Color/Design??

[dugkim]

I am interested in spending quite a bit of time on the exterior of the canoe contemplating color and design artwork. I wonder if there are forum members who have reproduced some of the 'graphics of the period' on their OT canoe. Having spent quite a bit of time looking at photos, I have noticed that most everyone has gone with a solid color (ususally red or green). Frankly, I am surprised at the apparent lack of enthusiasm for exterior creativity. Someone prove me wrong!

Are there unspoken faux pas that would leave me alone at a gathering, wondering what the hushed wispers and awkward glances were? From my research into the designs, I found that pretty much anything goes and was done per the customer's request.

 

[dugkim]

Pictures!!!!!!!! Let me see pictures!!!!!!!!!!

Have any of these designs to share?

 

[martin ferwerda]

Here are some examples of schemes I have done. The fancy one (bit of a knock off of a Penn Yan design I saw in a picture) is not too much work as it is a fairly simple design, a 4 inch border, a parting stripe, and a simple little design at the ends. It is a bit of an eye catcher, but does feel out of place if you are doing wilderness tripping. I much prefer a simple water-line scheme, two colors with a half inch parting stripe.

 

[Dick Persson]

Go for it!
Here are a few examples of the ones I've done lately.

Cheers
Dick Persson
Headwater Wooden Boat Shop

 

[Dan Miller]

There are quite a few folks who put fancy designs on their canoes. A great place to see them is at the Annual Assembly (http://www.wcha.org/assembly/index.html)

Most folks probably use one of the many numbered designs that Old Town offered. See http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/designs/thumbnal.html for some examples. A poster of these was recently included in the journal, and is available seperately from the WCHA online store (http://merchandise.wcha.org/product_info.php?cPath=96&products_id=460).

Al S. recently did his Old Town with design number 7. He'll tell you it was a lot of work, but it came out great. The story was in Wooden Canoe issue 128.

Some of the fanciest designs turn up on the Charles River courting canoes. Few can hold a candle to WCHA member Dave Devivo, but there is no point in trying to describe his work here. You just have to see it in person!

 

[Fitz]

Tripping vs. Courting

I agree with the above, I tend to go for the solid colors for the tripping canoe, but I experimented some with the Charles River courting canoe. It still needs a gold stripe to come somewhere near Old Town No. 10.

 

[Benson Gray]

I have a few old designs as shown in the attachment below. The fiberglass breakout design is also mine although I shouldn't probably admit it in this forum. A design number four and a design number 37 have also found their way into the garage since this picture was taken.

Benson

 

[dugkim]

Design Templates?

I have a few old designs as shown in the attachment below. The fiberglass breakout design is also mine although I shouldn't probably admit it in this forum. A design number four and a design number 37 have also found their way into the garage since this picture was taken.

Benson

When you all reproduce these designs, do you do it from scratch? When I spoke with Old Town, they said they do not have the designs in reproduction, but that I could have them hand-painted by one of their artists who comes in for just this purpose and its very expensive.

Should I pick a design that I like and just try and reproduce it myself?

 

[bredlo]

I suppose that would all depend on how confident you feel as a painter, and also the level of complexity in the design. I'm a newbie, and haven't gotten to the point of deciding if my first restoration will have a single color paint job or be more elaborate... but I'd wager most of the people here are "eyeballing" it from photos, perhaps using car painters tape to mark out pinstriping, etc. At least, that's how I'd do it, I think.

But I'm more inclined to leave it monochromatic. The interior of mine has really darkened over time, so I'm thinking I'll go a little lighter on the exterior, perhaps a Martha Stewart-esque grayish green.

 

[Rob Stevens]

Simple to paint yourself, and one of my favourite (fun) designs is a black and white splotch "cownoe".
The owner drove around town for months with it on his rooftop, hoping the Milk Marketing Board would notice and feature it in an ad.

 

[Douglas Ingram]

Here's a couple that I've done. The canoe really doesn't suffer too much extravegance well. Its already so "classic", and so compact, that too much elaboration is distracting, the way that Roccoco is more than Baroque, which is more than it needs to be.

 

[dugkim]

Beautiful!

Here's a couple that I've done. The canoe really doesn't suffer too much extravegance well. Its already so "classic", and so compact, that too much elaboration is distracting, the way that Roccoco is more than Baroque, which is more than it needs to be.

Wow! I love the gold leaf Maple Leaf! Because I have not seen either of these designs on an OT, I assume that your canoes must be by another manufacturer? Or are these designs your custom creation?

If I did a custom design on my OT, would this be frowned upon?

 

[Douglas Ingram]

The reason that you've never seen that one on an OT is because I designed it myself for a canoe that I built.

Feel free to be inspired by it. It will be impossible to copy it exactly anyway...