The Death Spray Custom alphabet

Illustrator Keith Watts is having a lot of fun collaborating with DSC - the Death Spray Custom blog. Every month, he's producing a new image inspired by the wide array of death-defying vehicles that demand custom paint jobs - one for each letter of the alphabet.

Where did he start? Well A is for Air and there's no better way to get air than by leaping off a jump on a BMX, an experience Watts has captured to stunning effect. "Looks like he's hanging there above a halfpipe, the moment of freedom before gravity brings him back down," says the British illustrator.

"It's referenced from a grainy as hell black and white photo of Matt Hoffman from the 80s. I added in the Skyway Tuffs, matching Vans, jersey and Rectors." (That's the wheels, shoes, outfit and protective pads to us non-BMXing mortals.)

So far he's done five letters and B is for Baja, C is for Camo and D is for Drag, wherein Watts has depicted a VW dune buggy, army helicopter and dragster respectively, all emblazoned with their inspiring spray works. "When I got the brief through I was really happy with it and the direction, such a nice idea. These are all the things that Death Spray Custom is about, but it's all stuff which also appeals to me," he adds.

Keith's illustration style always features a lot of pencil work, and these were drawn on A4 sheets using coloured pencils. He scanned them in and touched them up in Photoshop. Keep an eye on the Death Spray Custom blog for future additions to the series.