clareyfairy - Posted - 07/02/2014:  04:37:38

I know folks have talked a lot about this already... forgive me!

I want to paint a full moon on my banjo head, cos I was born under a full moon and the head's a circle...like the moon. Anyway I paint moons a lot with acrylic on a smaller scale (see below) but I bet I could do it on a banjo. I want to know if anyone thinks acrylic would be good 'cos I'm pretty used to the medium, or if I should just try sharpie to minimize potential sound quality deterioration. I just couldn't get all the nice detailed hues and shades with sharpie I don't think!

So, despite reminding me of the repetition of this topic, anyone have any any comments or suggestions? :P

Thanks!

Clare

jbalch - Posted - 07/02/2014:  04:40:00

Nice painting!  Sounds like a fun idea.  I don't know about the best paint to use so I linked this to the banjo head decoration group.  banjohangout.org/group/banjoheaddecoration

Edited by - jbalch on 07/02/2014 04:40:58

rudy - Posted - 07/02/2014:  04:57:43

I haven't done any head decoration, but I would think Sharpies would be a good medium to use.  They are permanent and available in all sorts of tip configurations and just about any color you could imagine.

I just saw a story on the tele of a street vendor whose canvassed artwork was all done by Sharpie.

beegee - Posted - 07/02/2014:  05:07:53

The only problem I see with acrylic is that it will wear off more quickly than Sharpie

mike gregory - Posted - 07/02/2014:  05:13:44

How good are you at reverse paining?
If it's on the INSIDE of a clear head, it will never wear off.

Maybe practice with eraseable dry marker on a window, or something like that.

Marc Nerenberg - Posted - 07/02/2014:  05:30:29

I've used ink, dyes, coloured pencils, acrylic and even dots of white-out on an inked surface (for stars). They all work. I've never noticed any effect on the sound. They all wear off in the spots that the head usually shows wear whether it's painted or not.

rockil - Posted - 07/02/2014:  05:46:37

acrylic is the paint to use on the banjo head. here is the painting on my banjo that i built. I thought the painting would make the banjo not sound very nice but in fact it made it sound better the paint from what i could tell made the head tighter and sounds great

Vern

Edited by - rockil on 07/02/2014 05:49:46

shane_lxi - Posted - 07/02/2014:  08:15:32

Wow another Washington resident! I'm in Hoquiam, less than an hour from Oly, small world. Sorry, nothing constructive to add, lol. Do you know Vince Brown?

Bart McNeil - Posted - 07/02/2014:  08:22:51

I assume you are using a plastic head. A skin head would more likely have a better "tooth" to grip your paint, Certainly banjo head painting was common in the olden days with skin heads and oil paint. On a glassy surface Mylar head there should be no problem painting on it,. and likely no problem removing it by getting a fingernail under the edge and just pulling it off, l



Your idea sounds great, but don't expect miracles as far as paint adhesion is concerned,

Edited by - Bart McNeil on 07/02/2014 08:36:28

Dan Drabek - Posted - 07/02/2014:  08:48:28

I would avoid using dye markers. They may be permanent as far as being waterproof, but most will fade badly with lengthy exposure to light. For example, black will often end up turning pink.

Thinned acrylics should be fine. 

DD