Artwork and murals are among the most complicated aspects of custom painting, taking years of dedication to perfect, and there is one man who has achieved this.
There are so many aspects to the preparation of scooter panels: cleaning, welding, priming, filling, and sanding, to name but a few. Then there is the paint itself, and in the demanding world of scooter customisation, that isn’t going to be straightforward. Let’s face it: the competition is so great that the demands on painters continue to intensify, but those at the top of their game keep delivering. There are many who are regarded as the go-to people, but when it comes to airbrushed murals, that figure rapidly diminishes.
Why is that? Because you not only have to understand the required painting techniques, but you also have to be a talented artist in the first place. Remember when we were back at school, there were always one or two in the class who were better at art than the rest of us. No one is saying it isn’t a skill that can’t be learned, but when it comes naturally to you, it’s much easier to accomplish. Painting a picture with a brush is one thing, but when using an air gun, getting something to look lifelike is hugely challenging, even more so when it’s on an ancient piece of scooter bodywork. One of those who has refined this craft is Dave Dickinson of DDK Airbrushing…
Enjoy more Scootering Magazine reading every month.
Click here to subscribe & save.
Building the future
The problem with choosing to be a painter as a profession is that it doesn’t happen overnight. First of all, you have to learn what is required, even if you have natural talent. Even harder is building a reputation, because that takes years, and at 16, you’re on the bottom rung of the ladder, whatever job you choose. Dave Dickinson was keen on art at school and soon took that into the open world by way of graffitiing walls. Realising this could be something, he enrolled in a City & Guilds course in traditional signwriting, which at the time was still an accepted trade. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out as intended, and he ended up working on building sites for several years.
His artistic side never left him, with the odd bit of work done on weekends, and realising how much he enjoyed doing it, he started up a business in the signwriting profession. Dave explained that it could be anything, from the side of a building and nightclubs, to shop windows and van doors. Just when he began to get established, the computer age of vinyl-printed graphics took over, making the business redundant almost overnight. Not one to quit, the attention now switched to airbrushing; it was a gamble, but one that has paid off.
The early ’90s still had a huge custom scooter scene, and realising there was plenty of work to go around, he began painting panels for friends, to start with, but after a while, he did it as a full-time business. DDK Airbrushing was up and running, catering for motorcycles as well as scooters to help the business pay in the early years. Though there was a lot of work in the scooter scene, many other painters were already established, but determined to get a foothold, Dave slowly built up his reputation. While standard scooter work paid the bills, Dave soon realised there was a niche market for high-level airbrushing of murals. This was where he concentrated most, and as he began producing great work, people started to take notice. That’s how the scooter scene works: the painter creates something great and unique on a top customer scooter, and all of a sudden, they are in demand. Even then, staying at the top means you have to keep repeating success, and thirty years on, Dave continues to do so.
All alone
All the painters we have spoken to in this series will tell you they like to do their own prep work. It is understandable because they know what is underneath and want the best possible finish. If it’s sent to them already primed and filled, they don’t know how well it was done, and it can affect the whole painting process. Dave shares the same school of thought, and having spoken to him about this in the past, I know he is meticulous when it comes to prepping the panel work. As far as he is concerned, he likes to work alone, carefully going over every piece that is painted.
This isn’t just a problem while painting; it can lead to other issues further down the road as the paint ages. A plain colour may not show up a blemish as much as a full-blown mural, for instance, and because that is the majority of his work, you understand why he has to be so careful. By carrying out all the prep, he can guarantee the finish and ensure his reputation remains good both with present and future customers. It’s time-consuming and very repetitive, but with ageing steel that has often suffered over time, you begin to understand his narrative on this subject.
Then there is the paint itself, and again, that is a personal preference depending on what you want to work with. His choice is professional automotive paint systems together with House of Kolour, Mipa and others, which he finds ideal for the kind of airbrush work he does. Then, of course, there are candies, pearls, metallics and sometimes gold leaf, depending on the finish the customer wants. Once it’s completed, 2K clear coat is applied to protect it and also make the finish stand out.
Story time
Another Question we have asked in this series relates to how the design is done in the first place. The customer has the idea, obviously, but Dave enjoys developing the idea with them. A lot of it comes down to the sheer amount of area to work on, especially the Lambretta GP bodywork and how the murals will look on the different shapes and contours. He draws up concept artwork before any paint is laid down so it can be fine-tuned. More importantly, because much of his work is murals, he wants them to tell a story rather than look like randomly placed images, which is why discussions can take longer than usual.
So, which shape is better, the Vespa or the Lambretta? Dave’s answer was the latter, purely because it has a longer, flatter surface area. Despite that, he is happy to work on both and has produced many good examples on Vespas. The time it takes depends on whether it’s a straightforward custom colour scheme; he can turn one around in a couple of weeks. When it comes to the full-blown mural work, that’s a completely different kettle of fish, and some can take several hundred hours to complete. One thing he won’t do is rush, because that means not spending enough time on the fine details that make artwork stand out. Certain paint jobs can take several months because of this, but from the results he produces, it’s worth the wait.
It doesn’t stop with scooters, because many a time customers want matching paint on crash helmets, but he also does a lot of work on motorcycles, especially petrol tanks. It even goes further afield, like guitars, or back to his roots with signs. According to Dave, his services were once hired to paint a helicopter! But, deep down, it’s the scooters that he is most known for, and I’m sure he will admit that they are his preference. After 30 years doing it professionally, this amounts to a lot. However, his latest work, featured in this very edition, proves that he is as dedicated as ever to achieving perfection.
The unveiling
It doesn’t matter whether it’s your passion or your full-time job; motivation is essential, and to do your best at all times. Growing up in Bridlington, with Scarborough just a short ride up the road, he remembers scooters ruling the town once a year, and those memories are all the inspiration he needs today. This is also helped by the great rallies and, just as important, the custom show that his hometown offered. While seeing scooters he had painted appear in magazines, of which there have been many, and looking at them at the Bridlington custom show made him feel so very proud.
The biggest part of it all is the grand unveilings, remembering that he only sees it as a pile of painted bodywork panels. Now, bolted together and complete, is all the inspiration he needs in such a demanding profession. He feels it is an honour to work on people’s pride and joy because he knows what it means to them, and in the interview, he wanted to thank everyone who had supported his business over the last 30 years. One thing’s for sure: Dave Dickinson and DDK Airbrushing will have many more scooters to paint in the future, and if those in the past are anything to go by, there will be plenty more show winners to come.
Words: Stuart Owen
Images: Dave Dickinson
