# Painting steps?



## Cutt'em Jack (Feb 17, 2008)

I have a question for all you lure artists out there. When you start painting, do you have a "workbook" so to speak with all the colors you need and the steps to paint them in? I seem to just grab and go and halfway through, I'll remember that I should of done something prior to get a certain look to a lure. I'm a complete beginner so I'm just trying to figure out how I should do it. Should I start a "workbook" so to speak with certain lure colors and painting steps, or do you all do it by memory? I just got the okay from the doctor to start using the right foot and am planning on getting down to the airbrush. I need a LOT of practice, and what better time to do it, right? Thanks!


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## Rowhunter (Jun 21, 2007)

Cutt'em, It's good to hear that you are well on the road to recovery. In an answer to your question about a list, not really, but it sound's like a real good idea. I use reference material like actual photo's or artist renderings to do semi-lifelike pattern's. I'll also use a lure catalogue for various " New and Hot", pattern's or variation's of them. And most of all, I look at what Tigger,Vince,RJ,Pete and all other Cutting Edge lurecrafter's are doing,LOL!
Seriously, to become a good painter is like anything else, PRACTICE! One of the main thing's is familiarity with the media of your choice. You need to know how it will react to thinning, how thin can it be and still be useable? You also need to experiment with your airbrush, what happen's with the same material at different pressures, what about almost no pressure? Stencil's ,Im not talking about skull's or flames here, (but those can be cool!), just a simple curve or a fin shape.Try this, cut out a simple curve out of cardstock and save both pieces. Just using very thin black shoot the curves, outside and inside. Come back with white and the opposite stencil and see what you come up with, Then reverse. This is all just highlighting and shading. Hope you have some fun!

Douglas


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## rjbass (Aug 1, 2007)

Mark,

I do alot of what Doug just said also. But since I do have customers and have to paint some of the same baits over and over, I do have a notebook so I can remember exactly how I mixed a certain color so I can repeat it exactly again and again. I usually set up six or seven guns and have them ready with the paint am going to use for a particular bait. This saves me time and minimizes the time spent cleaning and changing colors. If I am painting multiple baits, usually some of the same colors get used so I don't have to change as often. Now you certainly don't have to go out and buy several guns, I am just telling you how I do it to save time. 

When I get an idea in my head for a new color or shading effect or stencil pattern or whatever, I do alot of practicing on scrap wood so I can see how things are going to look before I put it on the actual bait. Sometimes even mistakes come out great....I love the painting part that is what I like to do the most...new bait styles and new colors is what keeps me fired up. I also like to see other builders ideas and patterns...it helps come up with variations of baits that you probably wouldn't think of on your own. I am such a geek (thats what my wife calls me, fishing geek) that I have actually traced bait fish that I took out of another fishes stomach when I was fileting it so I could make a pattern and copy the bait.....

Rod


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