Table of Contents
This is how you paint Leather!
Leather articles can be personalized by painting your own design on them. Painting on leather is not that difficult, but you do need to prepare the items and use the right type of paint. The best paint for leather is acrylic paint. Some leather items may be finished in such a way that the paint may not adhere well. Therefore, it is advisable to test this first on a less visible part.
What do you need?
-clean cloth
-isopropyl alcohol, paint thinner or ammonia
-fine sandpaper (100-200)
- leather preparer and deglazer
-pencil
-Acrylic leather paint
-Acrylic leather varnish
-brushes
How to paint on leather:
Step 1:
Before you can start painting leather, the leather must be free of oils and waxes. Wipe the leather with a clean cloth and isopropyl alcohol. Paint thinner or ammonia will also work for this.
Step 2:
Use fine sandpaper to lightly sand the leather on the piece you want to paint. Leather paint does not adhere well to leather that is shiny, so it needs to be slightly roughened. Clean the leather again after sanding to remove dust and any remaining oil.
Step 3:
Apply a generous layer of leather preparer and deglazer. The preparer and deglazer is alcohol-based and therefore dries fairly quickly.
Step 4:
Draw your design with a pencil. You can use this as a guide during painting. If you are going to paint the leather in a single solid colour, you can skip this step.
Step 5:
Mix the leather paint with water in a 1:1 ratio. The water is needed to allow the paint to be absorbed by the leather.
Use the brushes to paint your design. The paint should be applied in thin, even layers. Between each layer, the paint should dry for about 2 to 3 hours.
If you are painting a leather item that moves and bends during use, such as shoes, stretch the leather before applying each coat of paint. This prevents the paint from cracking in the future.
Once you have finished painting your design, allow the paint to dry for at least 24 hours. If the paint still feels somewhat wet after 24 hours, let it dry until it is completely dry.
Step 6:
Apply the leather varnish over your paint with a cloth to seal the paint. Use thin layers and let each layer dry before applying the next.
The leather varnish is available in glossy and matte finishes, so you can choose the finish you desire.
Like the paint itself, the varnish needs at least 24 hours to dry. If it is still somewhat wet after 24 hours, let it dry longer. Also, ensure it dries in a place where not too much dust is floating around. Otherwise, the dust will get stuck in the varnish and will forever be on your leather item.
