ghost graphics?

[sherfield2002]

i'm a decent painter but never done too much custom stuff. i was wondering if anybody could explain how to do ghost graphics. i know how to lay out and paint regular graphics but how do u do it so the only show up from certain angles like ghost flames? i've heard its not too hard but i just dont know the technique. so anyways hopefully somebidy can give me some how to info

 

[Bornhard]

hmmm...I'm sure there are many ways to answer your question. A lot of ghostly effects are done with a dry pearl mixed with an intercoat clear. Pearls will appear and disappear at angles, which give that faint ghostly look. You can also apply faint airbrush strokes with an over reduced urethane to will give it a translucent effect. I'm sure there's more to add to this topic....

 

[LudicrousSpeed]

I did my ghost flames with red pearl over a maroon base. I have seen it done with a slightly contrasting shade of color. IE: A sage green over a silver very lightly dusted on.........

 

[rex]

Joe pretty much nailed that one,pearls mixed up weak in clear are the most common way.I also like to layer candy,as in candy it in 2 or 3 coats and then 2 or 3 over the whole thing.This comes out very ghosted but you have to be careful how you do it.Ideally you want to either candy and clear and then candy the taped out grafix or tape out and candy the grafix,clear,then lose the edge and candy the whole thing.This way leaves no buidup in the taped edge and is very ghosted.I personally like the slight buildup to catch the eye so it forces you to see the contrast but you have to be careful doing it.Most people ask how I got such a fine stripe on there but there's no way possible to stripe that narrow,it's litterally a hairline stripe where the candy gathers up against the tape edge.Too much and it gets ugly or even wants to slide off the edge on a verticle surface.

 

[sherfield2002]

ok so let me see if i get it. say i wanted a light blue ghost flame on a factory black paint. i would just lay out the flame design and mask off everything else. spray the blue for the flame then put some intercoat with pearl (black i assume since the bearl should be close to factory color). then remove the tape and clear over the flames and the rest of the tank

 

[moore]

What you would want to do Is mix in the pearl blue with the intercoat and then shoot that as your flame color,then clear. and I beleave it takes more pearl so show on black then lighter colors, so a few test panals would be a good idea.

 

[sherfield2002]

oh ok i got it now. u just use the same color pearl as u want the flames to be. so theres no actual colored paint just colored pearl in the intercoat

 

[Bornhard]

get some dry pearl and mix it up with some intercoat clear.

Another option which is more complex is to add drops of Kandy Koncentrates to the intercoat clear and dry pearl mix.
This will alow you to alter the shade of blue if so desired.

Spray on about 3-4 coats, but test panels is suggested. I've shot on 2 before to get a very faint ghost effect. It's all based on the desired effect you're looking for.

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[LudicrousSpeed]

Yeah, make sure you do a test panel. I shot two or three before I found the desired effect.

What I did was mask off so I had sections of tape to pull off. The first one had no tape, so I shot it, then pulled off the first section. I shot both sections again, then pulled off the last section of tape. I then shot all three sections. This gave me one coat on the last section, two coats on the second and three on the fiirst. Make sense? This gives you an idea of what it will take when you do it for real. It did not take any paint at all to accomplish this, either.......

 

[rex]

Listen to them,and welcome aboard.I got off on a tangent and probably caused unecessary confusion,sorry.

 

[sherfield2002]

i think i got it now though. do u guys know if dupont makes dry pearl and intercoat clear that are compatible with the chromabase/chromaclear system? thats what i usually use

 

[moore]

I'm not sure about the paint brand your asking about but on a little side note, Down at the local paint here I've picked up these clear test panals that have a stick to hold them. You spray your pearl or candy and lay the panal over what ever color your thinking of using as a base. there pretty cool, Its like 15 bucks for a pack of 15 or 20 i think. Also about pearls, try to stay away from pastes for ghost patterns, They always seem to flip a cream color on the base color when not in the right light, at least to my experince. So from what I've done so far dry pearls in an intercoat clear are the way to go.

 

[LudicrousSpeed]

[ QUOTE ]
do you guys know if dupont makes dry pearl and intercoat clear that are compatible with the chromabase/chromaclear system?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, they do, I used it to shoot my first set of ghost flames.

I have three colors of pearl, white, russet red, and gold.

I have a ton of the white, I would make you a deal on a few grams if you wanted. I will never use all I have.

 

[Bornhard]

sherfield2002:

Dupont has a whole line of dry pearls. Forget the name of them, but they come in plastic canasters. I believe they cost a gold bar each. YOU do not need to use Dupont's DRY pearls if you're using Dupont's paint. They really only exist 'cause they're used in their paint mixing formulas.

Also they have some jamming clear. I've also used their normal clear binder for pearl effects.

switched to HoK for most of that stuff now...you can get ahold of Coast Airbrush and order all the HoK pearls in small or large quantities.