GEARING UP
A Work in Progress by Scott E. Jacobs

Reprinted with permission from Airbrush Action (August 2000)

Scott Jacobs is known for his strikingly photorealistic renderings of motorcycles and cars. This step-by-step description of his latest piece makes it look simple.

Harley Davidson recently asked me to do a series of paintings of nine-time Grand National Champion Scott Parker, who is retiring this year. I call this latest piece "Gearing Up," because it depicts how these dirt track racers appear as they come around a curve. When they're at this point on the track, there is a lot of weight on the rear tire as the racer accelerates, while the front tire barely touches the ground. Sometimes, the racers will even pop a wheelie as they speed out of the turns, because they're taking off so fast.

The original painting will be unveiled in July 2000 at the Harley Davidson Convention in Denver, Colorado. We'll also be producing limited edition prints later this year, which both Scott Parker and I will sign.

The image is first drawn with a #4H pencil on Fredrix Belgian Portrait linen. It is then sprayed with Krylon Workable Fixative to prevent smearing.

The main figure is taped with 2-inch masking tape so the background can be painted.

The main figure is then carefully cut out, leaving only the background exposed. It's very important not to cut too deep, or you may find a very noticeable line in the piece.

I begin the first step of painting by blocking in solid areas of color with a paintbrush.

I under paint darker areas in the foreground, and freehand airbrush the figures in the background.

Next, I soften the foreground with thin washes of the ground color.

I continue to do washes over the entire background until the transition from front to back looks more thoroughly blended. Also, I add a shadow and splatter behind rear tire.

After peeling off the tape, I can start working on the main figure. I begin by laying in solid areas of color in a medium value.

I isolate those areas I plan to airbrush next. In this photo, I'm working on the orange and blue of the helmet and jersey. The letters on the helmet are covered with tape.

I airbrush lights and darks over my medium value, and then remove the tape from the letters.

In this next step, I mask the helmet, leaving the letters exposed for painting.

Using 77 Spray Adhesive, I attach a mesh material over the lettering on the helmet. Then, for a nice texture I airbrush my colors through the mesh. After I peel the tape from the helmet , I do my pinstriping with a So Loew Cornell liner brush.

The shield is done with a paintbrush only, because I feel this technique provides the look and weight I wish to achieve.

I then isolate another area to be airbrushed. In this photo, it's the white of the jersey.

After the jersey is airbrushed, I go back in with a paintbrush to soften the edges and bring in brighter highlights.

The tape is removed, and I isolate another area. This is like doing a puzzle, one piece at a time.

With the brush, I paint the handlebar pad a solid color, then use the airbrush for highlights and shadows. The lettering is done last.

The handlebars are painted with a brush. After that step is complete, I start laying in solid color to work and blend against.

At this point, I choose the areas to paint as I go along.

Before I paint the tires, I use a pencil to dig in the lines on the treads. This helps me to see where the treads are after I blend the tire.

I continue to paint solid areas around the piece to serve as under-painting to blend against.

The engine, pants, and boots are all blended with a paintbrush. I prefer a more "painterly" look for these parts.

For the forks, I isolate the area to be blended to ensure that no paint will be transferred onto completed sections.

The number plate is masked off. For the lettering, I once again use my pencil to dig in, so I can see the letters after the paint has been applied

After the plate is blended and letters complete, I splatter a little paint with a toothbrush and then smear it by hand to give the appearance of dirt.

The treads themselves are isolated with tape and airbrushed.

Last, but not least, after all of the the tape has been removed, I go over the entire piece and do touch-ups with a brush. When that process is done, the painting is complete!

Note: After I have completed each section, I varnish it with Liquitex Acrylic Gloss Medium and Varnish.

1998 Vargas Award winner Scott Jacobs has garnered acclaim for his photorealistic paintings of motorcycles and cars. He was Harley Davidson’s first licensed artist, and he has his own line of official Harley clothing. He is also licensed by the Chevrolet Motor Company Corvette Division and Mattel Hot Wheels, and has been the official artist for Sturgis for the past five consecutive years. Jacobs' work has been featured in a variety of newspapers and magazines, including the August 1998 issue of Airbrush Action

TECH FILE

Airbrush: Iwata CMSB Air Source: Medea Whisper Jet II Paint Media: Liquitex Acrylic from tubes Surface Media: Fredrix Belgian Portrait linen Masking: 2-inch masking tape Projector: Kodak 35mm projector Lighting: Chroma 50 bulbs in double fluorescent Ventilation: Open windows.