Local artist turns instruments into art with unique painting technique

Most people would look at an unuseable guitar as a bit of junk to get rid of, but local graphic artist Henry Buitrago sees it as an entirely unique canvas perfect for custom artwork.

Buitrago has been using an airbrush technique to create custom artwork on the bodies of guitars — both broken and functional. With an interest in art for most of his life and over two decades of experience as a graphic designer and illustrator, his most recent passion has been exploring airbrushing as a medium.

His interest in guitar art began a few years ago, with a personal project to repair an old bass back to working condition. That journey prompted Buitrago to get into airbrushing, as a way to achieve the look he was going for with the custom instrument. After bringing the completed guitar with him to a jam session with his band at the time, a bandmate immediately offered to buy the piece and Buitrago realized there was likely plenty of people who might be interested in custom work of their own. From there, airbrushing became a passion for Buitrago. He’s done plenty of commission work for clients, custom-designing their vision in his own distinct style on the instrument of their choice — including guitar bodies for display and working guitars for local musicians. Each piece is unique, offering a special kind of connection between art and client, especially for those with an emotional tie to the guitar boasting the art. Much of Buitrago’s work reflects his personal interest in classic horror movies, especially as clients with similar tastes gravitate towards his sample work, but he’s also done a number of pieces catering to specific client requests.

But he welcomes the challenge that comes with creating the perfect custom design for whatever ideas clients bring to his table, while still offering his own interpretation and style. There’s a lot of planning and consideration that goes into designing art for a guitar top, especially if it’s an instrument that will be put to work onstage. Buitrago has to consider things like the shape of the body and the placement of images, making sure to avoid putting important images in high-scratch areas or in places where the art may be blocked from sight by the musician’s hands or other equipment while they perform. Painting custom art on guitars is something very few people in Saskatchewan are doing, said Buitrago, and using airbrushing as a medium is even less common since it can be a tough method to work with. A portfolio of Buitrago’s work is available on at salmonstudio.ca, and he can be reached directly by emailing henryb@salmonstudios.ca.

Henry Buitrago began creating custom guitars a few years ago, using airbrushing techniques to turn instruments into artwork. (supplied)

A sample of Buitrago’s work from his portfolio, featuring the villain from the classic horror franchise Friday the 13th. (supplied) One of Buitrago’s favourite pieces, the centre features an eye that actually lights up and appears to follow you as you move around the room. (supplied)