41 www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM Hughes says his artist parents classically trained him at home and his first foray into board art was draw-ing on his brother’s boards. He painted his first board for Allison when he was 16, 26 years ago, and his subjects have been every-thing from psychedelic surf art to fish and Asian-themed tattoos. Hughes uses airbrush tech-niques and regular paintbrushes. “My dad painted custom chop-per motorcycles back in the 1970s so he taught me a lot of stuff with the airbrush that helped out,” Hughes says. “Then I just started painting with paintbrushes right on the foam and defining the lines with ink pens. When you do it right on the foam the colors fade in really nicely and it is almost like a watercolor so you get some really cool effects.” Hughes’ commissions, he says, never cease to surprise him. “Most of the requests are pretty personal,” he says. “Sometimes I get some pretty strange requests like a duck holding a beer … and if kids are getting a custom board they will almost always draw out their sketch for me.” Hughes spends an average of one to three hours on each board. However, on boards that have no client, he has spent up to 30 hours. One features two tarpon swimming along the ocean floor. The realistic under-water scene remains one of his favorites. Outside Hughes’ surfboard art he prefers abstract minimalism expressed in fields of color with an off center focal point. “Surfboards are more like design work or sign graphics to me but it is fun because it frees you up,” he says. “There are some formulas I need to keep in mind but then you can run with it.”
2014-6
To see the actual publication please follow the link above