Painting Eric Clapton's Fool Guitar - Phase Thirteen

Sorry I took so long to post these last photos of my Fool guitar painting project!  No excuses for a lazy blogger.

Bruce Diamond had commissioned me to paint a copy (front only) of this famous psychedelic-1960's-Clapton-Cream-dream guitar.

When I finished the complex painting in my studio (see previous posts) and applied one protective coating on the guitar, Bruce took it home and spray coated the final clear finishes.

He brought it back with the pickups, hardware, and strings installed so I could take pictures.
 

Looks awesome, I must say!  (I rock.)

This not-for-the-faint-of-heart task was an enjoyable journey for me through art and music history.

Now Bruce's son Luke gets to play the Fool.

Luke Diamond plays The Fool

Painting Eric Clapton's Fool Guitar - Phase Eleven

Okay, okay!  I've procrastinated long enough!  The intimidation of the pickguard got the best of me!

I finally mustered up the courage to finish the job.  Onward, to completing a replica of Eric Clapton's Fool guitar!

I painted the pickguard in three sittings.

Started with the cosmic red sun, greyish blue sky, and mountains.  Broke the ice!!!

Next, added the clouds, golden path, green grass and foliage.

Finished with the little details, all the while using my photo reference from the book Classic Guitars of the 60s edited by Tony Bacon. 
 

Next I will apply a protective clear coat before the guitar leaves my studio.  My client Bruce Diamond can apply subsequent coats for further protection. 

I can't wait to see it when Bruce attaches all the hardware and strings!  Hopefully I can post photos of how that will look.  Stay tuned!!! 

Painting Eric Clapton's Fool Guitar - Phase Ten

Hi, Folks!  It's been awhile!  Getting back to posting photos of my artistic interpretation of Eric Clapton's "Fool" guitar!  Now for the angel wings!

The wings have a strange tannish-gold color in the pictures I've seen of the guitar.  I wondered if the wings were metallic gold since gold can be difficult to photograph and will often look a dull brown in a photo.

My good friend and ex-bandmate, Pat Thomas, is a writer, musician, and music historian. He happens to know Bobby Whitlock and said he would ask him for me about the color of the wings.  Bobby Whitlock played the guitar many times back in the day when he collaborated with Eric Clapton on various musical projects, including Derek and the Dominos.

Whitlock responded, "I don't remember them as gold but yellow and a dull one at that...Just reflecting back on it and I am probably closer to right than not...There was no outstanding glossy metal look about it at all...All of the colors blended together and nothing like bright gold wings was there to my rememberence."  Nuff said!

I will keep trying to match colors from the reference photos I'm using as best I can.  I am mostly using a photo from a book that Bruce Diamond let me borrow, Classic Guitars of the 60s, edited by Tony Bacon.  I've also found a few halfway decent images of the original guitar on the internet.

Todd Rundgren playing the Fool

In any case, I don't know whether my painting will be truly historically accurate because at some point Todd Rundgren owned the guitar and had it refinished after it was left in sorry condition from many years of Clapton's vigorous use of it.

I'm not sure when the photo in the book Classic Guitars of the 60s was taken, before or after the guitar was refinished.  I don't know how the guitar's paint job may have changed.

Oh, well.  Historic accuracy aside, I'm enjoying the process in my attempt to recreate this artistic gem from the psychedelic era, originally painted by Marijke Koger and Simon Posthuma.

People are asking me what paints I'm using.  Just a variety of acrylic paints from the tube.

Onward to the little masterpiece on the pickguard! I need to finish this project!

Painting Eric Clapton's Fool Guitar - Phase Nine

Rolling right along....

Painting blood red on the flames.

Flames finished.

Adding blood red to the headstock.

Adding blue and green to the headstock.

Headstock colors finished.

Painting a cosmic outline on the angel's hair.

Check out Eric Clapton playing The Fool guitar in this interview.

Painting Eric Clapton's Fool Guitar - Phase Six

Thank you for joining me as I continue painting my version of Eric Clapton's "Fool" guitar.

Ah, yes.  Red.  One of my favorite colors.....

Painting the angel's hair.

It is said that the artist's depiction of the angel's curly hair was based on Eric Clapton's perm at the time (1967).

Straight hair or curly hair, Clapton is hot!!!!

Now that the red paint is mixed, I'll add it to the psychedelic rainbow.....

.....and start painting the flames of hellfire.

While I'm at it, I'll add red to the headstock.

Shades of orange are added to the rainbow....

Orange is added to the flames.....

Clapton playing the Fool.

Painting Eric Clapton's Fool Guitar - Phase Four

Further adventures with my rendition of the Fool guitar.
Painting Clapton's blues.....

Pictured is a little description of the 60s artist group "The Fool" found on page 49 of "Classic Guitars of the 60s" edited by Tony Bacon.  Dutch artists Marijke Koger and Simon Posthuma were hired to paint an artistic Gibson SG for Eric Clapton when he was in the band Cream.  He made good use of the guitar on Cream's first American tour in 1967 and in subsequent studio sessions.

 

  Starting the rainbow with purple....

Making progress...

Trying to get the colors right.  I can only be so accurate looking at a photo from a book and another from the internet.

  Almost forgot to paint this plastic guard thingamabobber!

Painting Eric Clapton's Fool Guitar - Phase Three

The ice is broken.  I am now applying paint to guitar.

Starting with the gradation of the blue sky.

Long way to go!

Painting Eric Clapton's Fool Guitar - Phase Two

Okay, some more of the drawing phase.  Fine tuning the loose sketch......

The flames would be more fun if I could render them freestyle, but I'm trying to stay close to the original so it's a bit painstaking.

The locations of the holes for the volume and tone controls, and the locations of the pickups seem to be a bit different on this guitar than the original.  I think I better ask Bruce for the hardware to trace it properly.  I need to know more precisely where the painting will be covered up.

My client, Bruce Diamond, supplied me with a great book for reference.  Classic Guitars of the 60s edited by Tony Bacon has a picture of The Fool guitar on the front cover and a nice larger photo on the inside.  Many other really unique guitars are in this book.  Fun to read.

"Classic Guitars of the 60s" edited by Tony Bacon

The angel is holding a triangle. 

 

 Bruce doesn't like how the psychedelic rainbow doesn't end at the point of the guitar so I'm extending it to the point. The rainbow on the original follows a weird, irregular pattern that kind of bugs me so I'm making the rainbow flow more symmetrically.  Artistic license.

 Okay, this time I promise I will start painting.  All the mapping out of the drawing is done.  (Except for the pickguard which I will paint last.  I still need to fine tune the drawing of the landscape.)