ABOUT Us
About X-PAINT
PRESERVING THE CRAFT WHILE EMBRACING THE TOOLS OF TOMORROW
X-Paint combines over three decades of experience in airbrushing, custom paint, design and visual arts with both traditional craftsmanship and modern technology.
From race helmets and motorcycle bodywork to one-off artwork and specialist commissions, every project is approached with the same philosophy: choose the right tools for the job, never the easiest.
While many custom paint projects today rely heavily on printed graphics and vinyl, X-Paint remains rooted in the traditional skills that built the industry. We can utilise the latest design software, digital plotting equipment and modern materials when they improve the final result, but we have never forgotten the hand-crafted techniques that made custom paint an art form in the first place. The result is something increasingly rare: genuine custom paintwork created by an artist who understands both where the industry came from and where it is going.
Because custom paint should still be custom.
“SID” PAINTED CIRCA 1992 USING HAND CUT MASKS FROM MASKING TAPE COMBINED WITH FREEHAND AIRBRUSH WORK. A harley davidson sportster tank modified to fit the “vicious” cr500.
Where it all began
Long before X-Paint existed, before the airbrushes, paint booths and computer design software, there was a young motocross rider with a fascination for painted crash helmets. Growing up racing motocross in the 1980s, painted helmets were a luxury reserved for professionals. Cellulose paints, rattle cans, masking tape and plenty of imagination was all we had to hand.
The helmet shown in this photograph is an early attempt.
Looking back, the workmanship might not have been perfect, but the passion was already there. What started with motocross, masking tape and aerosol paint would eventually become a career spanning custom paint, airbrushing, design and art.
The tools may have changed dramatically since those early days. The passion hasn’t.
FAST FORWARD TO 2026
The custom paint industry has evolved dramatically since those early motocross days. New materials, digital technology, vinyl graphics and modern production methods have transformed the way many projects are created.
Throughout that time, X-Paint has remained focused on the craft itself.
While trends have come and gone, we have continued to refine the traditional skills that first inspired us, combining them with modern technology where it genuinely improves the finished result. The goal has never been to stand still. It has been to preserve the artistry of custom paint while continuing to move forward.
Today, that philosophy is opening exciting new opportunities.
X-Paint is proud to be developing relationships with organisations that share similar values and a similar commitment to quality.
Sandown Coachworks, one of the UK’s leading prestige accident repair groups with a history spanning more than four decades, represents the very best of modern paint technology, craftsmanship and continual investment in the future.
For X-Paint, the partnership feels like a natural fit. Both businesses share a belief that quality and long-term reputation matter more than trends or quick wins.
At the same time, Creed Gallery‘s commitment to originality, artistic integrity and authentic creative voices reflects many of the values that have guided X-Paint from the very beginning.
Together, these relationships represent more than new opportunities. They represent the next chapter in the X-Paint story: combining traditional craftsmanship, modern technology and artistic creativity to take custom paint further than ever before.
As X-Paint enters its fifth decade, those foundations remain unchanged, while the ambition to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible has never been stronger.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
From hand-painted motocross helmets in the early 1980s to modern collaborations with leading names in automotive refinishing and contemporary art, the journey continues. While the tools, materials and opportunities have evolved, the philosophy remains the same: create work that stands out, lasts, and stays true to the principles that built the custom paint industry in the first place.
Whether it’s a race helmet, motorcycle, commercial commission or one-off piece of artwork, every project starts with the same question: How can we create something genuinely unique?
Because custom paint should still be custom.
