{"id":1339,"date":"2008-09-27T23:03:24","date_gmt":"2008-09-28T06:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/?p=1339"},"modified":"2012-12-31T12:19:26","modified_gmt":"2012-12-31T19:19:26","slug":"over-my-shoulder-making-hot-rod-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/over-my-shoulder-making-hot-rod-art\/","title":{"rendered":"Over My Shoulder&#8230; Making Hot Rod Art"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mr_social_sharing_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<!-- Social Sharing Toolkit v2.2 --><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.myrideisme.com%2FBlog%2Fover-my-shoulder-making-hot-rod-art%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myrideisme.com%2FBlog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2008%2F09%2F0131-300x148.jpg&amp;description=Over+My+Shoulder%E2%80%A6+Making+Hot+Rod+Art\" class=\"pin-it-button\" count-layout=\"none\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/images\/PinExt.png\" title=\"Pin It\" \/><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><fb:share-button type=\"button_count\" href=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/over-my-shoulder-making-hot-rod-art\/\"><\/fb:share-button><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-count=\"horizontal\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/over-my-shoulder-making-hot-rod-art\/\" data-via=\"myrideisme\" data-text=\"Over My Shoulder\u2026 Making Hot Rod Art\"><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><div class=\"g-plusone\" data-size=\"medium\" data-annotation=\"none\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/over-my-shoulder-making-hot-rod-art\/\"><\/div><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a class=\"mr_social_share_email\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Over My Shoulder\u2026 Making Hot Rod Art&amp;body=https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/over-my-shoulder-making-hot-rod-art\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/social-sharing-toolkit\/images\/icons_small\/email.png\" class=\"nopin\" alt=\"Email\" title=\"Email\"\/><span class=\"mr_small_icon\">Email<\/span><\/a><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"linksalpha_button linksalpha_link\" href=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/social\/mobile\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/over-my-shoulder-making-hot-rod-art\/\" data-text=\"Over My Shoulder\u2026 Making Hot Rod Art\" data-desc=\"Please enjoy your brief, but meaningful and entertaining, look \"over the shoulder\" of painter Tom Fritz as he makes what I think is my favorite piece of Hot Rod Art to date (and he's got alot to like!). Over My Shoulder... Making Hot Rod Art Written By Tom Fritz (Car and Motorcycle fine art) One of\" data-image=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/0131-300x148.jpg\" data-button=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/images\/social_share_button.png\" alt=\"Share\" class=\"linksalpha_image\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/scripts\/loader_iconbox.js?v=2.4\"><\/script><\/span><\/div><p><a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/0131.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1350 alignleft\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px 6px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/0131-300x148.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art\" width=\"300\" height=\"148\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/0131-300x148.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/0131.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Please enjoy your brief, but meaningful and entertaining, look &#8220;over the shoulder&#8221; of painter Tom Fritz as he makes what I think is my favorite piece of <em>Hot Rod Art<\/em> to date (and he&#8217;s got alot to like!).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Over My Shoulder&#8230; Making Hot Rod Art<\/strong><br \/>\nWritten By Tom Fritz<br \/>\n(<a title=\"Hot rod painting and prints\" href=\"http:\/\/fritzart.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Car and Motorcycle fine art<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>One of the side benefits of working at my art is that I\u2019ve been blessed with the development of an extended family of very close friends, a rich variety of both men and women who support me in my self-inflicted torture. And as sit here in front of yet another blank canvas trying to figure out the combination of what I am and what the world needs, I\u2019m reminded of all the conversations in which I\u2019ve been asked, how hard is it to make my art, or how long it takes me to make it \u2014 in which they try to get a handle on how I put a painting together.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin: 7px 15px 10px 7px; float: right; width: 150px; padding-bottom: 7px; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Georgia; font-size: 20px; line-height: 24px; color: #bf571d; text-align: right;\">&#8220;&#8230;lets face it \u2013 starving can become a nuisance. .&#8221;<\/div>\n<p>These questions invariably come up at shows and in order to portray the illusion of credibility in a compressed time frame, I use convenient phrases like \u201cit really isn\u2019t so hard.\u201d But honestly, it really IS hard work. After all, evolving an image and style can take a long time and can be, at times, a hellish nightmare.<\/p>\n<p>So, I figured I\u2019d allow you to sit and watch over my shoulder for the first time ever in a published format as I weld together a story of image, paint, color, and technique, and hopefully do so with a forceful result. I\u2019ve never done this before, and the one thing I don\u2019t want to do is give you all a step-by-step, here\u2019s-how-I-mix-this-color art lesson. I\u2019ll leave that to the television artists.<\/p>\n<p>To begin, I\u2019d been scouring events earlier this year looking for an example of a front engine dragster typical of those I remember from my youth. I REALLY want to put something together with one of those.<\/p>\n<p>Remember I mentioned that my process could be painful? How painful can it be to put an image together? Well, it seems to be ingrained in the motor sports arts that every painting has to \u201cbe of someone or something\u201d \u2013 that every painting has to contain specific history and other incidental baggage, which is something that I really don\u2019t care to drag along. When I was young, the thing that really kicked me in the zipper about the whole wang dang doodle was simply this: metal making noise. To this day, it remains the prime visceral element that I respond to and the main thing I try to accomplish in my work. I\u2019m presenting a time capsule that contains the same raw, core experience I remember and digested as a kid. In fact, I think this is still the thing that sucks us all through the turnstile. After all, I can\u2019t believe we just go to the races to enhance our memories of who was driving what, when, and where so we can go hot-dogging at the bench races.<\/p>\n<p>The point for me, then, is to find a middle ground between form, content and story telling that I feel comfortable with. I\u2019m trying to put on canvas something intangible, invisible, and something that exercises my observational sensitivities and aesthetic taste. And I want to create an exciting image no one has ever seen before \u2013 an image with a point-of-view no trackside photographer could have snapped.<\/p>\n<p>Can you now understand why it\u2019s pretty easy for us artists to work from a photo taken by someone else? I understand this, because lets face it \u2013 starving can become a nuisance. But besides surface-level copyright infringement, there are even bigger issues for me.<\/p>\n<p>First, I\u2019m an artist. I need to create. I don\u2019t want to just color an old photograph. Sure, I use the old pics for reference, whether it be historical tidbits, a \u201cjumping off\u201d place, or for inspiration\u2026 but not as the basis of my image. Photographs record detail. My job is to take elements from a photo, and from them make a subjective, aesthetic statement to evoke a particular emotion or mood. Besides, the old photos (which in the motor sport realm are mostly \u201csnaps\u201d) hold visual traps that most artists unwittingly fall into, unknowingly painting in distortions and compositional weaknesses inherent in the image.<\/p>\n<p>Another thing. That lucky artist that went through the shoebox first snagged the most dramatic images, leaving the chaff to the rest of us. So, then I have to ask myself if I\u2019d really want to paint something someone else already painted? (Sheesh, how many renderings of Bob McClurg\u2019s 1972 photograph of Wild Willie Borsch in the \u201cWinged Express\u201d have we seen?) And then, I wonder why I\u2019d want to paint all the leftover images that aren\u2019t really all that great to begin with?<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, I brutalize myself to come up with the hard stuff.<\/p>\n<p>Enough talk. Time to squeeze out some worms of color, sharpen the brushes, and bring on the pain. Pull up a chair, kick back and join in the madness. Watch out\u2026 some say the oil paint fumes make them intoxicated (you\u2019ll notice I don\u2019t hold my breath while I paint).<\/p>\n<p>One more thing. I\u2019ve got my camera here, and understand I\u2019ll have to \u201cpull\u201d myself out of the altered state of consciousness I fall into when I paint every so often to take a picture of the emerging image. Sort of like waking up from a dream state. Lessee how this goes\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Pah-rooz these reference photos I took\u2026<br \/>\n<a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/a.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1351\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -Inspiration\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/a.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -inspiration\" width=\"270\" height=\"196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/a.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/a-300x218.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 270px) 100vw, 270px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/b.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1352 alignnone\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/b.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art\" width=\"270\" height=\"203\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/b.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/b-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 270px) 100vw, 270px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>What a mess, right? They\u2019re black n\u2019 white photos, there\u2019s nobody straddling the rear axle, the throttle plates are closed, the tires are obese, and the header tips are covered. Also, there\u2019s a lot of stuff in the background like park benches and trees. And this isn\u2019t a \u201chero\u201d car, for chrys-ache. Where\u2019re the stands with all the people? Where\u2019s the Christmas tree, the fire extinguisher, the tower? (Just about now, that \u201cpath to temptation\u201d pointing to the shoebox of old photos is starting to look better and better\u2026)<\/p>\n<p>Back in the studio, I take a rare free moment between projects and put out a small quick-n-dirty thumbnail to see if I could translate the image I see in my mind into reality.<br \/>\n<a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/001.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1356 alignnone\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px 6px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art - thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/001.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art\" width=\"500\" height=\"290\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/001.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/001-300x174.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Usually I don\u2019t take this step, opting to go direct-to-canvas instead. But this time I wanted to verify my intention to limit myself to a decidedly monochromatic, cool color scheme. In my sketch, the left front wheel protrudes beyond the image boundary, which compositionally stabilizes the subject, tying it into the frame. You can see that I have to work out issues of lighting, as I now have multiple light sources (two spectacular white plumes of burning hydrogen as well as ambient lighting) as opposed to the one light source I have in my reference photos (the sun).  Some parts of the car in my sketch stand in front of my perceived light sources, some are beside a light source, and other parts are just filled, again, with ambient light. And to top it off, I have to translate how my eyeball experiences violent motion in buttery oil paint, without relying on convention (Dang! That shoebox of old photos just keeps looking better all the time\u2026)<\/p>\n<p>After preparing the canvas, I lay in my image, keeping my line work loose and broad, preventing me in being too much of a slave to my reference. Once I\u2019ve done my sketch, I start applying my initial washes. I don\u2019t do this tentatively; I really hunker down on that thing. These washes are laid in with thinned paint and a big brush, and the tones are lightly washed in transparently to cover the whiteness of the canvas.<br \/>\n<a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/002.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1359\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px 4px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art - initial wash\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/002.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art - initial wash\" width=\"500\" height=\"245\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/002.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/002-300x147.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Here in these detail photos, you can see some of my initial line drawing and washes, done both with pen and brush.<br \/>\n<a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/003.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1361\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/003.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -pen &amp; brush\" width=\"180\" \/><\/a><a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/004.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1362\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -pen &amp; brush\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/004.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -pen &amp; brush\" width=\"180\" \/><\/a><a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/005.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1363\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -pen &amp; brush\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/005.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -pen &amp; brush\" width=\"180\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>(click images above for a better look, and a snazzy Viva Zoom effect)<\/p>\n<p>I work on the whole canvas at once. It\u2019s pretty direct. Every stroke relates to the whole. I don\u2019t start in the upper right and work to the lower left, after all, there\u2019s a great joy in watching the painting come together all at once. Now here\u2019s a look at the canvas on the easel, the morning after the first session. The painting is 42 inches wide by 21 inches high.<br \/>\n<a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/006.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1365\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/006.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art\" width=\"500\" height=\"386\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/006.jpg 775w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/006-300x231.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>At this point, the painting is going together pretty smoothly. I constantly keep things moving around, making sure nothing calls attention to itself. However, something is up\u2026 look at the top of the right front tire in the progression images. Notice there is a ghosted tire that disappears, only to reappear later?<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/007.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1366\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -next step1\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/007.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -next step1\" width=\"270\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/008.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1367\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -next step2\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/008.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -next step2\" width=\"270\" \/><\/a><a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/009.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1368\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -next step\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/009.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -next step3\" width=\"500\" height=\"245\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/009.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/009-300x147.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Either I\u2019m overdosing on fumes, or this is clear and present evidence of rampant imagination not being tied down to a paint-by-number approach. Try something here. No, take it out. Wait, I liked that \u2013 bring it back. Just me peeling another layer of ass off myself as I paint. Oh, the agony\u2026<br \/>\n<a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/010.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1369\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -next step4\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/010.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -next step4\" width=\"500\" height=\"243\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/010.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/010-300x145.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Look how various other parts of the image evolve, how the shape of the exhaust plumes develop. Notice how I translate the spinning front wheels into paint. I try to create something authentic, not derivative, so I disregard clich\u00e9 and try to find my own answers. The brush strokes become smaller in those areas I\u2019d like your eye to pay attention to. I\u2019m not much for painting every slot in every screw head. That level of detail just calls attention to itself. Rather I activate areas by placing small, colorful paint strokes that are tied to intelligible forms and resolve into suggestive detail in the viewer\u2019s eye.<br \/>\n<a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/011.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1370\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -next step5\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/011.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -next step5\" width=\"500\" height=\"247\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/011.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/011-300x148.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Check out how the decal arrangement on the side panel below the headers has progressed. These are merely color hits that \u201cread\u201d as decals and text (we call it \u201cgreeking\u201d \u2013 you can\u2019t read it, but you know it \u201csays\u201d something). I\u2019ve brushed in a light colored circular element on that panel because my eye tells me it needs to be there. Also, you see incremental changes. &#8220;Tightening up\u201d the front end and front wheel areas, and also around the rear tires.<br \/>\n<a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/012.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1371\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -next step6\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/012.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -next step6\" width=\"500\" height=\"247\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/012.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/012-300x148.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Finally, the long chain of decision-making comes to an end, and here\u2019s the result. How do I know when the painting is completed? When there\u2019s nowhere to put the next stroke. It just subtly let\u2019s me know it\u2019s done. The actual brush-to-canvas on this one took about 40 hours.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019ll I call it?<\/p>\n<h3>\u201cQuick Sombish\u201d<\/h3>\n<p><a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/0131.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1339]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1350\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px;\" title=\"Front Engine dragster race car art - Finished\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/0131.jpg\" alt=\"Front Engine dragster race car art -Finished\" width=\"500\" height=\"248\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/0131.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/0131-300x148.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Lean it up against the wall, rest the eyeballs a bit, then on to the next one!<\/p>\n<p>Another story about my friend, Tom Fritz:<\/p>\n<h3><a title=\"Hot rod artist Tom Fritz\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/mellow-artist-paints-nostalgia-and-speed\/\" target=\"_self\">Mellow Artist Paints Nostalgia and Speed at Barrett Jackson<\/a><\/h3>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mr_social_sharing_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<!-- Social Sharing Toolkit v2.2 --><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.myrideisme.com%2FBlog%2Fover-my-shoulder-making-hot-rod-art%2F&amp;media=&amp;description=Over+My+Shoulder%E2%80%A6+Making+Hot+Rod+Art\" class=\"pin-it-button\" count-layout=\"none\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/images\/PinExt.png\" title=\"Pin It\" \/><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><fb:share-button type=\"button_count\" href=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/over-my-shoulder-making-hot-rod-art\/\"><\/fb:share-button><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-count=\"horizontal\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/over-my-shoulder-making-hot-rod-art\/\" data-via=\"myrideisme\" data-text=\"Over My Shoulder\u2026 Making Hot Rod Art\"><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><div class=\"g-plusone\" data-size=\"medium\" data-annotation=\"none\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/over-my-shoulder-making-hot-rod-art\/\"><\/div><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a class=\"mr_social_share_email\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Over My Shoulder\u2026 Making Hot Rod Art&amp;body=https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/over-my-shoulder-making-hot-rod-art\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/social-sharing-toolkit\/images\/icons_small\/email.png\" class=\"nopin\" alt=\"Email\" title=\"Email\"\/><span class=\"mr_small_icon\">Email<\/span><\/a><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"linksalpha_button linksalpha_link\" href=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/social\/mobile\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/over-my-shoulder-making-hot-rod-art\/\" data-text=\"Over My Shoulder\u2026 Making Hot Rod Art\" data-desc=\"Please enjoy your brief, but meaningful and entertaining, look \"over the shoulder\" of painter Tom Fritz as he makes what I think is my favorite piece of Hot Rod Art to date (and he's got alot to like!). Over My Shoulder... Making Hot Rod Art Written By Tom Fritz (Car and Motorcycle fine art) One of\" data-image=\"\" data-button=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/images\/social_share_button.png\" alt=\"Share\" class=\"linksalpha_image\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/scripts\/loader_iconbox.js?v=2.4\"><\/script><\/span><\/div><p>Email Please enjoy your brief, but meaningful and entertaining, look &#8220;over the shoulder&#8221; of painter Tom Fritz as he makes what I think is my favorite piece of Hot Rod Art to date (and he&#8217;s got alot to like!). Over My Shoulder&#8230; Making Hot Rod Art Written By Tom Fritz (Car and Motorcycle fine art) [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[43,19],"tags":[734,2542,2595,286,409,2541],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1339"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1339"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21584,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1339\/revisions\/21584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}