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Q - I have seen that you have reached more than 2000 subscribers to your YouTube channel how do you feel about that? A - Yeah it’s great, you know I joined up with You Tube years ago just to put up a couple videos ’of various proj- ects on as a sort of public relations thing just to get my name out there, but then I met Rob Chapman who is a guitar tutor he was doing the whole You Tube thing at the time and he was making it a part of his business giving guitar lessons on line and that sort of thing and he suggested that I should do airbrushing lessons. To be honest I didn’t think that I was that good, I thought I would do a lesson, upload it and people are going to laugh at me. But it was completely the opposite I got nothing but positive feedback so I did the odd project and recorded it as I went along and yeah here I am now more than 2000 subscribers. I try to upload a video every week and I never thought that it would become a part of my airbrushing business but it now is. And on the plus side of things quite a bit of my business comes from it. If I am doing a project that I haven’t done before I will ask the client is it ok if I film it as I’m going and put it on You Tube and I have not had one client who has said no in fact they enjoy watching their work come together. I have even had one guy who got me to burn everything on to DVD for him so that has the complete job from star to finish. So as far as I’m concerned so- cial media sites ROCK.


Q - Do you get a lot of repeat customers? A - Yes I have had a few. Actually after I finish my pres- ent project I have to do a guitar for a guy who I did some work for a while ago, his last job was of a spider on a red web going all the way over the guitar. There is someone else who has had me paint three guitars for him so yeah I have repeat customers. That is always nice as it means they have some of my stuff and are pleased with my work, I think it is one of the biggest compliments you can get.


Q - Is there anything that you haven’t painted that you would really like to? A - Oh yeah without a doubt, there is so much stuff I would like to paint. More bikes for a start and as far as imagery goes everyday I see things that I think I would love to have a crack at painting. To be honest the list is just too long to say all the things that I would like to paint.


Q - Do you do your own designs? A - Yes I do, but the problem is with painting guitars is that almost everybody wants their favorite album cover which is all well and good of course. I am only going to do what the client wants but you are copying someone else’s style so it is not coming from your own head you are like a human photo copier. Once in a while I get to exercise my artistic integrity for instance I have just told you about a return customer I have well he wants me to paint a comic book character Zatanna, she is a magician that casts spells by speaking backwards. The customer wants her sitting down behind the bridge of the guitar; hand on fire with magic hat on the floor with loads of things flying out of it like playing card and things. I’d said that there is loads of imagery for her, would you like me to copy something and he said no he would prefer that I would create something with her. As his other guitar is an original by me he would like this one to be the same, an original.


Q - Seeing that your business is relatively young do you have any advice for people that might want to start out on their own? A - Hmm advice, well firstly never put your airbrush down just keep painting the more you paint the better you will become. The more original stuff you can do the better, copying stuff is all well and good it can give you an insight into how people do their work but try to do original work as much as you can. If you think your work is good enough then social media sites are one of the best things ever, You Tube, Face Book, what ever and where ever you can get your work on the net. You have got to move with the times to try and stay in the public eye and when all said and done they are free so why not make use of them. Putting Ads in magazines is all well and good but it can be very expensive. So don’t stop painting and keep yourself in the public eye. Right Svee firstly let me thank you for taking the time to talk to me, also for contributing some artwork onto our end of year competition hoodie. And now as we know that you are also a registered member of our forum please do not be a stranger we would love to see your work and videos’ posted on our boards


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