Swirling Is An Art (Tutorial)

[RG462]

good info DC. Do you have any pics with using those paints? I didn't know you swirled

[Ad_Astra]

Nice tutorial!

I've done a few swirls:

http://www.aijaa.com/img/b/00491/3743434.jpg
http://www.aijaa.com/img/b/00972/3831515.jpg
http://www.aijaa.com/v.php?i=3900558.jpg

Just a few moments ago I did a new one with white, black, orange and yellow. Turned up quite ok. Pics later. I use those small enamel oil colour buckets that you use for miniature models. I paint the body in whatever colour. On the first one the body was painted white, 2nd was orange and 3rd was green. For the newest one I used white.

I've done some experimenting quite a lot now and then for about 1,5 years. The first ones were truly a mess. Nowadays I've started to like the swirls I've made. Clearcoating's been my weakest link, though

[6fingers]

Mannnnnnnnnnnnnn
Pic 3 is really a mystic one.Please post pics when it's finished.
Very cool now apply some small black fairies(like shadows) over it = AWESOME
Clearcoating ?!
Just spray it over your guitar,nothing more.

[RG462]

Originally Posted by 6fingers

Mannnnnnnnnnnnnn
Pic 3 is really a mystic one.Please post pics when it's finished.
Very cool now apply some small black fairies(like shadows) over it = AWESOME
Clearcoating ?!
Just spray it over your guitar,nothing more.

HAHAHAHA Yea just spray it on, you're good to go! NOT. Wetsanding and buffing can be an absolute nightmare to get the hang of.

[Tubarão Guitars]

Well, i promised myself getting far away this kinda topic cuz i do my own swirls and reaaaally disagree on a lot of tips and tricks posted here.
Also, my english skills really really sucks.
Anyway as swirling is an art, HUGE kudos for anyone even trying it.
I dig all the swirls showed on this thread and i think it's really fun swirling your own guitars and stuff.
Said that, about the clearcoating IMVHO it's the more difficult part to do on the art of swirling.
Putting a guitar on the water and getting a SPLOTCHY swirl is easy.
Selling splotchy swirls on E B A Y without PRO clearcoat is "UBER-easy".
Just try getting a PRO result like factory Ibanez swirls and... that's it.

People stir and freakout about paint brands and so...
I'm using Made in Brazil polyurethane bi-component paint for the most of time and have tried just every type of paint available.
Those paints acts in a very diferent ways when using the REDUCER (thinner) and may vary from color to color.
For example: i really don't use reducer on black paints at all, since i love the darkest black possible.
The yellow color needs a lot of reducer, but mixed with other colors on the bathtub, the yellow reacts and ruins all other paints, so i need to use just a LITTLE drop of yellow and a huge amont of black to get the colors balanced on the same swirl.
I know it sounds like a messy concept, but you need to know how to REDUCE each color separetely and know exactly how they react with each other.
Every COLOR needs a very diferent amount of REDUCER to get proper results.
All i can say is that the best paint for MY SWIRLS aren't the car paints but the ones used to PRINT on t-shirts fabric (100% cotton).
It's an acrilic based paint, also made in Brazil. Have no idea of brands for international market (and i don't care about you finding it at MalWart store close your house or not). LOL

I'm pretty sure, back in the day, Darren used those acrilic based paints to swirl shirts and i started from this info to get my own results.
Check some of threads i started to discover some swirls i've posted on all those years of swirling fun. Hope you like 'em!
Long live swirling fun!!!
Cheers,
Will Tubarão.







GMC style

[Tubarão Guitars]

Orange PAW UV77MC

[Tubarão Guitars]

No photoshop edit...

[Tubarão Guitars]

okay, now i'm done with all those guitar pictures

[jim777]

Originally Posted by Tubarão Guitars

Orange PAW UV77MC

This guitar is INSANE Wil, really, REALLY nice work!

jim

[andyt]

Good thread for info so heres mine - these are the only swirls I've ever done and until I started using Oneshot paint never done any testing, just chucked the paint in a bucket of water and dunked it
1st blue plasticote enamel straight from the pot on white base

2nd Red & black plasticote enamel straight from the pot, white base

3rd Wanted to do some neon's but couldn't find neon enamel paints so neon green spray can base coat, black plasticote ontop

4th Black and clear plasticote enamel ontop of the gold leaf

5th Found some fluro enamel paints on **** - Oneshot signwriters enamel, so though I'd give them a try. This was the first time I used borax in the tub & played around with the paints with reducer to make them spread on the water - not too thick, not too thin & as Will said the order you add the colours makes a difference to the amount you have to reduce each

6th redid my green one above, Oneshot signwriters enamel on white base coat

[dccomputersa]

Here is a link to a couple of my swirls.

swirl-91441.html" target="_blank">http://www.jemsite.com/forums/f15/my.../a>-91441.html

And

http://www.jemsite.com/forums/f15/my...try-91919.html

[verus]

Very nice! im going to try that on my ibanez jem custom!

[barbarelaxe]

Originally Posted by Tubarão Guitars

Check some of threads i started to discover some swirls i've posted on all those years of swirling fun. Hope you like 'em!
Long live swirling fun!!!
Cheers,
Will Tubarão.

Hey will,
this one was and still is my favorite of yours



I just really love the color combo and the flow.

[RG462]

Go check out Avi's (Barbarelaxe) work. www.bnaguitars.com Check out those finishes, DAM!

Thanks for your input Tubarao! Whats a tutorial without advice from the pros?

[RG462]

Originally Posted by dccomputersa

You can eliminate most of the trial and error by using automotive paints from a local paint store. Have them pre-mix it with a 50/50 ratio of paint to reducer. They float easily this way, and since they are all made of the same material and reducer they pretty much all float the same, without the clumping and such. You can use any local auto paint store that mixes their own stuff. Dries fast and sands down easily. Also 6 Finger, that swirl is one of the best I have ever seen.

I like where you are going with this. New paints, with tons of colors. Although, I bet you could get a better reducer/paint ratio. Also let the swirl dry in the water a little more. you will get less drips.