How to Pinstripe

Even before the heyday of Von Dutch and Big Daddy, the ultimate way to personalize your car or motorcycle was to lay some wicked lines on top of the paintwork. Done with a steady hand and an eye for style, pinstripes speak volumes. In How to Pinstripe, acclaimed veteran striper Alan Johnson teaches you everything you need to know to get started, to further your mastery of the form, or to simply understand how a good design comes together.

Following a primer on the history and evolution of pinstriping, this book launches into a step-by-step guide to the pinstriping process--from choosing paint and brushes that suit your style and abilities, to preparing surfaces, experimenting with symmetrical and asymmetrical designs, striping freehand, and using grids and patterns. While stressing the importance of finding your own style and having fun with the hobby, Johnson also explains the basics of color theory and unique considerations for antique and classic cars, hot rods and customs, and motorcycles.

For more advanced pinstripers, theres also tried-and-true advice on apprenticing and working car shows. Illustrated with color photography throughout, How to Pinstripe is the perfect source for beginners and veterans alike.

Alan Johnson caught the pinstriping bug at age 11, when his father took him to see Ed “Big Daddy” Roth at the New York Coliseum. After graduating from Newark School of Fine Industrial Art in 1968, Alan landed a job as art director at a New York City ad agency. In 1974 he moved his family to the country and started his own business, which still thrives today. Alan is also a consultant for automotive paint manufacturers and the author of several how-to articles. He recently launched his own line of signature brushes with The Mack Brush Company.