dying out. I have only been striping for about a year now and sure could use someone around here to learn from.

Depending on your time & financial situation, you have options. You could learn the trade by yourself, which takes time to do. The famous Larry Watson's 1st flame & stripe job reportedly peeled off the car when they drove it down the highway the 1st time :0, so even the pros started somewhere. If you want to accelerate your learning curve, but not spend much money, there are a wealth of "how to" articles on striping, either on the web or on CD,available to purchase. I have some how to books I purchased from Bob when I was @ his class, & later ordered a 4 (?) set CD volume called "the art of pinstriping " which I find very informative. Last, you could attend a class from various artists - like I mentioned in the previous post, I took a 1 day class from Bob Bond who lives in Lee's Summit, MO. This was in the late 1990's, & well worth the expense to see probably one of the top stripers in the world. He also has business savvy, & can help out there, too. If interested, go to the magazine website he is editor of, http://www.autoartmagazine.com/ & contact him. He may know of other stripers in your area that could offer some help.

I subscribe to this magazine just for the how to articles. I am not a professional painter nor a striper (yet) as this is something I may be interested later in life.

Good Luck,
Mike

[slyhog22056]

I have already spent quite a bit on books and dvd's, been looking at different styles some people have done. Just learning right now and i dont get to practice as much as i would like due to my project car. At my age (54) i too am looking at this as something to do in spare time and just make a little bit of money at it, not looking to make it a business. I have been looking into going to rod shows and such to watch the people that do it for a living to get tips. Looking to doa little bit on my datsun when i get it painted, dont care if it isnt professional or not, at least i can say i tried. I have found out that saving peoples stripes to the computer and using my projector to project them onto a test panel or glass and follow their lines has helped a lot just getting the strokes right.

[RottenRodney]

Humm... Sometimes things git diluted in speed-readin'...

[silentdub]

The way the market is going, unless you do the work yourself, most people can't afford to pay for awesome work.

Awesome work takes one major thing aside from experience, tools, shop etc. It takes Heart. People that work on something and put their heart in to it usually end up with an awesome project, even if no one else likes it, they like what it has become.

It is very difficult to put a price on someone's heart, even harder to find someone to pay for it.


I know a few people with shops that do NO custom work, not even a spoiler or body kit, some don't even paint full cars anymore. A car comes in, splat, paint, collect a check from the insurance company.

Custom Paint aside. The people that have to pay for it need to be educated as well.

Len's Shop uses the following:

Picklex
Zero Rust
Quantum 1 Filler
Fusor products
Glasurit Base / Clear Coat or some other high end product

Bob's shop uses the following:
Bondo
Rust Oleum
permatex
no name paint

Len's shop $X.XX

Bob's shop $.xx

Now tell them about putting your heart in to it.


I have to say, I have a few friends in Cali, and some of the spanish folk out there have some sweet rides with custom work, some of which have made the low rider magazine.

[All Dry]

Or,...In todays world the''Bobs'' shop that uses cheaper products very well may still charge the maximum amount possible.Mike

[Mooch]

I think part of the problem is very few newer cars are worth getting a custom paint job .

And the older ones are few and far between in most areas . Oh there are some done all over the country but not enough for most to make a living off of them .

Times are changing boys and you better gear up for it .

Mooch ..sad