The tank is finished being wetsanded and wiped down with PPG 330
Wax & Grease remover to get it nice and clean. The original idea was sketched onto a tracing paper, to size, to use for a pattern
that will also be used on the other side.
When working on tanks, most of the time,
both sides are the same and you want to be able to line up your work properly so that when you’re sitting on the bike, if you see a little artwork coming up the top of the tank, it matches on both sides. That also applies when you’re looking at it straight on from the front if you were standing in front and looking at it.
I use Saral transfer paper behind the drawing to trace it to the tank.
You don’t want to press to hard. A little pressure goes a long way.
After transferring the design onto the tank, we start the masking process.
Besides the clearing and final buffing stages, this is the most time consuming part when you are doing artwork that is crisp and clean and you don’t want overspray everywhere. My idea of a flag isn’t airbrushed on like you were doing a T-Shirt. I want nice clean edges without the soft look freehand airbrushing gives you. In the photos below, the general outline of the flag is already masked off and white is sprayed in. I then mask over the areas that will stay white and shoot on some red.
The masking was removed and you can see the stripes painted in.
The shadows have also been added.
If you think this has been a long “how to” so far imagine the time it takes to actually be painting it.
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