When I bought the frame for this 1971 Dawes Galaxy there were two areas on the seat tube that at first glance looked like chrome. Instead they were adhesive strips that were meant to look like chrome. I am sure they were a fair match in their day, but I knew they had to go. One of the basic laws of Art and Design, more honored in the breach that the observance, is Truth to Materials. These strips were not chrome, whereas the fork ends and stay ends were. I plan to either have decals made from Photoshopped artwork, or airbrush a design into the gold areas of the frame where the chrome strips were applied.
In keeping with the age, and with what this bicycle was designed for, I planned an illustration of British cycle touring. Perhaps something referring to the golden age of the Cycle Touring Club of the UK. One style of illustration I really like is that of this British artist, Frank Patterson.
But his art is too detailed, and would never be noticed on a bicycle. I need something bolder, still respecting the history of British cycling circa 1971 and yet not an over-the-top boldness, like the purple and teal splashes of the 1980's. I am thinking of something in two tones, using the green and gold of the Dawes color scheme. Below is a rough mock-up of what I have in mind, but I would need to do lot of work to isolate and simplify the figures, perhaps redrawing the while thing in Illustrator, and perhaps using the gold more in the background. There could be transparent areas on the decal, to let the gold of the frame show through.
