SneakArts answers your questions in the FAQ, and gives you tips for getting the best results.
Discover our blog articles and video tutorials available on our Youtube channel.
To paint on Leather (Sneakers, Bags, etc.), you must clean and prepare your support.
- Use stripper or solvent to remove the manufacturer's varnish using a cotton disc. Be sure to rub well, especially in the corners, contours and sensitive areas.
- If you paint the front of shoes or on soft, grained leather, you must sand the surface with a 400 and/or 600 grain.
Once the support is well prepared, make sure that there is no dust or dirt on the surface.
- Always apply thin coats, rather than having too much paint, which can cause cracks.
- After completing your creation or renovation, protect it with a varnish. We advise you to carry out this last step 24 hours later.
To paint on Textile (Jean, Canvas or Fabric), no need to clean or prepare the support.
- Simply apply 1 to 2 under coats of white or gloss varnish to prevent the fibers from absorbing all the paint.
This step minimizes the risk of smudging and allows you to have more vibrant colors.
- Apply the paint in 2 to 3 coats and let dry between each coat.
- The paint resists to water once dry, without heating it and without applying a varnish. However, we recommend that you apply at least one coat of varnish to keep the colors vibrant longer.
If you work on leather or faux leather shoes, simply follow the same process.
Even if the SneakArts paint is very resistant, you need to get rid of the manufacturer's varnish.
We recommend that you use a cotton pad and a stripper / degreaser to remove this varnish.
To further secure your preparation, the ideal remains to sand the leather with a grain of 400 then 600, especially on sensitive areas, grained or soft leather.
On leather
You can use the Matt Varnish to dilute the paint (without limit) or 5 to 10% of water maximum to maintain the resistance of the paint. The water will make it more fluid and delay the drying.
On textile
You can easily add 20 to 30% water, it will not affect the hold of the paint.
SneakArts does not recommend blends. Even if some creations were made with other products. Always be careful when diluting, so as not to reduce the strength and elasticity !
As for the dilution, prefer the Matt Varnish, or the SneakArts products.
Yes you can, the SneakArts paint is ideal for Airbrushing because it does not need to be diluted first.
Sometimes White or light colors are thicker. In this case, dilute with our matte varnish or 5-10% water.
Our paints are made up of water, which can evaporate over time, especially if left open for too long.
To clean your Airbrush use water only.
SneakArts paint can be applied to any type of leather. It is simply necessary to take care to prepare the support well before the application of our paint.
On smooth or grained leather : degrease and sand before painting
On upturned leather, suede or nubuck : degrease, sand, then prime the support with gloss varnish to create a sealing layer to secure your work.
SneakArts paint can be applied to all textile surfaces : cotton, polyester, denim...
Magic paints may decrease in intensity after several machine washes. Including Metallic, Phospho and Chameleon paint.
It is recommended to apply varnish to magic paints.
If the effect fades, you just need to reapply a coat of paint.
SneakArts offers you an online Stencil editor to preview your creation in the dimensions of your choice. Import your images which will be automatically converted and create original texts!
We still recommend that you import good quality black and white images for best results. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any doubts and our team will be happy to help you.
A Stencil is a sticker that you can use to fill it with paint. If your surface is not smooth, prepare the area first.
- Grab your stencil out of the vinyl
- You can use a transfer tape if you have small details or complex shapes.
- Place the stencil on your pair and be sure to stick it on. You can use a credit card or another stiff card for this.
- Apply an undercoat of white to avoid the risk of smudging, especially if you are working on grained or non-smooth leather.
- Fill the stencil with thin layers of paint, making sure not to leave any excess on the edges of the stencil, at the risk of seeing the paint peel off!
Make sure there is enough drying time so that the lower layers do not peel off..
Apply a matte or glossy varnish to protect the paint.
Wait 24h for a brush application and 10min for an Airbrush application.
As with paint, always apply thin coats.
We do not recommend the application of other varnishes, at the risk of having smudge effects.
Magic and UV Paints work the same way as regular colors, except that it requires more coats for a homogeneous result. Unless you use a airbrush.
You can dilute the UV paints with white to have lighter colors. It also allows you to put fewer coats when working with a brush (5 to 6 coats).
To check the result, expose your creation to the sun or use a blue / UV light between each layer.
Chameleon also work the same way as all our other paints.
However, for Chameleon colours, we advise you to apply the paint on a black undercoat for best results.
You can of course apply them on other colors to obtain metallic effects.
Yes, SneakArts paint, once applied to leather and textiles, after drying, is resistant to washing.
For Leather : we do not recommend machine washing your shoes, bags or accessories !
For Textiles : the paint will not come off, but the ideal remains cold washing (30°C or by hand) to keep beautiful colors longer.
Especially for metallic or chameleon colors.
Discover more on the Blog
HOW TO PAINT LEATHER AND SNEAKERS
USE OUR PAINTS ON TEXTILE AND CLOTHING
LEARN HOW TO USE VINYL STENCILS
CLEAN & REPAIR YOUR SNEAKERS
Documentation for Workshops
Another question ?
If you have not found the answer to one of your questions, we remain available to answer you.
Contact us on Instagram, comment on Youtube or by email: [email protected]