Graveyard Run Restorations

Graveyard Run Restorations: Two, 48”x 8” compositions for both sides of a 48’ car hauler, gooseneck trailer - 2005. Technique: Original compositions showing hand done watercolor using ink for drawn black line, watercolor brush and airbrush using overlaying acetate, templates. Three illustrations, one for each 48 ft. trailer-side and back panels showing different content accomplished on 300lb watercolor paper, image area sizes are 8in.x 48in. for the sides and 8in.x 14in. for the back panel. Client furnished photography of high-end automotive restoration projects and black and white lettering shapes of logo, “Graveyard Run Restorations.” From the 48-inch illustrations, the project was enlarged to 48 ft. necessitating exact detail and correct technique for such high enlargement. Project was scanned and printed in 4ft.x 8ft. self-laminating panels to be individually applied over specially made non-riveted walls for best continuity.

The individual automobiles, engine and human figures were illustrated from supplied photography using black ink lines and airbrush techniques. The lettering in the logo was arranged in an arc common to both sides using black line and shadow effect with freehand, wet on wet blended, transparent watercolors. The foreground, sky and mountainous background and Golden Retriever were freehanded with wet on wet watercolor techniques and drawn black line. Glitches and unwanted watercolor applications were tediously minimized, smoothed over and/or removed using a magnifying lens and cleaned with a stiff, small, sable haired brush so that the printed images would not look unfinished or ragged when enlarged ten times from the original art.

Great care was taken to produce a high quality illustration in keeping with the high quality of actual automobile restoration performed by the client’s company. Much more time was spent than estimated completion, however the results were accomplished to the client’s specifications with almost non-existent correction. Project finish: $6,000.00