Fresh as F**k
To paint on sneakers ain`t so easy as it looks like. But if you follow some tips and advices then it`s really fun. It just need two things: time and patience.
I had the pleasure to paint a few pair of different kicks during the last weeks. Sometimes with some simple wishes from the client and sometimes completly free. I`ve painted almost every pair with acrylic markers of the well known European brands MONTANA, MOLOTOW an sometimes POSCA. If you`re not sure then you should cover all the spaces you want to leave empty with tape. It takes lots of time but sometimes it`s worth it. The next thing is that the surface has to be free of fat. That means: clean it careful before you paint it. If there`s still some fat on it you can see it cause the paint won`t stick on the surface. Let it dry, clean it and do it again…several layers!
For the design: I always do a photo of the sneaker and do a sketch on the photo of the shoe on the iPad. The spaces are often very small and very asymmetric. So it`s sometimes hard to find a good composition.
I always start with a light colour and transfer the sketch on the sneaker. (You better always have a few of these sneakerwipes in stock! If you do a mistake you can easyly clean before the paint is dry.) Then I start from back to front. Sometimes it needs more than one layer of paint cause the coverage isn`t always the same. My advice: let one layer dry really well before you start with the next one. Otherwise you`ll have a really dirty and ruff surface with too much paint in the end.
For the finish: These kicks are not made for daily use. You can`t put them into the washing machine after wearing them 3 days on a festival and hope that they`ll still look superfresh when you take them out of the machine. These are still handpainted originals. The only thing you can do is to put thin layer of clearcoat on it.
Good luck!
