Actually, if I said that the finished result is anything near to a work of art, I would be lying to myself as there are a few imperfections here and there. But the overall scheme is exactly what I was looking for and the job turned out just as I had imagined. It succeeded in adding a vivid, contrasting design to the overall drabness of the gray primer and really gave the car a '60s Bellflower Boulevard vibe, exactly what I wanted. And while it took the better part of a week from prep to completion to paint a basecoat design over primer, I figured that it will last a year or two and by then I'll be sick of it and want to update it again anyway. So by no means is this an end-all finished job. No, think of it as more like a temporary solution to a lackluster problem; but one that I'm pretty happy with for the time being.
Since I'll be peeling off...
Since I'll be peeling off the blue tape, I used green masking tape to act as a reference point.
From there, it's simply a...
From there, it's simply a matter of freehanding the tapelines in between the marked out measurements. I used the 3/4-inch masking tape to ensure the fine-line tape doesn't lift or curl.
I then used parchment paper...
I then used parchment paper to make a simple template to translate the shape of the scallop to the opposite side. You could freehand both, but I'm not that talented.
I then flipped the pattern...
I then flipped the pattern over and held it in place using these "rockin'" magnets while I traced it in fine-line tape.
On the opposite side of the...
On the opposite side of the hood, you can see how the references come into play. I used the measurements taken from the other side to lay these out.
Here's the end result. Note...
Here's the end result. Note how the masking tape reference points relate to the finished design.
I decided that a 2-inch scallop...
I decided that a 2-inch scallop would provide the sleek look I was after and proceeded to make more reference marks for the fender design.
While you could always freehand...
While you could always freehand all the curves, it helps to use something as a guide. I laid out each side simultaneously so as to keep them as symmetrical as possible.
Since I wanted to accentuate...
Since I wanted to accentuate the stock curves of the '55 body, I simply followed the bodylines to get the correct shape of the fender scallop.