Painting tips

[Super_Donut_Man]

Well I am gonna paint a longboard skateboard, and if it turns out good, then I might try the same with a guitar (my friend has a body blank cut out that he will never use).

 

So, I have been trying to use the thin painters tape to make a kind of hotrod pin-stripping design. The problem is when I try to make the curves, but I guess I don't know how to do it. What is the easiest way to do it. Also should I move from 1/4 to 1/8 tape?

[Super_Donut_Man]

Also, if I am gonna make a color fade into another(spray paint), like dark blue to black, I would put the darker color first right (obviously after the color of the stripes as mentioned above.)

[bassman1956]

Prep with a fine sanding or steel wool. Wipe down well with denatured alcohol. Do the actual outline with 1/8" to 1/4" tape, the widest that will let you get the smooth curves. Fill in the rest with a not-too-sticky tape, like the blue stuff they sell at Home Depot and Lowes.

 

Make sure the can of paint is room temp, shake the tar out of it, shake it some more, and shake it after every few passes.

 

First 2 coats should be light mists, give kind of a sticky coat to adhere to the surface, and a way to do a little heavier finish coat while the first 2 are still tacky. Helps avoid runs like this.

 

Also, tricks to neat lines: First, don't spray any heavier than you need to for full coverage. Second, you can try removing the tape before all of the paint's fully set. Next, if the paint's really setting up, you can use a really sharp blade such as an X-Acto knife to trace the outline at the tape's edge, which will cut the paint loose from the tape.

 

As for which color to paint first or last, which color do you want to rule over the other? That would probably be the last one painted.

[nicebigstrings]

Don't use tape. Try 'Frisket' or some kind of similar paint-on masking solution. Draw your design out and brush to the lines with a steady hand. It's a lot like rubber cement and lifts off easily when you're done.

 

Also there's a sort of large peel-off decal you could try. Sorry I forget the name of it. Cover your board with it, draw your design, and carefully (and lightly) cut it out with an exacto blade (not a big carpet knife). Come to think of it, you could get the same result with several bands of thick masking tape laid out well.

 

Go to an art supply store and describe the project and they'll know how to fix you up.

 

While you're there get yourself a 3M cartridge respirator if you're doing any spraying.