Any Graphic Design experts in the house?

Jeremy Bender

Platinum Member
With the technology and techniques available today, I was wondering if it was feasible to scan or take an image (say from a postcard or a photograph) and transfer that onto a bass drum head to give the appearance of a hand painted skin from the 1920's-1940's era?
 

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You will need a high def picture, 300dpi if possible. The postcard is small. I know the picture is to be seen at least five meter away, but the picture seems small to get printed on a bass drum skin.
 

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Okay so it's possible? I just need a high resolution image. The one shown was merely an example of the artistic style not the actual image file.

I wonder if there's a company that has a success in doing this sort of work for clients.
 
Yes it's possible, you'll need a printer, that would produce a sticker for your bass drum. With a little bulb inside the shell, it'll be gorgeous.
 
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Okay so it's possible? I just need a high resolution image. The one shown was merely an example of the artistic style not the actual image file.

I wonder if there's a company that has a success in doing this sort of work for clients.

I've had excellent results twice with www.DrumArt.com although I submitted the finished art to them. I suspect they can manipulate the image to give it a painted look, but if not, it's simple enough in Photoshop. The major enlargement of the postcard will reveal some printing artifacts, but those can be fixed somewhat, and the filters that give a paint look will also help disguise them. As Tamaefx pointed out, most people won't be inspecting it close-up.

You could even apply some crackling, as if was a painted calf head!

Bermuda
 
Very cool, thanks Bermuda!
 
Yes, Photoshop can do it with any number of filters and hi-res is not needed to simulate brush strokes, etc., only if you want it looking photographic.
 
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Any print shop with a flatbed or variable-media large format inkjet should be able to print on a BD head. As mentioned earlier, the image needs to be of sufficient resolution.

I've commissioned BD heads from a local artist before, and the results were beautiful. The downside is that it has quite a negative impact on the sound, so it only makes practical sense for ported heads. The other issue had to do with media separation and flaking. The head needs a primer/bonding coat, and the paints need to be rubberized.
 
I've commissioned BD heads from a local artist before, and the results were beautiful. The downside is that it has quite a negative impact on the sound, so it only makes practical sense for ported heads. The other issue had to do with media separation and flaking. The head needs a primer/bonding coat, and the paints need to be rubberized.

Do you know what kind of paint they used? I have a coated Ambassador head done in artist's oil paint that's lasted for decades. When I balked at the price, the artist told me it would last "forever". Seems like it might be true, so far.

I guess all those painted heads in the collection are real skin heads.
 
I do this very thing all day, every day. I've done full & partial wraps, cut decals, hand painted bass drum heads. Any type of decal on the head is going to alter the sound to a degree, cut decals the least. A full decal will give the head a dampened sound, very similar to if you used a Remo Muffl ring on the reso side. The are also a lot of different types of vinyl - different thicknesses, different adhesives, and laminates that are all going to affect the head in different ways, but I've never had it be so much of an issue with changing the sound that it was a deal breaker. With painting, a coated head will be the most durable. I'm gonna disagree with the post above that you need primers or "rubberized" paint. Sign painting enamels on a coated head will last for years if done properly. Clear/non coated heads will be more likely to have issues. Also very important - if you're having a bass drum head painted, it should be done with the head on a drum and tuned how you would normally tune it. Painting it with it off the drum will make it more likely to crack or flake. If you want any more info or want to get anything made up, reach out.
 
With the technology and techniques available today, I was wondering if it was feasible to scan or take an image (say from a postcard or a photograph) and transfer that onto a bass drum head to give the appearance of a hand painted skin from the 1920's-1940's era?

I'm an art teacher and a painter and I'd love to take a crack at something like this.
 
This photograph from a hundred years ago shows an artist painting heads on make-shift frame drums at the factory.
I assume to keep an even tension on the skins.
 

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