Thanks so much Steve!! I’m 63 with a art degree. People at bike rodeos were always surprised when I’d say: I can’t do that”. It’s the truth, but I’m buying your brushes and watching. I’m trying to make it happen. Your right…there was a big difference when I use your brushes. I’ve got a long way to go, but improving with your brushes! Thx!!
Reducing the paint is called palleting, it is adding paint and thinner until the right viscisity to paint without the paint running ,or dragging. The factors that come into play can be air movement, temperature, both ambient and the surface of the substrate, differant colors will pallet differantly My Smooth Stroke additive will help with flow and gloss and also defeats fish-eye so that you can go over other colors. Lettering and striping will require differant palleting techniques. good luck!
I just purchased a package of 3 striping brushes from coast airbrush, can't wait to try them out. I've been a Mack user but ever since I've been watching your videos I'm hooked. Thank you for post these great videos.
Steve, Thanks for taking time with me the other day, hanging out with you, Don Johnson and Zig was quite a treat. I broke out my new Kafka brushes last night and had a blast. Once I get used to them I will send you a pic or two. Thanks again, Love the brushes! Mike French
I live in Phoenix and used to empty trash at Artsigns when they were on Encanto Blvd when Al Giron used to own it. Wow I worked in sign shops for years all over the valley and I would have bosses that admired your pinstriping. I just started getting into fountain pens and all the sign shops. At Budget Signs an amazing artist was there Vlademire Arangelovich I hope I spelled his name right. Your a true artist I had to scroll down and when I saw Phoenix I knew that your here! Thanks
You are a Cool Guy and it's great that you go to such lengths to share these trade techniques. I picked up one of your liner brushes and some enamel paint to give it a go; it should be a good addition to my poster art toolbox.
Thanks for the very kind review of the Signwriter Series brushes, I worked very hard on these and your input is extremely valuable to me . . More videos on the way! Have fun, Steve
This is awesome. Haven't found a lot of tutorials out there, and this was precisely what I was looking for. Will be ordering some of your brushes for sure. Would love to see a printable version of this alphabet for reference. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You Steve Kafka!!! I'm ordering a few sizes today. will be posting progress in the FB help group. Your shared knowledge is greatly appreciated
Hey Steve, Thank you so much for making these videos! They have been a huuuge inspiration to an aspiring artist such as myself. I love your work, you are truly a master. Please keep making videos, it will help spark many new generations of amazing artists.
You miss the point,--with folks crowding round @ a mere 10 bucks a pop' Steve could do maybe,6,or 7 bikes in an hour if he wanted ,figure that over a 2/3 day show. How many would you get..?. Besides Steve K is one of the good !! guys.
Mr. Kafka I really enjoy your videos and I've almost mastered the script you show us in this video! Just wondering if you could help us all out some more and post a video of all upper case letters? Thanks for sharing your craft with all us newbies.
Michael Valdez just went through a couple of years of chemo and radiation, so I’m recovering from that shit , but I have plans to resume the videos , I’m very weak at this point but on the mend.
excellent, fun to watch, and I like how you encourage people to try, practice etc. It's nice to hear the thoughts of someone with so much experience. It disturbs me that as of now 4 people were silly enough to click "dislike" but hey, that's the internet for you.
@arturo79hernandez It's my pleasure to share with all interested in this art form,Thanks to all of you that are supportive and use my pinstriping and signwriting products, Steve
Hi David I don't have any plans to visit the frozen north anytime soon, but I'll help you with any problems you may run into. As soon as the Von Dutch Bus Restoration is finished I plan on starting my intensive one day seminars again, here in Phx. Until then you can e-mail your questions. Steve
ive been drawing for 16 years. and started charging in high school for commissions, i draw portraits very well, but one thing ive always had a tough time designing was letters. theyre way more technical and they scare me. hahaha
HI frede, I make a practice board it's on my site, do not practice on glass as it has no tooth to pull the paint out of the brush, the black substrate is called Plastisheen it resembles the finish on a car ,but mistakes are not easily repaired, I use it for finished panels that I sell, and demos on the tube. Have fun, call if you need help. Regards, Steve
@pearse984 Great, Hope this and the other videos help you. I'll do some more soon. Try the Signwriter Series Kwills& Liners , they will truly help you. Steve
@Thoma59 Back atcha my friend, lots of people enjoy this aspect of the art form, and these help them to achieve pro results in a short time frame. Hope all is going your way. Regards, Steve
i do airbrushing and want to use your brushes to go back in a clean up the line work. witch ones should I get. I also want to learn how to stripe flames and graphics. I have a few macs but they dont work that great cause i dont know how to trim them. these videos are the best! thanks for your input, Jeff Baker
tattoobaker very sorry for the very late response, try my # 3 scroll brush ,watch as many of my videos as you can stomach, and if you have questions try stevekafka.com, most of all have fun!
@TheJonnyrock13 I have scriptliners too and they are different then the Signwriter Series that I'm demoing, make sure you get the lettering brushes Kwills & Liners. Have Fun! Steve
Hi, what website would you recomend for aquiring these brushes as i would love to get ahold of a chisel tip. What is the difference between the liner you used and the quil besides the shape and length?
Fred Hoffman stevekafka.com, liners are a bit longer and are perfect for quick script lettering , the Kwills are beautiful square chisel tipped, watch the videos from Davidographicsguy he demos all of my brushes and he is a pro!
Just whatched one of your videos and it was on Monte the 15 year old great. Video that kid wit have his ford gt in no time he is great always love pinstripe I’m a tattoo artist of 35 years and just started taking up airbrush always wanted to learn the prob now is that I shake a little now cause of age the more I consentrate on pulling a line with a airbrush or tattoo machine I shake the more I concentrate the worse I get the onley way I can work now is with meds to stop me from shaking I would love to try this also but I’m sure I would shake to bad I’m 60 didn’t start shaking till I turned 50 I can control it with a tattoo machine I go really slow sure wish I did not shake cause would love to learn this great art every time I see a semi truck with the pinstriping on the door with the name I love it looks awesome any way that young Monte has a great career and off to a great start I can only imagine him in a couple years great video
Jeff Leblanc I wish you were in Phoenix ,I’d have you try one of my Scrollers, they work great fast or slow , don’t give up on this stuff, I just made 73!
Damn!!!! You are the man!!!! What do you think,or I should ask , what would a start up be? I've invested quite the time and greenbacks in the setup of airbrushing...only paper right?lol I can draw etc etc.. Tricks and tips, yada, yada, and I'm ready In a few years to hit the coast before I get to old and not be able to move.lol to do things like your wet on wet tutorial and mix it up. Brushes you started out with will help.watch ya later. Peace
You see, it's kinda funny. That saying "those who can't do, teach", this however does not apply to this man, because he CAN DO & TEACH... I guess it's just that 1 in a million thing...
Sweet work I was wondering do u have to thing the paint the same way u would if your Pinstripin ? Or can u letter right outta the can? Also what are some good # brushes you recomend for starting. I plan on using your brand of brushes. Thanks for your time n vid
Thanks for the palletting help. I used your scrolling brush to make my mother a birthday present and she loved it. Im getting better at getting the paint to my feal. What surfaces (paper, metal, ect) would you suggest for me to practice on? And where would you buy that black board you pinstripe on in your videos? Thank you Mr. Kafka. - Fred.
Dear Steve. I have a serious problem getting chissel on my brush. Am i maybe, overloading my brush to a point where paint start to gather in the middle of the hairs making a bubble of paint in my brush. If so, is that overload the reason why my brush wont .."sizzle"? Greetings from the dane.
Do you ever come to Toronto , Canada ? Everything I have learned over the last 5years has been trial an error, and self taught. I don't have any guidance, and it would be swell to shake hands with one of the greatest alive! Your friend David .
ACA137 Sorry David I don’t travel anymore , been sick for several years ,but starting to feel better. Have you watched all of my you tube vids , they have helped lots of people, I also make a “System” that has been very successful in fast track learning for Pinstriper’s, plus I’m always available at Stevekafka,com for q&a
Well besides the obvious choice of buying them from me at my site you could try Dick Blick, Eastwood, Coast Air brush, Summit Racing, McGlogan's, Earl Mich Co. Greg Dorance, Tcp Global and most any store that has it together, Good Luck and have fun! Steve
GreasyHairedKid sorry for the late reply , never trim any hair from anything I make ,they are ready to go after you rinse them in hardware lacquer thinner to get the sizing out
What's the trick to your paint mix? It seems yours is much thinner than mine, and if I loosen it up I have trouble getting consistent lines and curves due to the ends of the bristles not holding paint.
psimons43 one of the biggest hurdles to get over is palleting, but once it comes to you you’ll have the feel forever, some of the things that have an effect are wind, temps ,both hot and cold, rain ,humidity, but that’s about all ,and you’ll learn to make adjustment and adapt to it all! The tip not flowing paint could be sizing left in the hair, get it out with hardware store lacquer thinner to make sure.
Great work Steve. You are very talented. I'm an amateur graphite pencil artist. Since I'm retired, I would like to try lettering for the fun of it. I will check your site, but what paints do you use and is that a dry erase board that you use for practice? Thank you.-Jose
J Nieto 1-shot sign painting enamel,thins with spirits. The practice panels are acrylic ,and can be used thousands of times , just clean after each use.
Thank you Steve for the reply. I was at the Wheaton, IL Blick Art store last week and bought the #10 Kafka script liner. I was disappointed that they didn't have your quill brushes.
Retired LE on any vehicle use a prep solution from an auto paint supply ie. Prepsol degreaser, if you get static, as on plastic m/c fenders rubbing alcohol will get rid of it , static is not our friend, always check by running the back of your hand over the surface ,static will move the hairs
Eric Push after it has dried a couple of days ,I would dampen a shop rag with mineral spirits or more aggressively with hardware store lacquer thinner and very carefully let it soak on what you want to remove, wiping ,again very carefully not to hurt the surface your painting on , now with that said if the paint has been dry for up to a day , I would again use a shop rag with isopropyl alcohol ( rubbing alcohol) to remove what you want, works great on fresh paint without streaking, don’t be aggressive ,take your time .
