Header Art

These headers were both used for a very long time. The reason they are being posted as content is so they will be archived. I will be posting a few others that never were archived so they will be included in my art searches

Hopefully I'll get the time to post some new content soon.

This Month's Header... maybe it's a stretch?

A little bit ago I saw this Classic Knucklehead on the LoserRules blog... 

 ...which immediately made me think of...

 ...this art, which I've always loved!...

...which made me Photoshop this.

This Season's Header, Summer!

Time to Ride!

Speaking of time, Lately I haven't had the time to create a new header every month, so This Month's Header will have to be This Season's Header for now.

This Month's Header/Love Cycles...

... not the shop, but a card I made for Valentines 1991

The art was updated to show the bikes as they are today.

January's Header

Happy F'ing New Year!

Old art (from 2 years ago), for a new year. Sometimes I just don't have the time to do a new header plus some are worth a second look.

Sorry about the slower pace of postings of late. I have a bunch of good stuff waiting in the wings, but it's going to be a few weeks before I'm up to speed, so hang in there.

This Month's Header

It's November so Autumn is in high gear.
Get out and Ride!... before the low gear of Winter kicks in.

This Month's Header

This art was inspired by the tank art on Doc Holidays Witch done by Randy Smith. Go back to last October's header to see what I mean.

She was suppose to be more malevolent but, because of my haste, it didn't turn out that way.

This Month's Header

September pretty much means 'back to school' plus I wanted to do something related to trikes, so this old drawing seemed right. I'm sure it was done when I should have been doing homework.

This pencil drawing is from around 1967-68 (Junior High), and is amongst the oldest drawings I still have. I didn't have any Harley references, so stuff like engine details were mostly based on a friend's drawings I'd seen at school. That explains why the push rods and carb are on the left side.

This drawing also relates to a post I had done about Roth's Candy Wagon that I'd like to revisit.

This Month's Header...

is a combination of the last two Julys.

I really liked the way these both came out and thought it's a shame to never use them again.

2010's Header showed the 4 categories of bikes I like to feature but, needed some tweaks and the fireworks of last year's to spruce it up.

This Month's Header Born-Free 4

For many of us M/C types, the month of JUNE has come to mean one thing above all else, BORN-FREE!

Born-Free math: 2+2=4. Since 2 69'ers (1 stock and 1 chopped), are to be given away, this seemed appropriate.

If for some freaking reason you have no idea what I'm talking about, click here: http://bornfreeshow.blogspot.com

The reason for this latest of late all time headers: I was out of town the entire month of May and the first part of June. I kept the blog going by posting a few ready made drafts from a remote location but, could not create a new header for June until now.

This Month's Header-Flower Power

April Showers Bring May Flowers.

When coming up with ideas for the header, I never quite know how they will turn out. This one really bloomed. You might say, some of the flowers are Pansies.


As an example. I thought of using this alternate version, but the top one was more in line with my original concept/vision. It doesn't always work that way. Sometimes I like something better that comes from experimentating with the image and colors.

This Month's Header, Everybody Plays The Fool

This Month's late, late, late header is dedicated to the fool in all of us. No one is immune. One time or another we all act or do foolish things.

The April Fool. It's spring time and love is in the air. If a girl just gives him a glance, he thinks she's interested. The Fool's too dumb to realize, he doesn't have a chance.

This Month's Header

Like usual I'm late putting up a new header. I've been busy and didn't know what to do so, I just pasted in some new concept art I just finished.

The design was changed and I won't mention the builders name... to protect the guilty.

This Month's Very Late Header

You might have noticed that last month's header didn't have a date on it. This was done since I originally thought I'd just leave it up for awhile. Then I had what I thought was a clever idea of changing it to honor Black History Month which would also be fast and easy. Clever might be argued but, fast and easy?... it didn't turn out that way.

Last month and this month for comparison. At first I thought going from one to the other wouldn't require much. You know, replace some heads (on people and bike), draw up some new bars, pipes, and seat. No biggie, until I got into the thick of it.


First, I found I had to redraw almost the entire bike. Then all the elements below. This alone took enough time. What I didn't realize was, how much time it would take to put everything in at just the right angle and place. I found I needed to move and tweak a lot of little things in the original art. Stuff like moving the tools and crate a touch, tweaking the box, and test placing all the new elements a few times until they looked just right.


All in all, it took much longer than doing the last header from scratch. Not to mention, it's late and for a short month. Was it worth it? I don't know but, once I get an idea...

There's a lot more to say about this month's header than just the process of doing the art (which I didn't plan on ranting about). Now, I hope to get to that while there's still time left.

This Month's Header-Workbench Wise Guys

Be it a project you have in mind or yourself, the beginning of the year is a natural time reflect and think about what your going to get done. For those in the colder climates, it's a natural time to fix or rebuild your bike.


This month's art was originally inspired by the art below. It's also inspired by events that may or may not have actually taken place. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely intentional.

Cool old art from something titled Workbench Wisdom. I don't recall what blog it came from.

I usually don't make resolutions but, this year I plan on getting a lot more stuff done including finally finishing a motorcycle and doing more art.

The other day I heard a study that said, 92% of new years resolutions are not kept. While that doesn't bode well, Why wait for New Years? You can decide to make a change any day of the year.

TMH Part 2 The Stripped Dresser Part 1

Here's my painting that I modified for This Month's Header.

The Harley art (below), for the 1958 model brochure served as inspiration. At the time I only had a postage stamp sized image for reference and thought it was cool so, wanted to do something like it only with more of a 60's look. The bike was made a 1960 model by changing the gas tank paint, emblem, and a headlight nacelle. I used the rocket graphic from that eras saddlebags along with some stars for the background which sort of gives it a Jetsons feel.

I call this style of Harley a "stripped dresser" since from about the 60's onward, FL's were pretty much sold with windshields, saddlebags, luggage racks, spot lamps, parking lights/turn signals, etc.

Rigid frame bikes definitely make the best choppers and bob jobs but, in my opinion, the Duo-Glides look even better when it comes to this stripped down elemental form.

This Month's Header-Merry F'ing Christmas

Can you believe it's already December?

Sorry about the lack of post but, being busy and leaving town for the Thanksgiving holiday, not much could be done about it. It's so bad that I'm posting this month's header back to back with last month's somewhat late explanation.

This art (re-worked for the season), is based on a piece I did several years ago. Why do I bother since, for the most part, I dread Christmas?

Later in the month, I'll reveal the art it is based on plus some ramblings on a related topic. I'll try to make up for the recent lack of post.

This Month's Very Late Header

I was busy during the beginning of the month then left town for 2 1/2 weeks, so I couldn't post or put up a new header. While away, I started the header on my wife's laptop and thought I might post from a remote location but, it was too difficult to do good Photoshop work on her laptop.

The art for This Month's Header is borrowed from the tank of Doc Holiday's Panhead. The Witch was painted twice by none other than Randy Smith. The photo on the left is from the January 1969 Choppers Magazine (posted here last Nov.) and the right is from the May 1970 Street Chopper. I like the first version and the metal flake paint better. I'll try to post the Street Chopper Feature soon.

This Month's Header, A Little Knucklehead

This months header's art is from a small painting I did of a friends bike back in 1995. If my memory is correct, it was a rare 1942 model. I used a H-D factory photo from a 1939 model for reference and then made changes to match his bike. He ran a 18" wheel in front and a 16" in the back. One mistake, I retained the smaller size of the earlier model's air cleaner.

Knuckleheads Rule. Ruler and penny for scale.


Getting old sucks. It even surprises me the level of detail I use to paint without the use of reading glasses.

This Month's Header-Under The Influence

I did this drawing sometime in 1973 and you can clearly see the influence of the two bikes below.

Much of the general design was inspired from Joe Hurst's White Bear, but I used a Cone Motor instead of a Generator Shovel.

The bike from the center spread of Big Bike Magazine Sept. 1972 was the other source of influence. Borrowed from it were the rear fender, polished mags, rectangular headlight, pullbacks, and much of the style of the paint. It was also a South Bay bike but had more of a AEE Choppers look rather than the Dick Allen/Fats South Bay Style. The photo looks to be taken at the break water in King Harbor Redondo Beach, CA. with the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the background.