Whether you’re looking for an eye-catching fill or a background for pinstripes or artwork, the fish scale technique is a timeless choice. “This is a very easy technique for someone to pick up,” says Chris MacMahan, owner of Aerografix in Elyria, Ohio. “We do this a lot on choppers and bobbers for a 70s look. It’s also great for backgrounds in retro-style murals.”
In this tutorial, MacMahan uses a traditional circular scale, but other shapes work just as well, such as triangles for a diamond pattern or curved “teeth” for a quilt pattern. With a little imagination and experimentation, you’ll be able to create a wide range of patterns and effects.
Drawing the pattern guide
MacMahan uses a template to create the pattern of overlapping circles (Fig. 1). Generally, the scale size should be big enough to fill the space without appearing busy. Use your best judgment.
Cut the guide
Your pattern should be drawn on a light cardstock, about the thickness of a business card — heavy enough not to become soggy and tear, light enough to cut cleanly with scissors or a craft knife (Fig. 2).
| Figure 1 | Figure 2 | Figure 3 |
Panel prep
To ready the panel for tutorial, it was covered with a bright silver paint. Over that, two color layers were added, each fogged toward the center — yellow, then green.
Airbrush selection
Any general-purpose airbrush, single or double action, can be used to achieve this effect. MacMahan recommends a medium sized tip at 40 psi. “The higher pressure allows me to use the airbrush as a mini paint gun and put on a wash of color.”
Spraying
Placing the template against the surface, MacMahan sprays a line of green. The green is solid at the bottom of the “V” and fades upward. Keep the template and the spray motion as horizontal as possible (Fig. 3).
Row symmetry
Aligning the scales is simple — the center of each circle slightly overlaps the bottom on the “V” on the row above (Fig. 4). Spacing between the rows is a matter of personal taste. Here, MacMahan uses a tight formation for a more intense pattern.
Template saturation
The template will be covered with many layers of paint. To maintain a crisp pattern, allow the template to dry for a minute every few rows, or create more than one template (Fig. 5).
Solid border
Once all the rows have been sprayed, MacMahan fogs the outer edge of the panel with several layers of green until the color is intense (Fig. 6).
Ready for anything
From here, your options are wide open (Fig. 7). The design stands on its own, so you could add a midcoat, or go straight to clear. MacMahan also suggests that the pattern can be a bed for pinstripes, lettering or artwork. “As a background, fish scales can push any job over the top.”
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