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After looking at Timmy Mallets new ebike he is riding round the coast of the UK (he is awesome BTW!) I am thinking I could paint one of my bikes.
However I have no artistic talent so I’d get my professional artist wife to do it instead. 😂😂
She uses acrylic paints as her chosen medium - could I just scuff the current paintwork up, get her to work her magic then clear coat over it?
Anyone done anything like this before as a novice?
Please, please try a paint swirl and let us know how it turns out. It saves me from making a mess in my own garage
Have a look at Squid Bikes instagram page, shows loads of ideas of how they do their frames with spray paint and create some great designs
i saw Timmy Mallets bike on facebook an hour ago. It got a "wow" react from me. Its pretty incredible.
Ive seen art done at places like Bespoke show in bristol, with paint pens. Looks good, but it doesnt look super smooth and glossy like a factory finish. I think it would depend how perfect you want it to look?
Also, i suspect part of the hardness of the paint would involve heating/baking it?
Could you get your wife to do her handy work, and then get the protection topcoat done by a spray shop?
I dont know, but i can see a "show us your custom paint/graphics" thread being a good read, and good inspiration.
Here you go. Starts halfway in.
I would think spray.bike is a good answer here but it might get expensive if you want multiple colours. I painted my with 2 colours and the process/result was great. It's not had much use since though so not sure how durable it is.
Crackle paint is another one I'm itching to try but both of my bikes are brand new insurance replacements. I'm a bit reluctant to trash a perfect factory paint job.
Not a bike but I love it,
I would not use acrylic, isn't it water based? I'd get something paintable that's tougher, some sort of enamel maybe? Or perhaps car spray paint - it comes in thick form for those touch up paints or you can do the standard techinque of spraying it in the lid and painting it on (done this loads on car scratches). Then I'd have my artist paint it on really thickly, then rub it back smooth before clear-coating.
Unless you want the thick paint look, which could be awesome tbh like an oil painting, and then use shit-tons of laquer (or clear powdercoat) over the top. That would be cool.
Paint dipping by the way is often problematic as it ends up thicker down one end. Not sure how you'd easily get round that in a garage.
I remember a forumite from maybe 15 years ago who started with a white bike, wrapped a load of insulation tape around everywhere, sprayed it all black and then peeled off the tape. It looked excellent; but his second attempt was even better - orange and black. It looked like the bike was made out of a tiger.
The only spray would be the clear cost on top. I can get 2k clear for the top no problem.
Or perhaps car spray paint – it comes in thick form for those touch up paints or you can do the standard techinque of spraying it in the lid and painting it on (done this loads on car scratches)
Wouldn’t work as you can’t really mix it to get the right colour and it dries too fast and would wreck the (very expensive) brushes.
Acrylic is pretty tough, and it’ll be covered over anyway.
She uses acrylic paints as her chosen medium – could I just scuff the current paintwork up, get her to work her magic then clear coat over it?
Anyone done anything like this before as a novice?
spray.bike have lots of videos and how-tos, worth a watch
DangerHolm on IG has just shown how he’s done his new paint job by hand.
I remember a forumite from maybe 15 years ago who started with a white bike,
Wasn't it even better than tiger, it was glow in the dark or reflective tiger!?