Looking for a painter for a custom job

[NCNitro]

Jeff, the outline on that Taz looks good! I haven't tried paint pens yet, where did you get them? On my spongebon lid all the borders were hand cut out of divelys liquid mask, it took me many hours, and many exacto blades. I might give one of those pens a try for the next toon lid, I plan on doing a Ren and Stimpy for my RS4 3.

 

[Candyman]

Actually, you should be able to find them in the craft section of Walmart or Target. You could also check craft stores like Michael's or A.C. Moore. And if there's a fine art store near you, they should have them.

http://www.artsuppliesonline.com/catalog.cfm?cata_id=8600

I also see that Sharpie has some now. I haven't tried them so I'm not sure how they work, but they look promising.

http://www.sharpie.com/enUS/Product/Sharpie_Water-Based_Paint_Marker_Extra_Fine.html

 

[Lessen]

Thanks Jeff. I originally wanted to use my flow pencil but even the smallest nib wouldn't allow me to write small enough. If I could get a smaller nib that would be killer. I'll have to look into those paint pens. I have yet to find for myself a paint pen that would write as fine as I've been wanting. I don't particularly care for the Sharpie that much but so far it's been the only thing I've tried that writes small enough.

 

[Mel*E*Mel]

Just the idea of cutting that code out by hand scares me. :whhooo:
and like NC said the sharpie idea.. umm it never looks even no matter how many times you go over it .. seems like even if it is dry the new ink always softens up the old ink and leaves a clear streak ..
only way i could see doing this is to cut some vinyl in a few strips ... only a few lines of code on each and then try and lay them even ,,
but to make it look better would be in a graphic or something .. maybe like candyman said to have stripes or some tribal and have the code in that on a few places of the bod
maybe have some paint peeling here and there and have the code under it ...
And lessen.. $40 bro?? are you nuts ...no matter how long it would take your (or any of the painters here) skills are worth more then $40 ..after the time involved no matter how long it takes is worth more then $40 .

 

[Lessen]

I agree Mel. The problem is the willingness, actually non-willingness of people to pay fair money for our time. I've seen many of your works and I don't think one of them would be less than $65 (i,m talking work only, not the cost of the body), but I' m not seeing bodies go for 3 figures. Hell, Joe has a hard time selling some really great looki'g bodies for far less than $100.

 

[Mel*E*Mel]

yeah it's true.. tring to get racers to pay is even worst .. they know that the body won't last long so to them it's not wort it ..thats why most of my paint jobs are around 50-75 for paint even tho after the time involved i'm painting for 5 an hour..but after you get the body done and the guy/gal gets it and loves it it's all worth it in the end
I have a steady 8-10 guys i paint for and i cut them breaks but sometimes i feel like just not painting r/c's and stick with motorcycles.. alot more money in it and about the same time involved

 

[Lessen]

I think it's BS that racers even try to justify a lower cost due to the small amount of time it will stay nice. It's like.. what difference does it matter ya know. That has no affect on how much time and talent is required to do it. I would rather do it for free for my friends than do it for a rediculously low price for somebody that thinks "it's not worth it".

 

[Mel*E*Mel]

Yeah .. it's like this they will spend 500 for a motor for their buggy to gain that .05 of a sec of a lap but only want to pay 50 for a painted body(body included in price)..
So i only cave in when it's guys i race with and get along with at the track some are really good friends so i can write it off when it comes to them ..
Kinda like the ones your doing now for the vrcnt thing .. you know it's for something you like and the guys you get along with so it's no biggy to spend alot of time doing it and making them happy ..
still think you're nuts for hand cuttig all of that ..lol

 

[NCNitro]

And lessen.. $40 bro?? are you nuts ...no matter how long it would take your (or any of the painters here) skills are worth more then $40 ..after the time involved no matter how long it takes is worth more then $40 .

No doubt! I thought the exact same thing. If you supply the paints and labor for that price you are insane! I would turn down the job first, before I would do it for $40. It's just not worth the time at all for that kind of money, I'd just rather not do it. I have sold bodies and barely broke even, that's why I am not at all in to the bodies for hire bit, I pretty much only paint for friends now. If someone is willing to pay me enough that I can make a couple bucks, sure I'll do it. I'm not looking to get rich, but I am not looking to take a beating either.

 

[Mel*E*Mel]

I can make a couple bucks, sure I'll do it. I'm not looking to get rich, but I am not looking to take a beating either.

Thats why you're the "painter of the year 07 and looks like 08 :whhooo:

 

[Lessen]

Well for the record, my $40 quoye was based on the idea of writing it, whether it be in paint or whatever. I already have an idea of the time and difficulty of tracing small stuff and honestly it's not as bad as you might think. Now hand cutting... that's a different story, I simply wouldn't do that for hire. If I could figure out a way to get my flow pencil to write fine enough I could probably get all the code down ina reasonable amount of time and I still think it would look really good for $40.

 

[NCNitro]

Funny thing is, most of the ones I did this year were for my rigs or friends rigs. I painted one or two I had laying around that I sold, and a couple others for members here, that I barely broke even on. I love to paint but it insults me when someone asks me to do a custom paintjob, sometimes very detailed stuff, I give them a price and then they say "HOW MUCH!" "Oh, I didn't think it would be that much" Can't you do it cheaper?". Like my time, paints, masking material, and other costs involved are not worth anything.

Theres a few guys that I will paint for any time they need something, but for the most part I am not doing many for hire paintjobs anymore. I'm still always happy to help out with any info, and still love to paint and will continue to paint until the fumes kill me

 

[Lessen]

The few 'for hire' works I've done were done for very low cost because I didn't feel comfortable asking for too much without any reputation doing work 'for hire'. I don't mind doing stuff for hire but I always have so many other of my own projects going on that I don't want to load up my pkate so full that I won't be able to deliver on my promises.

 

[Mel*E*Mel]

Thats why you tell them from the start .. when it's done it's done .. you don't want to rush this .. it might be bad for both of us..lol
I always try to get them out asap but sometimes you run into snags and sometimes you don't feel like painting ..
so as long as they are ok with that then your good to go ..

 

[NCNitro]

That's exactly what I do. If someone is in a rush, I refuse the job right off the bat. I am not going to rush a paintjob and turn out a half assed piece of crap just because I said I would get it done by a certain date. Since I have many other obligations in my day to day life there is not always time to paint. I have work, kids, a wife, and many responsabilites that often consume the majority of my waking hours. I paint when I can, and when I can do it properly and not in a rush. If someone gets a paintjob from me, they will know it will be a quality job, not a rush job, they also know they aint getting it in a hurry, lol.

hell it's been over a year and I still haven't finished my tuber. I aint rushing that either, lol.

 

[Amoeba]

So, I did some poking around and inquiries with people who do custom painting for a living and they all, without fail, said no freakin way without a mask.

So, I can get a vinyl or acetate mask made for this with a laser cutter. I've done some looking locally but the only places I've seen do laser cutting in large batch quantities. Anyone know someone who has a laser cutter and/or a company that will do a couple of one-offs?

 

[NCNitro]

So, I did some poking around and inquiries with people who do custom painting for a living and they all, without fail, said no freakin way without a mask.

Wow, sounds just like something someone said back around post number 8.

Did any of these painters give you a price? Were any willing to do it for $40

No one would do it with a sharpie? :

 

[Lessen]

... no respect for personal taste.

 

[NCNitro]

... no respect for personal taste.

or lack thereof

 

[RC Addict]

Funny thing is, most of the ones I did this year were for my rigs or friends rigs. I painted one or two I had laying around that I sold, and a couple others for members here, that I barely broke even on. I love to paint but it insults me when someone asks me to do a custom paintjob, sometimes very detailed stuff, I give them a price and then they say "HOW MUCH!" "Oh, I didn't think it would be that much" Can't you do it cheaper?". Like my time, paints, masking material, and other costs involved are not worth anything.

Theres a few guys that I will paint for any time they need something, but for the most part I am not doing many for hire paintjobs anymore. I'm still always happy to help out with any info, and still love to paint and will continue to paint until the fumes kill me

As long as you're still willing to do my LST body for me after the first of the year I am cool. Hell, I thought your price quote was spot on. Anyone that balks at a custom paint job price shouldn't ask "how much" in the first place.

If cost was an issue I would be buying another stocker body...