- Layers are too thick - This should be mastered in customs101. Paint in many thin coats instead of a few thick ones
- Timing in between coats - I know this is a common mispractice. Just because it “feels” dry doesn’t mean that it is. What’s going on with the layer is that the paint is actually bonding with the leather, becoming a part of it. If you’re painting coats on top of ones that haven’t bonded yet, you’re basically doing the same as one huge thick layer. When I say wait for some time, I mean wait. Twenty/thirty minutes may seem long but it’s better safe than sorry. Go paint, take a break, watch TV, go out and relax. I seriously hope you guys aren’t watching your shoes dry, I don’t want shoe customizing to be the leading reason for the rise of ADD. In some cases, paint will take longer to dry. From personal experience, on hot humid days, paint can take up to 45minutes-an hour to dry. In these cases you need to test it out. Slide your finger throught the painted area. If it feels like factory leather and runs through smoothly, then you’re good. If there is any remote oily, moist residue, or if it feels slick, then it needs to dry more.
- Improper Prepping - I think this is THE MOST IMPORTANT step in painting a shoe. It doesn’t matter what you put on it. If it’s cracked, it’s destroyed. So take as much time with the cotton balls and acetone as with the brush and paint. Not all shoes turn grey, however. Nike shoes generally do since they use cheaper leather. To tell with other shoes is to a do a before and after test. Run your finger through the unprepped leather. It should feel smooth all the way across. Now run your way back through prepped leather and you may feel a little more resistance. Also, constantly change your cottonballs. A lot of the time, when you don’t switch up, you’re rubbing a cottonball saturated in the melted factory protective layer. So as you glide back and forth you may actually just be adding the wax layer back on other areas. Check out my full guide above so that you prep appropriately.
- Brush Stroke - The problem may actually lie in the manner of how you apply the paint. The basic coloring should be the first thing to master. If you see streaks and uneven patches, then you are far from ready. Start with a good amount of paint on your brush, don’t bother wiping it on the side of the bottle but don’t cover the entire head of bristles with paint. Apply it to the shoe in long, smooth strides. If you see a collection of paint on one area, simply pull it throughout the entire shoe until the entire area is smooth. Don’t worry about the look early on as it will greatly improve with more coats.
- Thick Paint - If it helps, thin the paint out. The basic diluter is potable water (water you can drink). I stay away from tap water as there may be some chemicals in the water that may mess with the paint formula. Limit the amount of water used. Most acrylics used are already water based. However, too much may result in a weaker formula as the water will still separate and evaporate from the mixture over time. Angelus neutral can also be used to thin as well as extend the amount of paint. Just be careful as it will slowly lighten the shade. Alcohol is another alternative as well as acetone for standard acrylics.
- Faulty Brushes - This is easy, the softer the better. Don’t waste your pennies on cheaper brushes that are hard and stiff as you are only hurting yourself. A person can only be so good without the proper materials, otherwise we’d have more finger painters. Also, I like to keep my brushes damp the whole time. I keep a cup of water by me all the the time and am constantly dipping my brush to clean it. Also keep a small rag to wipe your soaked brush. Keep it damp but don’t too wet as the water will just make the paint extremely thin and have it run everywhere.
- Elements - Before you even paint, you should clean the shoe before and after prepping. Strands of hair and dust that clump up in your paint is not only unattractive, but causes a chain of headaches once you try to get it out after the paint has settled. Also, extreme heat is your enemy. Put it on top of a radiator or baking windowsill and you will see not just then but for some time after words.
- Effort - If you halfass through the job, your work will show. The final product is a representation of the effort you actually put into it. Take your time and pay attention to detail, your work will progress. Become sloppy and rush, your work will do a complete 180.
Again, there is a major difference between drying time and curing time. The curing stage takes place after you have completed painting altogether.The curing stage is the time when the paint formula fully settles in order to bond. Just because it is dry, does not mean it has cured. Do not mistake the two. Give your pair ample amount of time to cure after completing and before wearing.
