It was about this time, I went into a mall, and saw a guy airbrushing a t-shirt of a mustang and asking $45 for it, and it didn't look like a mustang! I said, I can do that, little did I know. I bought a Paasche VL double action, and gave it a wurl. My first T-shirt was a 55 chevy, drawn out with magic marker, it went through the wash, and all I had left was the magic marker, I used the wrong paint, trial & error. I quickly learned that i had to use flexible textile paint, but soon after that, i learned that auto base colors work too. I was always drawing, always looking through old Hot Rod magazines, Car Crafts, etc. and then the Rat Finks came. Yes I am a big Ed Roth fan, got my first fink shirt at Carlisle...."Race?", and soon, would always be drawing them. For the longest time, I airbrushed T-shirts, then R/C car bodies. After 9th grade in high school, we could choose to have certain courses, I tried till my Senior year to be in art class, was denied everytime, so I took mechanical drawing instead. Wasn't allowed in art class! but took best decorated xmas door competition, we did this every year, my room door was airbrushed, nobody could touch that, and got voted most artistic for my Senior year. I took some courses at a community college, majored in Architecture, learned to love & hate it, I was about one semester away from a degree, decided to not return, but as a surprise to me, I took, as an extra credit, Art 101....I surprised the teach by drawing a Z28 in the parking lot in front of one of the buildings, she told me , the automobile and the human fiqure are the hardest to draw, and that I had cars down-pat. And my first airbrushing on a car was done to a friends truck in college, "roadrunner and coyote" scene.
Mainly into cars, I worked at a local quick change oil place, I had my car, lived at home, life was good. I joined a few car clubs, took awhile to "fit - in" and to have me draw anything. I started drawing car show & cruise flyers then on occasion a dash plaque design or T-shirt design for them. I was soon getting known, but struggling. I hung out with bodyshop people, or one's who thought they were, so I learned some stuff by watching them, I ended up moving jobs to a place that sold paints & parts, which I stocked shelves at, but learned to mix & tint paints, and got knowledge on spray equipment & guns, all that good stuff. I am by no means a bodyman, and I don't claim to be one, I am a painter, a custom painter. Through this place I took some courses on auto graphics, through PPG. Alot of people don't know these classes go on, expensive, but it pays off. I have checked in on art colleges, Pasadena, Cleveland, Detroit, but that is about it, even checked out Disney at one time, never filled out the application. Just Recently I went to Philly for a "portfoilio day", where art colleges were on hand .A representative from Columbus Art school, loved my work, and asked why would I decide to go to school. What an experience, my art is alittle different that those I saw down there. In May, I went to North Carolina, to a "Airbrush Action Getaway" schooling, I took a class in pinstriping and a 4 day classes of Automotive graphics, what a week....it opened my eyes up, and since then I have pushed myself to pinstripe more & more and airbrush more & more, thus becoming this business, small, but getting there.
I met Gene Mennor, a great pinstriper and Gary Jension, a very talented striper, these guys.....I look up too a hell of alot. One day with these guys and you learn so much, in return, I pinstriped a "Rat Fink" tiolet seat for Gene, and airbrushed a 32 Ford with some pinstriping and a "dutch" eyeball on it, and gave it to Gary. In return, I asked for nothing, Gene gave me his shop shirt, which he wore, he said "the shirt off his back"...I never gave Gary the chance, I gave my 32 ford, shook hands, and left. I am sure we will meet soon. As for my airbrush instructor, I had no time for him, don't get me wrong, he was dang good, but attitude for 4 days gets tiring, no name will be given out.
The people I look up to, they include, Ed Roth, Von Dutch, Pete Millar - Cartoons ( I helped him out with locating some stuff), Gene Mennor, gary Jension, Dean Loucks, some local guys: Bill Pense from Art Attack, Justin Maine from Harrisville, George Fennel from Cycle Warehouse almost all pinstripers and painters without an attitude or swelled head, you meet alot. My family, true friends and car nuts in this area, I am greatful to.
Shops I deal with: West Penn Cycles, Greg Tebays Hot Rod & Cycle Shop, Baldaulf Autobody, Sean Wolf's Autobody, Jim Judson's Autobody, Tom Snow's Autobody .....these are just a few, there are som many others that contribute to my art.
Are there people I don't paint for? sure, it happens.....you don't take a car to a mechanic, expect a good job, and put them down all at the same time, it won't work.
You don't tell your painter you "made him" or " I taught you everything you know"... or "you only paint for personal attention" ? or even a better one....." I hope you find your calling".... stuff like that, it doesn't work, with other people that I run into......if you don't pay, i don't paint...remember people, only you (an artist) can put a price on your work, if I feel I want to give it away, that is up to me. All and all, there are only a few select individuals I won't paint for. As in anything in life...
You meet the good and the bad, it happens...it shouldn't but it does.
what I like to do? To be at a large car show or bike cruise, sit down and draw a person's car or bike with black marker/ fine tip, and then give it to them, I love the comments people make, the look on there faces, especially when you hand it to the owner, nothing beats that. Enjoy my photos of my work, cars, the bikes...t-shirts etc.
I can be contacted at 724-445-1122 or 724-822-5060 or email at: Marksairbrush@aol.com....thanks
