Reply With QuoteH20ski2fast has also done some gel graphic design for new boats. His stuff looked really nice, and original...
Punchy,
When I ordered my Lavey several years back I would have paid someone good $$$$ to come up with some killer graphics. Instead, I went with some generic checkered graphics I saw on another boat. Ho hum boring. I'd give it a whirl if I were you. :wink:
H20ski2fast has also done some gel graphic design for new boats. His stuff looked really nice, and original...
bump
I think Froggy already said it... Call the MAn and say hey mail me some blanks...
or you can write EDUKATOR, he is here on the boards
I've got a question for everyone out there. Does anyone think that people that have the money to buy 100k+ boats would pay to have a third party design the graphics for them? Reason I ask is that I've designed graphics for a few boats for friends on the side and people keep telling me I could make money at it but I just don't see it. One was a 29' Force Offshore cat open bow, white with blue and grey graphics that was at the LA Boat Show last year. I've got pics but I think some have already been posted by someone else in the pic gallery. When you got guys like John West who do some pretty nice gel design, a graphic designer would be pointless. However, I've also seen some ugly graphic/color combos and other graphic trends that are way over used. I've been told people have stalled for months on the purchase of a high dollar boat because they didn't know what they wanted and the boat manufacturer couldn't come up with a design they liked. I tried actually going to a few boat manufacturers to see if they would be interested in buying designs or would sub out design work, but usually they have me talk to their gel guy who of course has some what of an ego and thinks he's got it handled in the design dept. Just wondering what everyones opinion is.....thanks
Just my .02.. I'm not sure it's something your going to make any real money at, becuase there's so many talented individuals out there that will do it for free, or next to free. (In the cats and tunnels section atleast once a quarter someone posts a line dwg, and in one day there's about 100 different pictures up there, all done for free, that look pretty sick..)
If I was going to have someone design graphics for me it'd probably be Dennis (just becuase I know him, and I know his work and it fits "my" style). Good luck with the venture if you decide to go forward with it! ***boat would definately be a good source of business.
RD
That's a good question Punchy. I have designed graphics for Advantage, Shockwave and commander (most all of my designs have been featured in HB mag), the biggest problem you will run into is people don't want to spend the money. Ussually, with my designs, the owner takes it to the boat manufacturer and then they say well thats real complicated and want to charge more for the gel work (with more dynamic designs there are, most of the time, many fades and each fade requires a clear to be layed down first. All this costing more money). Some people will pay, but the majority won't. Another thing to concider, is the knowledge and ability needed to execute the design with gelcoat. One of the manufacturers I designed a sceme for, and I'm not going to mention names, told me that it couldn't be done. They told me the taping involved would not allow the design to look correctly. I then talked with the gel guy and spent 45 minutes on the phone with him to explain how to tape the boat off. Well, the gel guy finally got it and the boat turned out just as designed. I've also had problems with the "arrogant" gel people wanting to add their .02 to my design which always causes a problem with our mutual customer. The knowledge, for the designer, of how gelcoat is applied is huge. Most graphic designers don't have that. Now if it's painted, hell that's easy you just have to find the painter that can execute the design.
I don't understand why the manfacturers don't hire people to do the designs. I know some do, but the majority don't.
Just my .02.. I'm not sure it's something your going to make any real money at, becuase there's so many talented individuals out there that will do it for free, or next to free. (In the cats and tunnels section atleast once a quarter someone posts a line dwg, and in one day there's about 100 different pictures up there, all done for free, that look pretty sick..)
If I was going to have someone design graphics for me it'd probably be Dennis (just becuase I know him, and I know his work and it fits "my" style). Good luck with the venture if you decide to go forward with it! ***boat would definately be a good source of business.
RD
You mean like the HK, Dave?
http://www.hillbankusa.com/signfx/bo...dcbmach267.jpg
I don't understand why the manfacturers don't hire people to do the designs. I know some do, but the majority don't.Because its way to easy for the owner to walk in and see a boat first hand that they like the layout on and say "I like that, what do you think HONEY!!!"???, then it is to pay for a layout by a person that knows what he's doing. I've got to tell you that I have also done my share of graphic layouts over the past 30yrs for customers of Hallett, Eliminator, Advantage, Schiada just to name a few and i'm still amazed how many times the layouts have been copied still today. I have a drawing just like the one that is posted with the graphics swirling off the front and swooping up the sides that was drawn some 7yrs ago and used by an Eliminator customer and it is still being copied today. My point is unless you can get a guy who isn't easily influenced by his friends for doing something different you'll drive yourself nutts. Go to designtechgraphics.com if you want to see some badd ass design work. We work with him on all of the NHRA cars that we do and I have now got him into the boat arena due largely to the race cars going one color or being wrapped in vinyl. Good luck in your venture and I don't mean to discourage you...Hell I know that all you have to do is get one nice job out there and you'll be off. And a word of wisdom...NO BACKWARDS FLAMES!!!!. There friking ugly and make no sense what so ever, along with animal print. And if you ever want to see what not to do go hang out at the sandbar or under the London bridge or Topock bar and you'll see plenty of ugly stuff....Good luck.
Looking for some line drawings to start drawing some ideas. I saw the one on the DCB sit, but it's only for cat's.
I'm sure someone has something they could e-mail me
thanks!
tarek.nehme@verizon.net
im sure my wife can draw some for you let me know if you interested
I think a big part of graphic design is consideration of the media at hand. If you are working with gelcoat, and with a budget then the primary concern should be ease of application. Keep the design strong and simple as opposed to more wild. If the price is not a concern, and the capability of the gelcoater is not a question, then go as wild as you want to. When you draw a design that will be no upcharge, the customer will inevitably want something a little crazier, and be willing to pay for it. There needs to be an escalation though, and a willingess to proceed. Bracing someone with a $7,000 additional gelcoat charge is rarely a happy day, especially when the guy designing has nothing to do with the company who has to do it. Gelcoat graphics are a huge liability. If they are "wrong" then you will have a pissed off customer with a crazy boat. The more tape, the more potential for failure. The more fades and pulls the harder it is to not only lay out, but to actually finish when it is all said and done. Not to mention the million times they end up cleaning a gun to run a new color through it for a fade. The first boat we shot had twelve color changes, with a new clear for every zone shot. But, I paid through the nose, and got what I wanted. I drew the whole graphic with the intention of being able to gelcoat successfully though.
I too have had to explain to gelcoaters what I was looking for, but they are the masters of their booths... you better work within their strengths and not their weaknesses if you want your design to come out good.
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