Get ready to step into the world of sneaker customization with Linden, an artist with a passion for bringing his unique style to your feet! Join us as we follow Linden on his latest project – customizing a pair of Vans sneakers using Angelus leather paints for the Deckle Edge art store in Cape Town at COMIC-CON! Whether you’re a sneakerhead or just love art, you won’t want to miss this exciting journey of creativity, colour, and customization. So, sit back, relax, and let’s dive into the world of sneaker art!
Step 1: To prepare for painting, I first removed the laces and prepped the shoes with Angelus Preparer and De-glazer which is very important for getting the best results when using Angelus Paint. I use a cotton balls to apply the cleaning liquid in circular motions. It will break down the original finish and prepares the surface of the shoe for the paint to permanently bond to the leather. Once the shoe is dry it is ready to apply the paint.
Step 2: I started by using the images sent to me by Deckle Edge and breaking down each component. Then, I cut stencils in the vinyl sticker sheet for all the different fonts, South Africa shape and Table Mountain shape using my Cricut Cutter.
Step 3: I heat set the Cricut vinyl on the shoes and airbrushed the same colour underneath the stencil (white) In case of any paint bleed. This was important since the colour of the shoe was white, which meant that any bleed would be more noticeable. Once the base was dry and ready, I airbrushed the colours I needed for each image and font.
Step 4: I used an AirCraft Airbrush Compressor on the first setting since the second one wasn’t necessary when it comes to airbrushing shoes and the AirCraft Airbrush to spray paint the various designs on. I mixed my paints on a 1 to 1 ratio with Angelus 2 Thin so that is was the correct consistency for airbrushing. I used a medium to low pressure to ensure there would be no blowouts and bursts of paint. As we were in a small area and didn’t want to mess too much, I used my brand-new AirCraft Spray Booth which is quick to set up, contains the mess, saves time on clean-up and allowed me to maneuver the shoe on the turn table inside to work on different areas.
Step 5: I chose to hand paint the fonts in black since they were spread all over the shoe and extremely small.
Step 6: Finally, I did touch-ups with a paintbrush to ensure everything was perfect and used the Angelus Matte Acrylic Finisher which when dry creates a non-cracking flexible protective seal.
It was a fun project and came out super neat! Customizing shoes takes time, but it’s definitely worth it when you see the end result! This will be a great addition to the store display. Big thanks to Deckle Edge for having me paint their shoes, Angelus South Africa for sponsoring the paints and Comic-Con Cape Town for hosting such an Awesome event!
Extra Tips On Airbrushing
- Make sure that the paint you use has a milky consistency, if it is too thick add the Angelus 2 Thin to make it thinner so that it doesn’t block your airbrush needle.
- Always make sure that you clean your airbrush with water or solvent immediately after use or on chaning colours so that dry paint doesn’t block and break any parts of the mechanism.
- Turn the compressor off when not in use to avoid over heating
Project Broken down into exact steps
1. Remove laces
2. Prep Leather
3. Cut and prep stencils
4. Weed out stencils with tweezer
5. Paint background white
6. Place stencils in position
7. Heat set stencil to prevent bleed
8. Paint same background colour over stencils
9. Mix paints
10. Airbrush 3-5 coats of paint
11. Heat to dry faster
12. Allow 15 minutes between coats
13. Remove stencils
14. Do touch ups
In conclusion, learning to customize your own shoes using Angelus leather paints and an aircraft airbrush can be a fun and rewarding experience. Not only can it allow you to express your own unique style and creativity, but it can also save you money by transforming your shoes into something unique and exciting. With a bit of practice and patience, anyone can learn the techniques needed to create stunning and personalized shoe designs. So why not give it a try? Pick up some Angelus paints, and start experimenting with your own custom shoe designs today!
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Related article you may like:
https://www.deckleedge.co.za/creative-side-hustle-custom-sneaker-art/
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