Hard and Soft Masking

Masking

Okay, now that the design is drawn in place on the surface of the guitar, the final stage before painting starts is to mask off the foreground (all the bits we have just drawn in). To do this I am using 'Frisk' masking film (a thin transparent low tack film) which when applied to the design will act as a 'hard' mask giving a sharp defined edge around the design. Soft masking is done with a loose mask, usually of paper or card that is not actually 'stuck' to the surface you are painting - this enables particals of paint to seep under the edge of the mask, giving it a soft edge - thus soft masking.

An example of 'Hard Masking'

First the whole guitar is covered with a sheet of masking film, making sure there are no air bubbles trapped under the mask.

Then a scalpel is used to carefully cut the masking film around the edge of the whole design - without damaging the primed surface below it. The masking film is then carefully peeled away from the areas you want to paint - in this case the background. This is best done small sections at a time around fiddly areas. as the film can tear if your scalpel cut isn't clean - and it almost always tears across the areas you want left in place!

Once the whole design has been left masked and the background revealed ready for painting, you are left with something like this.

At this stage there is no need to worry about the definition of the foreground detail. Once the background is painted in, this masking is then removed and the guitar body lacquered for the first time, sealing the design in. Then piece by piece, the foreground will be masked, painted in and lacquered (sealed), building up the design section by section - a bit like a jigsaw puzzle.

Now finally ready for paint, the whole job becomes far more interesting. Unfortunately these photographs aren't too great, but even now the guitar is starting to come to life. Tomorrow the painting starts.

The background paint is applied.......

And the masking film removed.........

And this is what you're left with..................The result of hard masking.

More hard masking here. Masking film is once again laid over the areas we are masking. Then once the areas to be removed (areas to be painted) are cut around with the scalpel, they are carefully peeled away. Features like the nose, eyes, eyebrows and mouth are left masked - this helps to keep the shape of the face through the painting process and allows distinct edges to features like the nose to be painted in effectively.

Once all the parts of the design to be painted at this stage are masked, cut around and the masking film removed -

Luna is ready for her first detail painting to start.

The feautures of the face are roughly formed using shadow.

Yet more hard masking used here to keep the edge of the moon in sharp definition to the background. First the main (reflected) white of the moon was airbrushed in using a Simair Excel 2000 airbrush, this white works really well over the grey primer enabling subtle detail to be applied to the moons surface, this is then defined further with a light purple tone painted into the darker patches.

The guitars outer edges want to act as a frame for the design, so the moon is painted as a half moon with the outer edges (shadowed side) darkened to match the rest of the guitar. This shadow may well be made darker still once all the design is fully painted in - to balance the whole image up - but for now this will do (easier to darken later than to re-paint the moon in to match).

With the 'hard' masking removed the effect of the paint can be seen more clearly.

Again, the result of hard masking done with 'Frisk' masking film.

An example of 'Soft Masking'

This small, already hard masked nose shape needs to airbrushed in. To spray it in freehand would be very fine indeed, espescially with cellulose two pack paint without loosing the shape completely - so a soft mask is the answer as it doesn't really want to be too defined here.

The hard masking covering the nose having been removed, a tracing is made of the nose.............

This is then transfered onto stiff paper and cut out with a scalpel.

This 'soft' or 'loose mask' is then taped in place on the face. Using different types of papers or cards for your soft masks, varying the angles you apply your paint over your mask and also using various means to keep your mask raised at differing heights off of the surface you are painting - will all alter the effect of your finished soft mask - best way to learn is to play!

This loose mask then reduces the flow of paint over the rest of the face while the nose is painted - and still gives a defined shape to the nose.

Once the loose mask is removed this is what you're left with. Still messy, the nose is then smoothed in to match the rest of the face.

'Luna's face, arm, leg and hands are now taking shape having used both hard and soft masking. Now this stage of painting is complete, the masking film will be removed and the guitar body re-lacquered.

Basic masking is easy - it just takes a little time and practice.

 

Preparation Stage - Transferring the Image - Hard and Soft Masking

Airbrushing Stages - Painting the Neck

 

*Custom painted guitars currently in progress - Step by Step*

 

Hope this has been of some interest.

Custom built, custom finished quality guitars - for those that want something 'a bit special'.

 

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