This article will cover the different methods and paints required to duplicate painted calf drum heads of the 20's and 30's. The original heads can cost upwards of $200 just for the drum head. They are usually more valuable then the bass drums they are on.

Here is an example from the Ludwig Drum Company of the designs they were putting on calf heads in the 1920's (More examples at the bottom of the article.)

 

The article mentions the "Stipple Method" of painting which requires the brush head to be cut straight so that the paint is not applied in strokes but in the daub fashion.

Def: To apply paint to (a surface) with hasty or crude strokes.

(International Arcade Museum)

The article mentions the six new titles in painted drum heads.

1926 Article (October 25)

(International Arcade Museum)

Here is some information from our drum forum from (Jeff -Snowdog) on the type of paints to use for calf and synthetic heads.

(There are other methods for synthetic heads which require a light sanding of the head and then mixing acrylic paint with flex additive)

1920's and 1930's era calf-skin heads were usually done using oil-based colors.

"Tempera is usually applied in much thinner coats since it dries so rapidly, and as such it often won't have the same vibrancy or saturation. Also, tempera usually doesn't work well when applied to flexible non-rigid surfaces. The only benefit that tempera offers over oil-based colors is that it resists fading very well, whereas oils tend to fade & can become transparent over time.

Not saying that tempera couldn't be done or work, but odds are oils would be the better long-lasting choice. Tempera would probably work better on synthetic heads."