ON DECK VI pt 2: Its getting sketchy

more on the creation of my skate deck painting for Montana Skatepark Association’s On Deck 6

Now  that I've calmed down from my initial giddiness of receiving a fresh new deck (its the simple pleasures in life). Its time to get to work!

First step is to get the clear coat off the board. 

I sand down just the bottom of the deck, since that's the part I'll be painting.

I do a wet sand starting with coarse paper and working my way to finer grits until the deck is oh so smooth. This is usually the step in the process where I start figuring out what I'm going to paint. I love sanding by hand, there's something organic about the process to me, and I feel like each deck speaks to me, and tells me what kind of painting is locked inside. (not literally, I'm not that koo-koo)

Now that the deck is nice and smooth with all the clear coat gone, i take it back to my desk and get to sketchin!

First I lay out a really rough sketch, keeping it real loose. Just kind of putting the pieces in place.












I continually go back and tighten up the sketch, still keeping the whole thing really loose. I'm not too worried about detail here, that will come out in the paint. However I do want to get a solid idea in my mind of how it will look.

The final sketch

Now She's Ready for paint...

On Deck 6's online auction will go online mid-April. The opening of the show will be on First Friday in May at The Brink Gallery in Missoula, MT. - May 6 from 5-8 pm. The live auction will take place on May 21.

Learn more @ montanaskatepark.org/ondeck