June/July 2018

Issue #68

UK: £5.50
www.pandkg.com l 3
 Pinstriping & Kustom Graphics Magazine
World HQ, 35 Westley Grange
West Avenue, Wigston, Leicester LE18 2FB.

Web: www.pandkg.com
Tel: +44 (0) 116 281 0009

The Guilty Parties!

Editor
Lynda Johnson
editor@pandkg.com

Financial Controller
Debs Tetlow
accounts@pandkg.com

Graphic Designer
Lucy Wait
studio@pandkg.com

Advertising & Marketing

Nigel Hewitt - nigel@pandkg.com

Digital Marketing
Ciaran Turner - kustom@pandkg.com

Spanish Consultant/Translator
Sergio Necksbreaker

Subscriptions & Customer Service Our Pin-up special edition is here! We take you back to the
Patricia Finque 1950’s with Paul Waring’s look at pin-up publications of that
admin@pandkg.com era. We find many of our artists are inspired by the classic
0116 281 0029 pin-ups, we think you’ll love the diverse range of art we have
on offer for you from fun illustrations and ‘vintage inspired’
digital to stunning airbrushed beauties. Pin-up aside, we
Front Cover Image: still bring you all the usual tips & tricks from Herb Martinez,
Andy Hosegood pinstriping, tattoo, airbrush step by steps, body painting and
much more.

Here at PKG we are working hard to keep bringing you the

Printed in the UK by: best offers that we can, our latest magazine bundles seem
Warners Midlands Plc
The Maltings, Manor Lane
to be flying out of the warehouse, do keep an eye on our
Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH website for all our latest offers.

We have recently expanded our digital presence; PKG is

now available through Readly as well as Magzter Gold so
All materials submitted to P&KG Magazine for our consideration
must be submitted with the permission of all persons who have or
wherever you are in the world, you can have access to PKG
may have rights in the material you submit. In submitting an article magazine online at a ridiculously low price!
for publication you warrant to us that it is your original work, that
you are the author and that the work has not been previously
published except with our/authors express permission.
Our themed issues are always popular; we have in the
In submitting photographs to us you warrant that you have pipeline, a skate board edition and an all-female artist edition,
obtained the permission of the owners of the photograph and so if you think your art may be the perfect fit for our upcoming
any artistic material set out in the photograph, to forward the
photograph to us and to its publication in P&KG Magazine. In
themes, then do get in touch- email: studio@pandkg.com for
submitting any material to us you irrevocably grant to us a licence more information.
to publish that material in whole or in part or as amended by
us from time to time and to indemnify us to the extent that we
suffer a loss as a result of you infringing the rights of others in the
material you have submitted. P&KG Magazine does not consent
Until next time

eam
a & t
to the reproduction or modification of this Magazine in whole

Lynd
or in part. The views expressed in this publication by others do
not necessarily represent that of the Publishers/Editor. P&KG
Magazine appears 6 times per year.
6 l P&KG June/July 18
www.pandkg.com l 7
8 l P&KG June/July 18
 FEATUREDARTIST

“I like pandkg
magazine because
it’s all about the
paint, the artist,
and the art”.
 “I’ve been working in the auto
body & paint business for
26 years. I’ve been custom
painting for about 20 years. I
started off painting race car
helmets, then metric bikes for
a local dealer.
For the last 8-10 yrs, I’ve been
painting Harley’s, choppers and
custom baggers. But I also paint
panels, yeti cups, and other wall
art pieces. I’ve had, so far 12 bikes
shot for magazines and more to
come. I feel lucky to get my work
out there and appreciated. The
bike magazines are mostly about
the build and don’t give much
recognition for the paint. I like the
P&KG magazine because it’s all
about the paint, the artist, and the
art. I’m pretty much self taught
in everything; painting and even
welding, fab work, engraving, and
learning to do leather work.
10 l P&KG June/July 18
I like the custom culture in all
the styles, from custom bikes &
bobbers to low riders & lead sleds.
I like it all. I get inspiration from a lot
of different artists and painters so
it’s hard to narrow it down. But I’d
say Von Dutch and Ed Roth are the
2 biggest.
For people wanting to get started,
there’s a lot of good instructors
and classes out there. Don’t limit
yourself to one style, learn it all.
Get familiar with spraying base
coat to the art, and final clear coat.
I like being able to do it from start
to finish. A lot of the top custom
painters are on social media and
they’re helpful and willing to help
other painters with questions
and tips to make things easier.
I’ve had help from some and I’ve
helped others myself. Don’t stop
practicing, there are always new
things to learn.
Look me up on Facebook:
Brad Hudspeth (Brad H Designs)
Instagram: brad.hudspeth.72
www.pandkg.com l 11
 It seems that everyone is producing brushes these days; Once upon a time in America there were cars being
many of which just seem to be cosmetic changes to tried pinstriped at the factory they were manufactured at.
and trusted brushes that have been around for years. Henry Ford paid his stripers extra to do their work.
Practitioners of ‘scroll’ striping are well catered for when
it comes to brushes so my interest was piqued when a set
of Von Dago’s ‘Mini Sabers’ landed on my work bench.

Scroll style striping is not my

forte... so why even bother
with these? I hear you ask...
good question. I love scrolling,
but always struggle with some
aspects of it, whether it’s the
flow, or the snap of the brush
or both, I always seem to come
a cropper at some point. What
better way to test them than
to put them in the ham-fisted
hands of someone like me?

Immediately, the all black appearance of these brushes first

attracts you but you can’t miss the length of the handles
which are much shorter than many scrollers. They fit
comfortably in the hand and can be used upright or at an
angle with equal comfort. Loading up the brush it becomes
apparent that despite the length of the hairs, it doesn’t droop
and can hold more than enough paint to pull long scroll
loops and curly Qs.
He had a great respect for their talent and their craft. Time
went on and by the forty’s it was all over…. for awhile. Then
the mid sixties brought back those lines, on just the sides
this time. Because I could stripe I was applying double lines
on the sides of Mercury Comet “Cyclones” for the local car
dealer in 1966.

The brush hairs have enough snap without the brush

suddenly skipping out on the corners, even when the paint is
starting the run out. They seem just as happy skating about
on the tip and laying down to create your thicks and thins.
I was able to pull a relatively competent scroll (for me) even
straight out of the packet. With some more ‘breaking in’ of
both the brush and the user, I can see these becoming even
faster and more precise than they are now.

Of course, not everyone uses scroll brushes just for scrolling,

so what better way to try the brushes out than to throw them
at everyone’s favourite... flames. The Mini Sabers took these in
their stride, taking the corners with ease and holding enough
paint to get to the flame tips, even using Metallic Silver.

I used the 0 and 00 but the set also contains a 1.. I’m sure I’ll
find a use for that one soon enough.

But because of the lack of factory stripers available the

WIN!!! Beuglar Company came up with an industrial striping tool

that was capable of striping cars on the assembly line again.
Now a days there are no cars except Rolls being striped, and
You could win this pack of Mini Sabers... even those are striped by a highly talented individual who
has been doing it for years. Well, what goes down must go
Simply tell us which blend of hairs are the
up, so I’m praying very hard that one day again the factories
Von Dago Mini Sabers made from:
will pinstripe some of their cars and I can get back to work
A. Natural B. Mixed or
C. Full synthetic repairing them.
(visit www.mackbrush.com to find out!)
by Herb Martinez
Email your answer along with your name
& contact details to: competition@pandkg.com by 01/07/18.
 TIPS&TRICKS

This style incorporates a star or cross for the basis of the design. The Bay City
look works well as an accent for wide, open areas on sides and fender tops,
panels, deck lids and hoods. Any place where there is a wide or long expanse
to cover or accent. The style was started by Ben Baxter at B.A.D. Signs in
Redwood City, Ca. and further developed by Mike Farley. Their customer, Bay
City Vans, had them stripe the van overall with no addition of custom paint,
very unique for that era.. The striping covered the whole van and therefore
gave it a very distinctive look. Herb Martinez took over the account from Mike
Farley in 1979 and continued the style until 1981. The account was then taken
over by Cary Greenwood and then Carl Delgrosso after that. The striping
designs in the pictures were created by Mike Farley and Herb Martinez.

1. (Above) Whether it’s a panel this

size or the whole side of a van or the
hood of a car, always lay out the area
that your working with. Start with the
star and measure the verticle and
horizontal lines. It’s up to you how
long they should be.

2. Use ¼ or 3 milimeter blue tape or

K-tape (orange or yellow) or 3M 233 if
availble. Once layed out, outline your
star, the base of the design.

www.pandkg.com l 13
 3. Once the basic star design is
painted, start painting the second
design around the star. These
designs should be very simple and
mirrored exactly.

4. (Above) Finish up with the first color

design, making the design 2/3rd’s
smaller than the star itself. If you make
the design around the star too large,
you’ll loose the star center, ruining the
design effect.

5. I recommend using only 3 colors

including the star. otherwise the
colors confuse the line art and the
overall design.

6. This design is a great example of the of the Bay

City Vans style. It has the basic star design in the
middle and the smaller, simpler design on the end of
the star.

Teardrops were used judiciously at various points

of the van to accent the corners of the panel or just
behind the fenderwells. Bodyline pinstriping is used
windows and upper, center and lower bodylines of
the vehicle and a few designs were incorporated
into the bodylines themselves.

14 l P&KG June/July 18
Here’s a portfolio of various layouts used for
vans. I have a vast portfolio of these layouts,
other pics available upon request, email:
linedr@comcast.net.

www.pandkg.com l 15
16 l P&KG June/July 18

I have always been into cars, but
I can remember really getting a
spark for custom cars when I was
in fourth grade. My teacher had a
49 Merc and it was chopped, lake
pipes and laid out! So I would say
that’s what started my love for cars.
I also had been drawing since I was
young and I had an idea what pinstriping
was, but had always told myself I can
never get into it because it’ll be too hard.
As the years went by I started to show
more interest in pinstriping. It wasn’t
until my sophomore year that I bought
myself a Mack brush and some cans of
one shot paint and started practicing.
I thought it would be a walk in the park
and I’d be striping cars in no time!
Wrong! I quickly found out that there
was a lot to it and it would require lots of
practice. I was willing to invest the time
to perfect it. I really wanted to be able to
get the hang of it and do some cool art.
I got into this as a hobby and never had
any idea that pinstriping would take
me to where it has taken me to today.
One of the first stripers I talked to was
“Kong”; I remember him striping at local
car shows and he was my first go to guy
to get pointers from when I was starting
out.
About two years into striping, my
mentor, who later became one of my
best friends; Manuel Cisneros of CSNRS
color studio took me under his wing and
guided me in the right direction. I did
learn a lot from him and still am learning.
FEATUREDARTIST
I would consider him one of my biggest
influences.
Time went by and I still kept at it, striping
at different body shops and gaining
experience. For some years I worked
out of my house, then I got a call one day
from Sal Manzano over at The Riviera
Brothers shop in town.
Sal is very well known in the lowrider
world for his paint jobs and saw this
as an opportunity. The job I did was a
success, the car came out really well
and the customer was really happy.
After that, I started getting more calls
to stripe more of their paint jobs which
eventually led to me working out of their
shop. (continues overleaf)
www.pandkg.com l 17
 I really started getting busy then and we had a few
cars come out in Lowrider Magazine and that’s
how I started to build my reputation with my work. I
still stay mobile and also fly out to other states and
countries to do work. I feel very fortunate and very
humble to be able to do this as a job. I’m still paying
my dues and I have much respect for the guys ahead
of me and look up to many of them.

Winning the Von Dutch Award is a huge honor and

was a complete surprise. That 32 Ford I striped was
the first car I did to appear in the Grand National
Roadster Show. When I was working on it there was a
little pressure to come up with something really nice.
I wanted to showcase my skills on that car, little did I
know it would win the Von Dutch award. Winning the
award was a very special moment in my striping career,
especially having my brother and Mom able to see me
receive the award.

I plan to be in this art for the long run. I have a lot of

love and passion for it and still strive to be better at it. I
would like to thank my family for the support and all my
brothers and sisters of the brush for the support also.

Facebook: Jonathan Mercado (Mercado’s Pinstriping)

18 l P&KG June/July 18
FEATUREDARTIST

Ruttu counts among her early

influences; Keith Haring,
Jim Flora, Horror, sci fi and
exploitation movies. Today it
is; vintage art, adult cartoons,
Bill Ward, Roy Nelson, Dan
De Carlo, lowbrow, tiki and
rockabilly art. Her tools are
mainly ink, brushes, markers,
any good paper and her laptop.

Mother of two, freelance designer

during the day and illustration artist
by night, she lives like any other
person really, she finds it very
difficult to describe herself in words
and doesn’t like to talk much about
herself.

Her interest in illustration started

when she was very young, seeing
drawings on posters or stuff she
watched on TV, always drawing
with comic tone which she found
fun! Ruttu would sketch ideas that
came to her after watching movies
or reading a book, until one day
someone convinced her to post
her art on social media. She never
expected to have such reactions
from the people and such good
results.

20 l P&KG June/July 18
Ruttu doesn’t define her art in any
particular style, she just draws what
she likes in the way that feels good,
she describes the look as “vintage and
minimalist”. Many people say she’s
a “pin up artist” because she mainly
draws women, but she likes to draw
some monster guys, and crazy stuff,
her challenge is to always express
an idea in fewer lines and colors as
possible, she plays a lot with the
female figure to create fresh designs.

She enjoys drawing women for the joy

of drawing curves, as she says; “the
female body has a great variety of
shapes to explore and all of them can
end in beautiful results”.

Her most significant influences are

Jim Flora, Bill Ward, Tex Avery and
Max Fleischer, Big Toe and Vince Ray
among other 40s - 70 artists.

She’s been working as an illustrator

artist for a relativily short time, on
her short trajectory she has worked
with Vampira´s official brand (another
of her big inspirations and idols),
Burlesque artists (Anna Fur Laxis,
Bettie Butcher, Rose D’Luxe, Miss
Cherry On Fire), musicians like, Jesse
Jo Stark and Salidos de la Cripta, and
in general with people who ask her to
express a moment of their lives, with
women who wants to feel sexy. She
particularly works for many women in
the fields of beauty, erotism and sex,
and independent brands that feel
identified with the art style and ask for
commissioned works.
 Ruttu is very happy making a
living out of what you loves most.
She loves to help people to see
themselves positively and that her
drawings represent everything they
want to be.

Instagram: ruttu_ruttu
Facebook: Alejandra Oviedo (Ruttu)

22 l P&KG June/July 18
www.pandkg.com l 23
KUSTOMLIFESTYLE

There’s never been a better time to well as to men. They also record and
collect books of pin-ups from the portray the ideals of an era, in which the
1940s and 1950s. The success of differences between women and men
the publication by Taschen of The were emphasised to a marked degree,
Great American Pin-up by Charles and where the fashions in clothing and
G. Martignette and Louis K. Meisel hair-styles for everyday
(1996) demonstrated both the people accentuated
considerable interest in pin-up art this in a greater and
of this period and the commercial more glamorous and
potential of books featuring affluent way than at
collections of pin-ups. any other time in the
20th century. Many
There is no better place to start if you readers of P&KG
want an overview of what is often who are inspired
described as the hey-day of pin-ups. by the fashions
This was a classic era in which the most of the 1940s
popular pin-ups were life-like paintings and 1950s will
of the idealised “girl next door”. These find the styles
females were generally fun-loving portrayed in the books
and positive about life. The aim was here enthralling. Many times they
to cheer up men separated from their exaggerate the desired effect even
girl-friends, or without girl-friends, more than in real life.
and World War 2 from 1939 to 1945
provided a huge number of those. Pin- From the 1960s onwards
ups were also popular in traditionally and for several
male-dominated environments, such decades, the
as garages, workshops and factories, pin-ups we
road-houses, pubs and clubs. And they are enjoying in
were everywhere, on calendars, ash- this article were
trays, mugs and in magazine adverts for consigned to
all sorts of commodities. This genre of history and largely
popular art flourished massively with forgotten, except
the optimism and colour provided by by a small number of
the 1950s and a booming economy. But fans of the genre who
it faded in the 1960s as the economy kept collecting from
of producing colour photographs the 1970s onwards, and
developed and prevailed over painting started writing articles
and drawing, and as images became about them. Even by this time, many of
more sexually explicit, often with the original artists had died. There were
complete nudity. The pin-ups of the signs of a wider revival of pin-ups in the
1940s and 1950s were generally fully- cultural confusion and post-feminism
clothed women, often in lovely outfits. of the 1990s. Since then there has been
But they were often caught in some a major effort to collect up the works
situation in which their skirts were lifted of the best-known and most prolific
to show just a tantalising bit extra, such American pin-up artists into books. Most
as a shapely thigh, or stocking-tops of the best books are still in print or can
and suspenders. The images were be acquired easily via Amazon and other
tantalising, titillating and fun, and always book-selling outfits, sometimes as good
celebrating the beauty of a nicely- second-hand copies at bargain prices.
dressed female, as well as her sexiness. However, once they are out of print
This explains a lot of the charm and they often become collector’s items at
interest of these pin-ups today, and collector’s prices, so grab them now if
why the works of the masters such as you are interested.
Gil Elvgren appeal to many women as

24 l P&KG June/July 18
We have praised the work of Gil Elvgren
many times in this magazine. I consider
Gil’s work from the 1950s and early
1960s the absolute best of the genre.
“The Great American Pin-up” shows
he had some close competition from
the likes of Peter Driben, Harry Ekman,
Art Frahm, Bill Medcalf, Earl Moran and
Zoe Mozert but if you check out the
book, I think you will agree with me and
many others, that Gil is the tops. Gil
was very successful and very prolific
in the 1950s, regularly earning $1000
or more per painting. The book “Gil
Elvgren : All His Glamourous American
Pin-ups”, first published in 1999 and
republished in a slightly smaller size
in 2008, is as complete a collection of
Gil’s work as can be produced today.
It is a superb volume, and my personal
recommendation as the single best
book of pin-ups you will find. The book
“Elvgren – His Life and Art”, by Max Allan
Collins and Gil’s son Drake Elvgren, is a
fascinating companion volume to Gil’s
pin-up work. It was first published as a
very expensive limited edition in 1998
but has since been published again
due to demand and is now available
for about £20, and very well worth it.
The text gives a wonderful insight into
how Gil worked, and many photos are
included of Gil at work in his studio,
showing how he set up the real-life
models he used into various poses for
accuracy. You will also find examples of
Gil’s work in lots of other books, and as
calendars for 2018, and as adornments
on clothes, ceramics and many other
items.

www.pandkg.com l 25

For the rest of this article,
I’d like to focus on the less
well-paid, but still as widely
published, artists whose
work appeared in the pulp
magazines of the 1950s such
as Beauty Parade, Eyeful,
Titter, Wink and Humorama,
as well as the glossies that
started to appear in the
1950s, most notably Playboy.
These are the cartoonists who departed
much more from real life than Gil Elvgren
and his colleagues. In their exaggeration
and their often highly individual stylings,
they created a very interesting genre
of art but this has received much less
attention. I don’t believe we have
featured this genre in P&KG before, but
it will be hugely inspiring to present-
day painters and tattooists. The heavily
illustrated book “The Best of American
Girlie Magazines” by Benedict Taschen
(1997), republished in 2002 as “1000
Pin-up Girls”, tells the story of Beauty
Parade,Titter and the many other
magazines of the 1950s. “Humorama” by
Alex Chun &Jacob Covey (2011) provides
a large sample of the pin-up cartoons
which appeared in that magazine.
Now to individual collections of some of
the best of the cartoonists. We start with
Jack Cole, who is perhaps most well-
known for illustrating the adventures of
26 l P&KG June/July 18
the superhero Plastic Man in the 1940s.
Jack found a profitable niche providing
artwork for Hugh Heffner’s “Playboy”
magazine. Apparently he had a pin-up
cartoon in every issue of Playboy from
the fifth, in 1954, until his suicide on 13th
August 1958, aged 43. The book “Classic
Pin-up Artof Jack Cole” edited by Alex
Chun (hardback 2004, republished
in paperback with a different cover in
2010) provides a first class collection.
A biography of Jack Cole on Wikipedia
provides a good overview of his career
and his tragic end. Jack’s cartoons have
a sophisticated quality. Interestingly
he was largely a self-taught artist
whose only art training was a single
correspondence course.
In “The Pin-up Art of Bill Wenzel” you will
find a great collection of cartoons. Bill’s
work is easily recognisable because his
distinctive portrayal of the woman’s face
always seems to be of the same woman!
Even though her hair-styles vary greatly.
Bill’s work appeared in many magazines
and continued throughout the 1960s
and 1970s. He died of lung cancer in
Florida in 1987, aged 69.
Dan DeCarlo is one of my favourites of
the cartoon pin-up genre. He is probably
most well-known for the“Archie” comic
strips of the late 1950s and early 1960s
but he left behind a vast number of
cartoon pin-ups from the 1950s,
which are full of humour as well as
little details of apparel such as
flecked jackets, neck-ties with
horizontal bars, and crepe-
soled shoes on the men! Dan
died in 2001, aged 82 and
having seen the revival of
interest in his pin-up work
from the 1950s. Alex Chun
put together two volumes
of his work, as “The Pin-up
Art of Dan DeCarlo” (2005)
and The Pin-up Art of Dan
DeCarlo 2” (2007).
They say leave the best to last.
Well, Bill Ward is in my opinion the
best of the cartoonist genre of pin-up
artists who worked during the 1950s.
Jack Cole, Bill Wenzel, Dan DeCarlo
and Bill Ward were all born within a year
or two of each other, and so was Bill
Ward, in 1919. Bill Ward is best known
for creating “Torchy” but he went on to
create a massive catalogue of pin-up
images, right up to his death in 1998.
There are several collections of Bill
Ward’s pin-up cartoons. The biggest
and best is certainly “The Wonderful
World of Bill Ward King of The Glamour
Girls”, published by Taschen in 2006. It is
an enormous coffee table book. There
is also a highly recommended volume of
Bill Ward pin-ups in the series published
by Fantagraphics which includes
the volumes of work by Dan DeCarlo
and Bill Wenzel. We must certainly
thank Taschen and Fantagraphics for
publishing all this pin-up art and making
it available again.
www.pandkg.com l 27
FEATUREDARTIST

www.pandkg.com l 29
Hi Folks!! I’ve been asked to write
a few words about my artwork for
this pin up themed issue, and being
an obliging sort of chap, of course I
said yes! I won’t bore you about my
early life, but I’ve been painting pin
up ladies for five years now (I think!
It might be four, but the memory
isn’t too good these days...).
I love the artists from the forties and
fifties, especially Elvgren and had
always wanted to try my hand at painting
in that style. Through an aborted bike
project, I’d made contact with UK pin
up Stephanie Jay (who was to pose for
the bike painting). Not wanting to waste
the initial idea, I decided to paint it in oils
on canvas, which was not a medium I’d
ever tried before. Bit of a steep learning
curve to say the least, but the final
picture came out rather well.
So what’s next? Well, I have quite
a backlog of pinup ideas that
just need turning into painted
panels (I don’t work on canvas),
a few commissions and
hopefully there will be another
calendar at the end of this
year. I’m looking into getting
some of my pictures into a
gallery somewhere, or just
generally showing them at
an event. If you want to say
hi, or take a look at more of
my paintings, pop on over
to my Facebook page;
AndyHosegoodPinUpArt.
Stay safe folks!
Andy Hosegood
email: andhose@hotmail.com

The painting was well received on social

media, and more pictures of not only
Stephanie but other UK based pin up
gals followed. As a lot of the original
paintings were commissioned for
calendars, I thought why not produce
my own calendar? A rather intense
period of arranging photoshoots and
painting followed, hampered somewhat
by the lengthy drying time of oils, but
a calendar did indeed emerge. The
calendar project soon became the
main reason for painting more pinups,
however after three years I had a break
from calendars and produced some
Christmas cards instead, which I sold
for charity. You can’t keep a good
calendar down though, and I came out
with a new version last year, this time in
a dual month format, so only six pictures
instead of twelve.

30 l P&KG June/July 18
www.pandkg.com l 31
32 l P&KG June/July 18

How old are you, where are you from and where do you live
and work?
My name is JR (tubbsy) Tubbs. I am 37 years old and I’m
originally from Pennsylvania, USA. I currently own and operate
True Til Death Tattoo co. in Ashtabula, Ohio, USA.
FEATUREDARTIST
What are your first memories of people with tattoos?
The first tattoo I remember seeing was on my uncle. He had
a naked lady on his forearm, it was also the first time I’d seen
a naked lady haha! I remember thinking how cool it was even
though it was just an outline with very minimal shading... but
my god that tattoo was so cool.
www.pandkg.com l 33
Who did your first tattoo and what was it? How much did
you pay for it?
The very first tattoo that I got was done by a buddy of mine; it’s
a skull on my leg and I learnt real quick that tattooing should
be done by someone who knows what they were doing haha!
My first professional tattoo I got when I turned 18, it was a kanji
on the back of my neck and it was done in New York by a very
stern intimidating woman. I was terrified but by the time it was
done (it only took right around 5 minutes) I felt like I was on my
way to being part of a very cool club of shady, heavily judged
people. That was in 1998 and that tattoo cost 80$. It’s crazy to
me to think that here we are almost 20 years later and there
are many American tattoo shops with no 50-60$ minimums.
How did you start tattooing? What was your first machine?
I started tattooing in 2005 by helping out in a tiny little shop in
a town called Mentor, Ohio. I truly feel like it was the right place
right time situation. The manager of the shop had showed me
the ropes and I kind of just ran with it. Things definitely were
not looking how I wanted them too and by chance I met a man
by the name of Krooked Ken in 2008. He took me under his
wing and really taught me how to make a real nice tattoo. My
very first machine was a coastal waters (I wish I would have
kept that thing).
Who are the visual artists who have influenced your work
the most?
The artists who have had the biggest impact on me are
(deceased) Cap Coleman, Percy Waters, Charles Wagner,
Brooklyn Joe and living would be Krooked Ken, Timmy Tatts
and Lowercase j.
Where do you find new references?
I’m always on the hunt for new reference material usually
through old lithographs, postcards, hell I’ve even found old
wallpaper with some really cool designs in.
Are drawing and painting skills essential to be a good tattoo
artist? Do you think tattooing is craft or art making?
Drawing and painting definitely help out tremendously but I do
know of a few tattooists who can’t paint or draw too well but
they can tattoo like crazy. I know a few tattooists who can draw
and paint very well but can’t tattoo for shit haha! I feel the art is
in the design but when it comes to the application of a tattoo,
that is for sure more of a craft.
How would you describe your style?
The style I have is definitely an east coast American traditional
style.
34 l P&KG June/July 18
How did you pick your color palette?
I base all my colors on old tattoo designs. I try very hard to
stick with black, green, red, sometimes brown, sometimes
yellow.
Do you do guest spots in Europe?
I have actually never done a guest spot in Europe. I actually
just flew for the first time last summer, but I definitely plan on
leaving the states and doing some stuff throughout Europe in
the future.
Who are your favourite tattoo artists in the Old Continent?
That’s a hard one to answer so many greats. The tattoo scene
is amazing (truly beautiful work coming from there).
What do you like to do when you are not painting or
tattooing?
When I’m not tattooing or painting I’m a family man. I enjoy
spending time with my beautiful wife and our 4 amazing
daughters; those five females are my entire world.
How has the internet changed the tattoo industry?
I feel the internet has really watered down the whole tattoo
business. We live in a time and place where one bad review
can really scare away a lot of business and the designs, oh
my word, the designs people bring in every day are always,
always, always the same three google images. It’s almost like
the internet sucked the fun out of just going to a tattoo shop
and picking out a tattoo.
What are your feelings when you see bad copies of your
work?
The thing that bums me out the most is not that the work gets
copied, but that people would rather take a half assed copy
than travel and get one from me or any other tattooist. It’s
like, ‘if you like the work that someone does, travel and get
one from them’ that sort of thing would make any tattooist
pumped.
Do you have any advice for the new generation of
tattooists?
My advice for anyone reading this is, ‘work hard and stay
humble, there is no and never will be a substitute for hard
work. And remember, ‘when you’re asleep, somewhere
someone is working to end you. Stay alert and stay secretive’.
www.pandkg.com l 35
FEATUREDARTIST

Ben is a professional illustrator and

character designer from Mexico. His
interest in drawing was sparked at
an early age from watching anime,
Saturday morning cartoons, comics
and manga. He knew then, he
wanted to be part of it.

“I have worked for Giant/Obey, created

promotional illustrations for several rock
bands including Metallica, Limp Bizkit and
more. I have done character design for
Animex Studio, illustrations for Fanatic
Studios in India, video game illustrations
for Purrrfect Entertainment in Australia,
character design for CZ studio, illustration
for Whoopla in L.A and many other clients
as a freelancer.

I was one of 100 international illustrators

selected to be featured in the Capcom
and Udon’s Street Fighter Tribute art
book, and was also selected for Capcom’s
Megaman Tribute art book. My work has
been featured in several illustration expos
around the world such as Spain, Australia,
NYC and Mexico City.”

www.bencamberos.com
To love what they do, no matter what
profession I think that’s the key, but
it’s important to get the balance right
between work and personal life. Any artist
will need patience and to work hard every
day. I started my ‘cartoony’ style drawings
back in 2006 and I’m still working on
perfecting my style, you can always do
more to improve but I’m pretty happy with
where I am today, the hard work is worth it!

www.pandkg.com l 39
FEATUREDARTIST

www.pandkg.com l 41
 Since the age of 8 Oliver Wetter has been
painting with computers. What makes his
story different to 8 year old kids now is,
that his dabblings were done with an Amiga
Computer - 512KB Ram, Deluxe-Paint IV and
a mouse. Even at the tender age of 8, Oliver
knew that someday he’d make a living from
painting using the screen as his canvas.

“I tried all media

from pencil to
charcoal over
airbrush, but
nothing felt like
home for me,
until I discovered
Photoshop at the
end of the 1990’s.
The Vintage
Heroines series
is a huge tribute
to the pin-up
masters like Gil
Elvgren. If you are
familiar with their
work, you know that I have not only copied the pose,
but also the brush strokes and did a cross-over with
popular fictional characters. I call that ‘Hand-Painted-
Inceptionism’ as the result looks as if you have seen it
before or painted from the original artist.

Working with little to no background seems easy, but

even then, a painting can look empty, full or just right.
Besides learning to do paintings ‘just-right’, digital
painting also taught me something that traditional
media can’t; ‘when painting in a traditional way, we
settle with accidents and as a result call it a style but
digital painting invites to experiment’. Experimentation
and failing come very close together. When working
with acrylics or airbrush, once the color is on the
ground, you can’t go back. Either you live with the
result or you don’t and start from scratch. In the digital
world you can literally go back every time. This is not
always ideal as most hobby artists can probably agree,
because if you work over 100 hours on a painting in
Photoshop, you could also have painted it traditionally
in that time.

So why use digital if it does not save you time?

It does save time, the thing is, that the time saved goes
into a quest for excellence. Once you know you can do
better, you want to get better. When traditional artists
push their work, they usually have a shift in quality, not
in reduced time.”

Facebook.com/fantasiox
42 l P&KG June/July 18
www.pandkg.com l 43
STEPBYSTEP

1. The car itself is a Dodge Charger Hell Cat

2. Taping begins; this takes time to get
everything properly covered

3. Now that it’s all masked up, airbrushing begins

4. HOK white base coat is used to get

the design going

46 l P&KG June/July 18
 6. White is used again to give it more depth, after
this, it’s sprayed down with candy oriental blue
5. Now I use HOK candy cobalt blue
and spray all the white areas

7. White is once more used and then it

gets a candy color of aqua blue 8. Nearly there, still taped up, using the light is
a great way to show how it will look in the sun

9. The entire car cleared and ready to

be returned to the customer
SharpenAir™ the first-ever airbrush fluid needle
sharpener on the market, available to buy online at:
www.SharpenAir.com Now
available in
Limited edition
PINK

SharpenAir™
works by utilizing Specifically
multiple angles allowing engineered to
your damaged needle to be repair bent
straightened efficiently and and damaged
with precision each airbrush fluid
and every time. needles
 FEATUREDARTIST

Juanjo Baron has been airbrushing

for over 20 years and has established
himself in Spain as a well renowed
artist, with his business attracting
big clients who are after something
special, like a huge mural- no project is
too big for Juanjo...

“I have always liked to draw, since I was little,

and I tried many techniques looking for the
one that worked for me, but it was not until
1989 that I tried airbrushing and became
hooked.

Years later in 1998 we opened a studio where

besides offering my services to decorate all
kinds of surfaces, we also create portraits,
caricatures, and we have one of the most
prestigious aerography academies in Spain,
from which great artists have come out of.

During these years we are proud to have

won several awards that encourage us to
continue fighting in this difficult artistic world
and to be recognized internationally.

Clients and commissions form a wide range

of works among prestigious brands such
as Coca-Cola, Heineken, Bacardi... and art
of the stature of singers such as; Fito and
Alejandro Sanz.

We will continue to paint and personalize

everything that our clients demand and in
many cases our clients keep us challenged
with their big ideas!”

www.pandkg.com l 49
50 l P&KG June/July 18
TIPS&TRICKS
‘What are your personal requirements?’
Note: You DO NOT need one that is specifically designed for
airbrushing! In fact, many of the ones designed for airbrushing
are the hardest to work with.
Price
For most beginners price is a huge consideration. You will be
out there looking for the cheapest air compressor possible
and chances are, you will be disappointed with what you’ll get.
The old saying is true: you get what you pay for.
Now for the good news! Because you know that you do not
need an air compressor specifically designed for airbrushing
you can get one anywhere compressors are sold.
Watch for sales at your local hardware store, watch the
newspapers, eBay for used ones, go to garage sales and see
if you can find one. Once you have your eyes open looking for
any old air compressor rather than an “airbrush” compressor
you will see them everywhere.
Note: Do check the belts if belt driven, for oil leaks around the
actual compressor and ask them to start it so as to see that
the electric motor starts with out undue stress. These can
be expensive problems to fix when buying a second hand
compressor.
52 l P&KG June/July 18
Availability
Again, now that you know that availability of compressors is no
longer a problem! Do not feel like your compressor has to have
the words “Airbrush, Paasche, Badger, Sparmax or Iwata” on
the side of it to be used.
Uncertain
Still not sure what to look for? Let’s discuss the factors.
Personal Needs
Before we get to actual air compressor parts and pieces let’s
talk about HOW you are going to use your compressor…
1. Do you and your equipment need to be mobile? Then look for
a small one that is easily transportable.
2. Do you need it to be quiet as not to disturb your family or
customers? Consider one with a larger tank so that it runs less
often. Or a silent compressor with a tank…these compressors
are about as loud as a refrigerator. Lot’s of airbrush artists who
work out in public with no access to power use compressed air
tanks and when it is out, they get a new one. Note: This option
can be pricey.
Tank or No Tank?
In my personal opinion, a tankless air compressor is a waste
of money. These little compressors have to run constantly to
produce pressurized air. They are noisy (not because they are
loud, but because they never stop!) and they tend to overheat
(again, because they never stop!).
Add to this they have piston air, which means they have a
constant fluctuation in pressure. And the reason for this is

inside the machine there is a piston driving back and forth
to pressurize the air. Because there is no tank the pressure
“surge” caused by the piston has no where to dispel except
through your airbrush. This pulsating WILL show up in your
work – especially when painting lines.
‘Do yourself a favour and overlook tankless airbrush
compressors – they are cheap, but you’ll regret buying one in
the long run.’
So, what size tank? Again, consider your personal needs and
your budget. The larger the tank the bigger the compressor
equals more money, but also the less the compressor runs to
fill the depleted tank you save on power and moving parts.
Note: Most air compressor pressures up to 125 psi, and then
turns off. When it gets depleted to 80 psi in the tank, the motor
kicks back on and re-pressures. It probably kicks in every 15
minutes or so. However, you don’t NEED 80 psi in the tank to
airbrush – in fact, when airbrushing at 20 psi, you just need
more than 20 psi. So what you can do is turn it on, let it pressure
up to 125 psi and then turn the power switch off. Then airbrush
interruption free for about 30 minutes and when you need a
boost of pressure, then flick the switch back on! The benefit
of this is that the compressor will start easy (Good for the
compressor) as it is not under pressure when starting. And less
noise which is good for your ears and the relationship with the
neighbours.
Pressure Gauge and Regulator
Most air compressors come equipped with a pressure gauge
and regulator however it is best to double check that the one
you are going to buy has these. The regulator is how you are
going to adjust the pressure going to your airbrush – you will
likely adjust this often so make sure the dial is easy to read and
the knob to change the pressure is easily accessible.
Water Traps
Water traps are an in-line accessory and the best bit of advise
I can give here is to have a Regulator /water trap combo.
Basically, air is wet (humidity) and when you compress air
you get small amounts of water that build up in the tank and
sometimes spray out your airbrush.
If you are planning to spray thinner based paints, water in the
line is a problem and you will need to get a water trap.
Summary
So let’s re-cap!
• Consider mobility
• Consider noise level
• Watch for sales at hardware stores or deals in newspapers
• Avoid tankless airbrush compressors
• Make sure it has a pressure gauge and a regulator gauge
• Make sure the regulator gauge is easy to adjust
• Always use a water trap
Now all you have to do is find that compressor
and start airbrushing.
This is Glenn from Airicons
and that is my Spray for the Day.
www.pandkg.com l 53
 FEATUREDARTIST

“You know when your mum signs you up for a class to get you
out of the house during the school holidays? Well, I do. My
mother, unsure of what to do with a 14 year old on those hot
summer days, saw my now mentor, Tony, recruiting students
for airbrushing classes in the middle of a shopping centre, and
thought “YES! She can do that!”. She signed me up then and
there. Little did she know that 17 years later I would not only still
be airbrushing but working with Tony as a licensee at Airbrush
Venturi.

Although my first few weeks were rocky, being the youngest

student in the class, I must have enjoyed it because I kept
going back. I don’t remember much more about the beginning
of my airbrush career, but I am pretty glad it all turned out the
way it did.

Today I enjoy teaching my classes of beginner to advanced

abilities and love to see their progression in skill and
confidence. In my time away from class I paint various artworks
on commission and for my collection. Some of my favourite
pieces have been ideas which seem to manifest themselves in
my mind for years. I like to think of an idea and make it happen,
sometimes in many small pieces to come together in unison.

If you like my work, please check out my Facebook page:

facebook.com/aerographique where you can see a gallery of
my entire collection and can contact me directly about classes
or artwork sales”.

www.pandkg.com l 55
56 l P&KG June/July 18
www.pandkg.com l 57
58 l P&KG June/July 18
FEATUREDARTIST
Tell us about your background, how did
you get into custom painting?
Growing up, I was a huge car enthusiast.
My friends and I had some really
awesome cars. The thought of taking a
vehicle to the next step to create a ‘one
of a kind’ was what gave me the idea to
start my own business. ‘The sky’s the
limit’ when it comes to the customization
of a vehicle, whether it be someone’s
daily driver or a show stopping sports car.
My goal was always to make a difference
to my customer’s lives by providing them
with an incredible service; to make their
car truly theirs. Through my passion for
this and hard work, I started my business;
H2O Graphics by Design. I am honored
to be CEO and Founder of an incredible
company that continues to grow, where
people can trust me with some of their
most prize possessions and biggest
expenses.
What do you like most about being an
artist?
The ability to take customers ideas and
bring them to life; their expressions
when they see the finished product is
what keeps me going.
60 l P&KG June/July 18
What do you find the most challenging
in your area of work?
The most challenging part of my job
is when a customer drops off their
motorcycle, for example and tells me to
‘do my thing’.
Who are your influences / artistic
inspirations?
Growing up watching ‘Pimp my Rde’ with
the guys at ‘West Coast Customs’ was
one of my first inspirations. The ‘Fast
and the Furious’ movies were my biggest
influence.
Do you have a favorite piece of work, or
art style you prefer?
My favorite piece of work would have to
be the ‘Tron 350z’. I got the concept idea
from reflective vinyl. I thought to myself;
‘how cool would that be to highlight all
the body lines and contours of a vehicle
and control when they would turn on or
off’.
What techniques do you use?
Specifically - tools/paints etc
A couple of techniques I like to use are;
digital drawing a design on the computer
and cutting a stencil of the image using
a vinyl cutter. Another technique I like
to use over LumiLor is; hydro dipping a
graphic art over the lit surface. This gives
a unique appearance during both the
day and night.
Tell us about LumiLor, would you
recommend this product and why?
LumiLor is probably the most unique
paint I have ever worked with! I would
highly recommend LumiLor to anyone
who wants to take their paint job to the
next level.
What projects are you working on this
year?
A few projects we have for 2018 include,
an RT Charger, an Iron man inspired sport
motorcycle and accents inside private
business jets.
How hard is it to make a living from this
art form?
At the beginning, it was very hard, long
nights and weekends. After years of
motivation and passion to succeed,
I have finally built a brand/name that
people know.
What advice would you give to
someone starting out in the custom art
world?
I would say, set the bar high, no matter
how hard it gets, stay strong and strive to
succeed.
www.pandkg.com l 61
 FEATUREDARTIST

A pin-up nose art graphic

project. Hand painted
by brush on aluminum
craft shield of a Triumph
Speed Triple special bike.
The Project begins!

1. The entire design has been retraced using copying paper. 2. I begin to fill the CYNAR lettering with white enamel.

3. Using different yellows to make outline of the letters and 4. I paint the artichoke with different gradients of green to
the circle as the background. create depth.
 5. The graphic begins to take form. Now I use different tones 6. Next step...the skin.
of red to create shadow and highlights for the Pinup dress,
shoes and lips.

10. I then outline the letters with thin and thick lines.

8. Adding other tones to create depth.

9. Now on to the copper hair style.

64 l P&KG June/July 18
 12. Adding some detail to the face and the shadows of the
lettering.

13. Creating a vintage effect using my fingers and sponge as a brush.

www.pandkg.com l 65
14. When all enamels become dry, I begin to scratch the entire painting with
sand paper using different pressure and directions. This is an important key
stage, which seals the design.

15. My signature.....a glory moment! HAHA!!!!

16. Final result... and a selfie with it. So satisfied. Thanks- ‘Explo’ Look me up on Facebook or Instagram: ‘explo.pinstriping’
FEATUREDARTIST
www.pandkg.com l 69
70 l P&KG June/July 18
 SHOWTIME

www.pandkg.com l 71
FEATUREDARTIST
1999 was the year that I first picked
up the airbrush. As I discovered its
versatility, I realized it was a natural
fit for me. While browsing through
one of those airbrush magazines,
I came across a featured artist
named Jennifer Janesko, and the
brilliant flesh tones and captivating
eyes in her artwork began my
gravitation towards pin-up art.

At just 20, I had no idea what I wanted to

do artistically, but the desire to continue
with pin-up style art with my handy
airbrush didn’t waiver.

My first paying art gig also began in

1999; I became a caricature artist at
Adventureland located in Altoona, Iowa.
The summer of 1999 on the grounds of
a local amusement park surrounded
by the smell of cotton candy and corn
dogs, I worked towards refining my
airbrush skills. While creating caricature
after caricature of excitable children
and families, I did not lose sight of my
interest in the pin-up style of painting. I
continued to dabble in pin-up art on my
own time while taking on the challenging
task of developing my own style. In 2007,
I participated in my first art exhibition
with my pin-up work. That same year, I
retired from caricature work.

Airbrush has always been my dominant

media, but over the years I have
developed techniques to incorporate
colored-pencils, heavy acrylics, and
metallic inks with the airbrush to create
my own style. I also build my own
painting panels and sometimes create
artwork on alternative surfaces such
as salvaged wood flooring or junk vinyl
records. I’m always striving to improve
my skills and expand my techniques. I do
a lot of drawing with colored-pencils too,
especially for developing ideas. A great
drawing will lead to a great painting.

I’m creating all the time and I also stay

active participating in art exhibits and
comic conventions. My artwork even
gave me the opportunity to serve as
a special-guest judge at the Miss Des
Moines Pin-Up contest in 2017! It was a
great experience, and a prime example
of how pin-up culture is alive and well.

You can follow my work on Facebook,

Instagram and Twitter: @SteveBaierArt

www.pandkg.com l 75
www.pandkg.com l 77
FEATUREDARTIST

www.pandkg.com l 79
It’s early days for Helen Miles as
she embarks on a new career body
painting but already Helen has
discovered a new lease of life, both
personally and creatively through
this art form. Helen tells us more
about her ups and downs, her
inspirations, acheivements and
hopes for the future...
How did you first get in to bodypainting?
I better make a long story short. I was told
by my mother during sixth form, ‘I could
not make a career from art’ so I went to
study sports therapy at university and
struggled for jobs after that as there was
no work in that field....
I went through years of frustration, being
threatened at work causing severe
anxiety, anxiety which goes with my
impaired phonological ability and being
told to quit the job I was doing by my
doctor, unnecessary stress from family
members and then doing a job where I
was being under paid with non-regular
hours for years. My partner, 2 years ago
knew I was down and asked me what
makes me relaxed, less stressed and
happy; that, I told him was art.
We decided I needed to do something
about it, I wanted to work with people as I
like being social, so we decided a career
80 l P&KG June/July 18
change was in order. I did many VTCT
courses at Olive Training around body
paint, airbrushing and makeup. Upon
qualifying, I entered many competitions.
I won the NMUA awards (National
Makeup Awards) in 2017 pro category
for bodypaint, won my regional heat in
Worldskills and came second in the UK
National Final of Worldskills.
I have found the best thing about this
change in career, being a part of the
bodypainting community, is, I have met
so many people with different stories
to tell, some similar to my own, people
who have body images problems, low
self-esteem, depression, anxiety the list
goes on. The group help each other, they
are like a family, no one is judged; there is
merit in everyone. Some people become
more positive, they feel alive once they
are body painted. It has only been this
last year or so that I have opened up to
a few people about my life experiences,
some things I’ve left buried for years, I’ve
finally been able to talk about, I believe
bodypainting has helped me to express
myself in a way I never could before.
Who inspires you?
After the Living Art Show in 2017 where
the theme was British Icons, I took on
a long term personal project inspired
by Adam Ant. The project is a makeup/
bodypainting/styling look book for
my makeup room. Adam Ant is an
inspirational man who suffered with
mental illness throughout his life. At the
peak of his music career you could have
called him a workaholic, erratic, hyper…
the list goes on. When things started to
go wrong for him instead of being kept
quiet it was spread over newspapers
because he was famous. Because of this
it brought mental health into the public
eye, yes people called him mad etc.
but it started to make people aware of
issues, that were otherwise rarely talked
about. It made people aware of what can
happen if things are not recognised, and
not managed correctly. Yes, there was a
big high in Adam Ant’s career which he
will always be known for and some low
points which he also will be known for,
but the most inspirational thing is; it does
not matter how tough and bad life gets,
it is the ability to ask for help, having that
support and picking yourself back up
again that’s important.
What does the future hold for you?
I aim to complete my Adam Ant look
book by the end of 2018. Career wise, I
want to build up my business. I’d like to
do some more editorials for magazines,
tv work, catwalk, fashion etc. I will just
have to wait and see.
Fcaebook: @WhimsicalSorceress
Twitter : WhimsicalMUA
Instagram: Whimsical_Sorceress
 Sparmax ISF
Coast Airbrush 4,59
1 Shot 8
Mr Brush 8
Andrew Mack Brush Co 8
A.S. Handover 16
Somogyi Vienna 16
SCS Norway 16
Insane Stencils 16
KKBO 19
ShinerGold Pomade 23
Ozone Clothing 23
V8 Brothers 28
Rock Ridge 32
Bedlam Breakout 32
London Edge 36
Harder & Steenbeck 40
Custom Paint Shop 44
Mick Neill Airbrush Academy 45
SharpenAir 48
Georg Petzoldt 48
Airicons 53
Airbrush Step by Step 54
FBS 62
Createx Colors 67
F.A.B. 70
Tamco Paint 70
Bad Ass Stencils 73
ProAiir 78
Custom Paints Limited OSB

To become a dealer for PinsTriPing & KusTom graPhics magazine email: nigel@pandkg.com