RoadStars presents: the unique creations of Flora Biosca

Show Trucks

Airbrush technique and trucks as a lifestyle.

She is passionate about the world of engines, is an autodidact, and creates unique trucks. Today, we present the story of Flora Biosca at RoadStars.


She dedicated more than three decades of her life to customising vehicles using the airbrush technique, and in the process has given more than 500 trucks and various other vehicles a unique flair and thus new life.

Barcelona, her home town, is at the same time the centre of her work. As part of her transregional Road Colors education project, she realises and teaches innovative approaches in courses, exhibitions and events of the industry.

Flora's trademarks are her passion for her work and her restlessness when it comes to learning new things. We want to learn more about Flora, who kindly agreed to answer some questions, and about her creative process.


The creative process.

Flora starts transferring the design to the truck with the help of her reference points.
Flora starts transferring the design to the truck with the help of her reference points.
She draws the main lines to give gradual shape to the final design.
She draws the main lines to give gradual shape to the final design.
She pays particular attention to the contours of the drawing.
She pays particular attention to the contours of the drawing.
This operation is performed on both sides of the truck.
This operation is performed on both sides of the truck.
Here you see the central design element in an advanced stage.
Here you see the central design element in an advanced stage.

The customer request.

Everything starts with the agreement: The customer explains what they would like to have, while Flora takes meticulous notes. The customer suggests the subject matter based on their interests, Flora asks about photos, drawings and points of reference. She tells us that she sometimes had to watch films to get a better grasp of a subject and thereby be able to design the truck.

Flora's proposal.

After this initial meeting, Flora creates the first draft of the project in digital form, and presents a few sketches of the basic idea to the customer. Customer satisfaction is paramount. Only after the customer is fully sold on the idea and has approved the sketches does she move on to the next step.

Planning phase.

At this point, Flora realises the entire plan. It is important to cater to the customer and their needs, especially because the tractor units are work tools for the vast majority of customers. She always tries to tailor her working hours in a way that ensures she does not disrupt the work of her customers.

She tells us that she tries to use the time before a new truck is registered and asks the dealer to transfer the truck to her paint shop so that the customer can take possession of his vehicle already fully painted and on time.

The first strokes.

The next step is extremely important, because now the design presented in the form of sketches will be projected onto the truck. The process starts with drawing the basic lines directly on the vehicle with the airbrush gun. Flora adds that airbrush technique and lettering can also be combined depending on the nature of the project.

In the case of new trucks, Flora also makes suggestions for the colour combination to create a harmonious ensemble. In the case of used vehicles, it is the other way around: Flora sometimes suggests changing the colour of the cab to bring it in line with the subject on hand and to breathe "more life" into the project.


The details.

Next step: the decoration. After the main elements of the design have been transferred, layers with the most minute details are applied. Flora revises the last details in the workshop as soon as the parts that often have to be removed for painting the trucks have been reinstalled. The final step is applying a clear coat to make the truck shine.

The handover, the big moment.

As the stories that Flora remembers and shared with us in the interview go, the emotions of many drivers when seeing the final results, and above all when seeing a dream come true, are what make this moment special. Drivers very often go to great lengths to design their trucks.


Interview Flora Biosca.

How did you get started in this job?

Flora: I started in France in 1985, where I lived at the time. There was a truck workshop near me. One day, as I was holding an airbrush gun, I was asked if I thought I could create a drawing on a truck. I have always worked in the graphics field, so only the technique and the surface have changed for me. I had a lot of fun!

We know you are a true motorhead. Do you prefer cars, motorbikes or trucks?

Flora: At the beginning it was the American 'custom designs', especially the vans and their unique redesign inside and out. But I am a big fan of trucks and their powerful lines. I love wandering around between the parked trucks. So be it, I just can't help it.


Do you perform a specific ritual before, during or after a job?

Flora: One of the rituals, if you want to call it that, is the meticulous start process (the search for a design and the preparation), before the vehicle comes into the workshop. I like it when the entire process and preparations are well sorted and arranged to make the implementation a success and be able to meet the deadlines.

One ritual is the quiet observation. Sometimes I get comfortable, look at my work and wait until the vehicle demands the next step, especially towards the end of the day.

How long does it take to paint a truck?

Flora: The time it takes to decorate an entire vehicle depends on two things: on the areas that need to be decorated – side walls (all or only the sleeping area), front, rear wall, side panels or the entire cab – and on the complexity of the design. We usually need between five and 30 days, but most vehicles take between 15 and 25 days all said and done.

Are trucks from Mercedes-Benz easier or harder to paint in that context?

Flora: Trucks from Mercedes-Benz are easy to paint with regard to their construction. They have expansive surfaces at the side walls, and a balanced ratio between the driver area and the tall roof section.



What do you like best about your job?

Flora: I picked this job out of conviction and I am proud of that. I enjoy the combination of freedom and creativity. Just like an – albeit experienced –  actor about to walk onto the stage, I also feel joy and agony at the same time.

What I like best is witnessing the customer's satisfaction when the vehicle is handed over. I have seen more than one trucker who was touched during the handover and cried. That fills me with a sense of satisfaction.

You also dedicate yourself to training through Road Colors. Do your students specialise in customising motor vehicles?

Flora: A few years ago, I began teaching what I had learned – completely self-taught back then – on the side. The students have widely different styles and different surfaces they want to work on. I also teach classes tailored specifically to customising vehicle bodies. They take place in my workshop, or also in schools and vocational training centres for body construction and painting.

What was the weirdest thing you ever had to paint on a truck?

Flora: I have seen a lot of weird things… but I recall being alone in a workshop at five in the morning and painting the eyes of Camarón de la Isla when something suddenly threw me backwards. A shiver ran down my spine, I looked into his eyes and it was ... as if an angel was passing by!

You have already dedicated yourself to this job for 30 years. Where do you see yourself in another 30 years?

Flora: To be honest, I see myself driving around in my decorated truck and having fun doing it. I am learning and teaching. And I am painting.

 

Thank you very much, Flora!


A story of passion, creativity and lots of colour. A different way to enjoy the world of trucks.

We thank Flora Biosca for taking the time and wish her happy motoring!

Learn more about Flora's work.

The artist

Road Colors

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