E36 Tattoos

After waiting forever on the project that never wants to end, and alluding to it a few times, I'll show you guys my newest "mod". I'm aware the vast majority of you will say sand it off and go back in the traditional E36 box.... But, I'm very proud of it and love the way it turned out. The car isn't finished by any means, but this is pretty much the centerpiece so I'll share it as it is. More components are on their way, and hopefully the weather will cooperate this tiMe and allow it all to be clearcoated in a more timely manner.

A little about the designs. Yes, its Sharpie. Was inspired by the Sharpie Lambo and a fellow BMW owner on here; the difference is in the method I used as well as the artwork itself. It took over 30 hours total to do it, including the wetsanding. After my part was completed, it sat around and waited for my painter to clear coat it, then sat around after that waiting to be put back on the car. Thunderstorms every day that the hood was scheduled to be painted and then again for the install... It's taken about 3 months to get the hood back on the car.

Here's the BMW that inspired me to use my car as a canvas:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...162&highlight=

And the Lambo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vodcars...7603104900070/


And now for mine!

Pictures of the hood off the car first to see the details and designs better (pre-clear coat):











And on the car:

I actually really like this, it really shows the individuality, and how well it still looks on our cars

Thanks! I wanted something that would express ME, and be a work of art in the process. It had been elusive until I saw Travis's work, the a lightbulb went off and I *had* to do my own. I'm just antsy to finish it all and tie the whole thing together. My fingers are itchy with it! (No, it won't be like the Lambo, that's just too much of a good thing IMO. It will be different than Travis's though.)

Wow looks cool. I like it.
That is some great work.

i love it it really looks hot
but to add flavor to the black i would get some black wheels with a red lip and a little lower in the front and after that i will then admit it to be one of the if not the nicest red e36's i have ever seen

I already shared my thoughts of it through chat/text, but for the sake of sharing my opinions, I love it! Its unique in every way and looks baller at the same time . Took a TON of effort and time and it pays off in the end . Keep up the good work Amber and keep ur chin up!



The End .

like i said elsewhere, i really like it. not something i would do for my daily driver, but i am going to hire you to do mine when i get another car as long as you're cool with that
massive kudos for the craftsmanship as well!

Oh dear, when my fiancee sees this, I will be hiding the silver sharpies so she doesn't do something similar to her black civic. She's a graphic design major, and everything is in sharpie around here.

With the clear coat, it looks awesome.

Never understood this fad, none the less good job!

Hideous.































Nice work Amber. Looks way better than I thought it would.

I'm rather glad it was a "tattoo" on your car, and not a BMW tattoo on yourself. We all saw what happened in the Audi forum with the "dope" tattoo...

Originally Posted by JDMrecovery

I'm rather glad it was a "tattoo" on your car, and not a BMW tattoo on yourself. We all saw what happened in the Audi forum with the "dope" tattoo...

+100000

I've been watching this project go on since what seems like the beginning of time so I didn't realize that was what she was talking about. My first thought was "Oh no, did she really get an E36 tattoo??? " and the dope one came to mind immediately. On opening the thread I was greatly relieved....

Don't get an E36 tattoo Amber. Please.

I really like the artwork, but it's not something I would do. However I think it would look even nicer if you continued the drawings to the fenders and make a fade out effect, rather than it just stopping.

Have you PMed travis? I think he'd love to see it and he doesn't hang around here too much anymore.

Wanna come do mine, I would die to have something like this but I have no artistic talent.

I should buy a hood and deck lid from a junk yard, basecoat them and have a big ass bimmerfest get together and let everyone put a little something on it, then clear over it.

Originally Posted by E36_Hater433

i love it it really looks hot
but to add flavor to the black i would get some black wheels with a red lip and a little lower in the front

I have a very specific wheel style that I'm still in the process of looking for. It'll will match perfectly, you'll see.

Originally Posted by cmy_bimmer

I already shared my thoughts of it through chat/text, but for the sake of sharing my opinions, I love it! Its unique in every way and looks baller at the same time . Took a TON of effort and time and it pays off in the end . Keep up the good work Amber and keep ur chin up!
The End .

Thank you!

Originally Posted by E36youngster

like i said elsewhere, i really like it. not something i would do for my daily driver, but i am going to hire you to do mine when i get another car as long as you're cool with that
massive kudos for the craftsmanship as well!

I remember And thanks, if you *really* want me to, I will... but its a LOT of work and time.

Originally Posted by JDMrecovery

Oh dear, when my fiancee sees this, I will be hiding the silver sharpies so she doesn't do something similar to her black civic. She's a graphic design major, and everything is in sharpie around here.

With the clear coat, it looks awesome.

If she does do it, make sure she doesn't use a normal Sharpie. This was a Sharpie oil-based paint pen. I wetsanded the surface first, then waited two weeks after I was done with my designs before clear coating it. One big difference between mine and the others' that have done the similar concept is with the addition of the clear coat I had to go back and shine an LED flashlight on the black sections to find where the black didn't completely cover. It doesn't matter as much if you don't do the clear over it, because it LOOKS like its solid black, but with the clear highlighting all the colors, any area that wasn't completely covered looked streaky. That alone took an extra 8 hours of work. Whats interesting is you can still see the brush strokes even with the clear smoothing it over, so its still very obviously not a vinyl, and I didn't darken every bleed-through, so it's an interesting "texture" in person. It still isn't completely done, as it needs to be touched up where the paint place gave me the wrong red (), and now the new clear coat makes the rest of the faded red look orange. But it will all be taken care of pretty soon!

Originally Posted by E36 Phantom

+100000

I've been watching this project go on since what seems like the beginning of time so I didn't realize that was what she was talking about. My first thought was "Oh no, did she really get an E36 tattoo??? " and the dope one came to mind immediately. On opening the thread I was greatly relieved....

Don't get an E36 tattoo Amber. Please.

Sorry, I was vague on the title. It reminds my mom of a sleeve or back tattoo, hence the name.

What, I shouldn't get half my face and neck tattooed with an E36?! Maaaan.... there goes that dream crushed.

Originally Posted by FenderBender

I really like the artwork, but it's not something I would do. However I think it would look even nicer if you continued the drawings to the fenders and make a fade out effect, rather than it just stopping.

It isn't finished, there will be continuity. This is just the first that is done, and as it has taken sooooo freaking long to get done this far, and people were asking questions, I thought a thread was in order.

Originally Posted by SlimKlim

Have you PMed travis? I think he'd love to see it and he doesn't hang around here too much anymore.

Wanna come do mine, I would die to have something like this but I have no artistic talent.

I should buy a hood and deck lid from a junk yard, basecoat them and have a big ass bimmerfest get together and let everyone put a little something on it, then clear over it.

Travis has been in the loop from the beginning, I didn't want him to be upset if I just took his canvas without asking. I haven't sent him this thread link yet, but he did get pictures of it months ago before it was clear coated. What's silly is that I posted this on a local forum too, and got a bit flamed because they knew of Travis's car and said I was copying. (He lives about 2 hours away from me.)


Thanks for the support guys! I wasn't really sure what to expect.

I like it.....I wish mine wasn't black now.

I would incorporate the tattoo i just gave myself that i got from my design on the seat for the trike i built if i had a different color.

do those paint pens come in different colors? i just picked up some spare doors, fender, trunk and hood for a $100 that are black that could maybe use some artwork.

anyhow....looks dam good

Oh **** me thats amazing!
Amber that seriously kicks ass!

Yay! double post=fail.

Amber from a POV of your artistic talent, I love it. From a POV as a person who enjoys stock or slightly modified BMW's I can't say I like it as much. Overall though it's very unique and

Originally Posted by bimmerbarbie

their way, and hopefully the weather will cooperate this tine and allow it all to be clearcoated in a more timely manner.

I'm sorry Amber I had too,

That looks brill' kidder . A big from over the pond . I haven't been on here in what seems like an age and the top thread was this , anywho back to my deathbed , i've been diagnosed with swine flu about 12 hours ago so got quarantined and tamiflu for 7 days .

^ Ouch sorry jbomz . Hope you feel better

OMG! amber that looks amazing! and I love that other guys car. I would totally love to have this on my car (not your design but the same idea)

That is really, really nice...You should bring it down to the sides though...Keep going....

Love it... looks amazing.

Originally Posted by jbomz3

That looks brill' kidder . A big from over the pond . I haven't been on here in what seems like an age and the top thread was this , anywho back to my deathbed , i've been diagnosed with swine flu about 12 hours ago so got quarantined and tamiflu for 7 days .

Sorry to hear, Shag. Hope ya feel better soon.