Have you ever/Iron Horse

[quickchange]

I had someone approach me about painting a graphic or image on their bike. Which would be great right?

Then the guy brings the bike around so I can get a look at it and well.. OMG!

This thing is beautiful! White pearl base, pinstriped aqua and blue flames over the entire flat surface of the bike.. Front and rear fender, oil tank and gas tank. While it is busy, it is really eye catching. After looking at the bike I am very leary of touching it. (the pinstripe is under clear)
Have any of you ever done images over pinstripe, mural or pinup type?
Like I said the striping covers the entire surface and really (that I can see) no areas big enough to insert anything inside the flames. taping off the stripe would be do able, but man what a job.
I would like your input. I have some images but just haven't gotten them off the camera yet.

I had a young man at my counter yesterday with a beautiful full helmet just like you describe this bike..He wanted a small graphic on the back but it would have to be so small so as not to disturb any of the other pinstripe & existing graphics..I just love when you ask them what they were thinking
of putting on it & they say --well I don't know, what do you think.. Makes me crazy!!! The more I looked at it the more difficulties I saw--so I passed on the job all together..One of the hardest things I've learned was how to know when to turn a job down..I'm pretty good at it now, but it took awhile & I still get caught up in nightmare jobs from time to time..

[shovelhead]

I would lok at it this way. Do you feel comfortable enough about messing with what sounds like an expensive paint job,or not ? Has he given you what he wants on the bike? I have found that sometimes people don't realise that they may be messing up the whole look of the original paint scheme by adding something to it. I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about the customer. And also ,it's a comfort level thing with me. If I know the guy really well, and he's got a $5k paint job already,with skulls and tribal flames on his bike. Then he brings it to me ,and wants a Mickey Mouse shootin the finger air brushed on it( which happened to me once). The I say go for it. But, if it's someone who wants you to read his mind, or is a little wishy washy,may be better off just turning it down. I did that one time for a guy who wanted me to do the impossible to a stock 80" evo motor on a Harley. I turned him down,because I felt like he really didn't know what he was asking for. A buddy of mine took his proposal ,did the job,and the guy wound up getting upset ,because the bike didn't run right. I guess what I'm trying to say ,is if you know the guy really well,and he knows what he's gonna get and an idea of how it will look ,then let your creative juices flow ,my brother!Peace

[Diaz Dezine]

If you get a chance quickchange post some pics of it when you can. I do stuff like this everyonce in awhile and seem to have some descent luck.
DIAZ

Diaz, I think you make your own luck & then you don't have to depend on it..you know exactly what you're doing & if you were to do the jobs described by both Quickchange & me, would we be better off to hand letter with 1Shot & not worry about the clear?? I've lettered a jillion truck doors but I always assumed a quality helmet needed a final clear coat & that's where I lack knowledge & experience so I pass on the jobs..

[quickchange]

ok, I am going to try and post the pictures of this bike.

In answer to some of your statements. The guy seems willing enough and I even told him my experience level and that I do not do my own clearing. He saw my two pinup samples (Betty Paige in tight pants and boots and the fairy that I have posted here somewhere) in the shop and well he wants me to do something sim. on the bike. I am going to have to take them out of the shop I guess. LOL When I look at this bike, I see nightmare on Elm St. So far in my thought process, the only way I see to do an image and (IMO) have it look worth a darn would be to scuff, tape off all striping, shoot the image and then clear everything again. In my limited experience I just can't visualize putting the image OVER the striping. I personally think it would look like hell. He even suggested putting the image in one of the bowls of the flames.. which *without pain, I could do*, but the images would not be located in the same spot on both sides of the tank. The tail, as you can see, is covered with the tips of the flames and the front fender is just as covered. The only open spot on the whole dang bike is on the frame, just under the seat. He even asked about painting the chrome cover piece on one side.. Ughs.. I think I would rather run.. However, I told him I would ask the guys and gals here ("I will ask my buds on the forum, they do some kick butt work") which he loved by the way. He went on to say he wants a helmet done to match the bike and then maybe he would just buy another set of tins and have the images put on those. To tell you the truth, I have no clue if this guy is for real, but if he ....................
Ok, lets see if the images will be big enough for you to see. Remember there are two sets of pinstriped flames, one aqua color(green) and another aqua color (blue) white pearl base.

[spiritwind]

The only place it might be ok is on the fender strut. The white part holding the rear fender on the side. You would have to be skilled enough to write your name on a peice of rice before attempting it though...LOL

I say go with your first gut feeling tell him thanks but no thanks night mare on elm street you don't need. How would you work a pin up into all that?

[Diaz Dezine]

Once the parts are prepped yes you can put the image over the graphics and it may seem odd to cover up that beautiful pinstripes but it is mainly preferance on the customers part. To me it is way to busy to try to put the image under neath the graphics and if this is what the customer would want then probably 9 times out of 10 I would try to guide him to make the decision to keep it up on top, meaning over the graphics. I really think it would look just fine with the image over top. Obviously it would have to be recleared after doing so.
Doing it with one shot you wouldn't have to prep as much but you would still have to get rid of any wax that is on the cleared surface. The image will not be as protected but one shot is pretty durable stuff. I don't use any of the one shot products but I know alot of stripers that use it and they do this same type of process over top of the clear and seem to have great results. I'm an" under the clear so it is protected" type of guy.
Geez, I hope this helps,
DIAZ

[quickchange]

lol that is what I thought too..

Don...
VERY DARN CAREFULLY!
Scary thing is I think I could do it, but he doesn't have enough money to make me WANT to do it. I am happy you guys are seeing what I am seeing.. Nightmare to me anyway. Even (ha) if I had a brain malfunction and did it, It would make me nuts fiting everything in so that it looked worth a darn and no stripes in the wrong places.

Besides even though busy as heck it is really a sweet looking bike.. hmmmm maybe I can talk him into a pinup on his jacket.. lol

night all
Quick

[quickchange]

Diaz.. thanks man...
I think I am going to pass on this.. I just don't feel comfortable doing a cover up on the stripes and then doing the pinup.. I could do the pinup in all trans, but then here we go again with it looking right. Would have to be recleared for sure. (The stripes currently laid are under the clear).

[codepunk]

I think the artwork would have to be framed with some tribals or something to that effect to make it look correct. Perhaps some of those wicked Diaz tribals, center painted white, perhaps a mottled light blue background(pull the stripe colors in) with the pinup within it. I don't think it would look very good with the
pinup just slapped on top, too busy a backdrop.

[Diaz Dezine]

Another key thing that you mentioned was that the customer doesn't have alot of money to mess with so that pretty much seals it. Knowledge is sometimes fun to acquire but if it is on your dime I tend to walk the other way.
Good choice QC,
DIAZ

[heartless]

quick - i am by no means an expert on this subject - but i see what you do - Nightmare!!
personally (if i was in the biz) i would tell him NO on doing this set of tins, but if he wanted to bring me a blank set i would be happy to do the job for him.