please give me your honest opinions on the stripes on this bait. everything is how i want it on this bait except the stripes. i don't like how clean stenciled they look, but i'm unable to spray them that fine freehand without my paint running all over the bait.

so, opinions please, or suggestions on how to improve painting irregular, parallel stripes.

thanks guys

looks pretty good,how did you get the stripes like that?  also,thanks for the advice on making scales on the other post recently.

i cut a squiggly line in a very thin piece of plastic and then just separated it a little bit so it was a crack and taped it together in this position. i put it against the bait and sprayed. next time i'm using sturdier plastic so i can hold it off the bait a little bit so the stripes don't have such hard edges. i hate hard edges (except on gills).

Overall the bait looks pretty good. I like the stripes, but have to agree that softer edges look even better in my opinion. I've struggled getting soft edges as well though. Did you try Tom's method?

Overall the bait looks pretty good. I like the stripes, but have to agree that softer edges look even better in my opinion. I've struggled getting soft edges as well though. Did you try Tom's method?

you talking about the "window" stencil as he called it? yeah thats what i used for this, but i used way too thin of plastic (i used a protective sheet cover, the kind you buy in 100 packs from Staples). the plastic is thinner than a sheet of paper, so i couldn't hold the stencil out from the bait because the air from the airbrush just pushed on the stencil and skewed the cutout. i had to put the stencil right on the bait for the lines to stay aligned. i'm going to re-do the stencil with some sturdier plastic and see how it works out.

I like it Dave, it looks very nice. I am using milk jug plastic and cutting out patterns with an exacto knife. I will try that also using masking tape on it so I can get that softer edge.

Hey Dave. That looks pretty good and I think you're on the right track by backing the stencil away from the body.

When I was building model planes and wanted a thin line like an oil leak from an engine, I used x-ray film. If you know a doc or nurse, they should be able to get you some 8 x 11 exposed sheets ( if they say that they can't because of Patient Confidentiality laws - all they have to do is remove the name from the corner of the shhet). Cut your desired stencil into the plastic and use doubled-over masking tape to raise the stencil off of the surface. Lower the pressure on your airbrush as much as possible and make several light sweeps, a minute or so apart. The raised stencil will let some 'overspray' under the edges for a softer line.

Yeah, that's the one. I plan on trying what he said as well. I'll attempt it with some other materials once I find some time and hopefully can find a way to get the look you're talking about.

using doubled over masking tape to hold the stencil over the bait is a pretty neat trick, good one Rob

There are tons of items sold in plastic containers these days. Anytime we buy anything that comes in plastic packaging or container, I cut off any flat usable part of it before tossing it out. Many times this is stiffer than any sheet plastic.

nice... :-*

In a fish-catching sense, I don't mind sharp stencil lines in many patterns.  But an alternative way to soften the effect is to overspray sharply outlined features with a lighter color shade.  I often use Smith Wildlife pearl chrome for that.  It softens the color contrasts and gives the bait an overall sheen like a bait fish.  Just another alternative.  You can also use scale netting to make the lines less distinct.

Perhaps cutting your stencil out of a coffee can lid ?

The plastic is thick enough but still pliable enough to conform to the body of your bait.

Dave, the bait looks good like it is but I am very interested in seeing if you can soften the lines using the suggestions presented.

Show us what you did if you are successful.