Vinylnation Customs: Tips, Tricks and Create-Your-Own FAQ's

[dienantman]

Do you use a primer on the vinyl before painting or a sealer when finished

[HauntedCollector]

Do you use a primer on the vinyl before painting or a sealer when finished

Most primer their figures with acrylic, then use some sort of sealer. I really don't "Seal" my customs because of problems with sealer in the past. I just use a bunch of layers.

[nickalew]

I've got a question:
I customize sneakers using Angelus leather paint. I want to avoid having to take a trip to the store to buy new paints. Although it is leather paint, it is acrylic. Do you think that I should just go out and by some of the suggested paint

[photographymom517]

I know this is posted somewhere else, I just couldn't find it when I looked this evening. (So please feel free to move this if it needs moved!)

I know a few people mentioned using Testors spray for their finishing gloss. I have been searching everywhere to find it (I didn't want to order it off the website & pay shipping since I figured I could find it locally). I went to every craft & auto parts store I could find & no one had it. They had plenty of Testors sprays, just no clear gloss. Anyway, I finally found it this past week & I read the bottle prior to purchasing it. It says on the lid "do not use on vinyl". So I was just wondering if its still ok to use...has anyone had problems when using this? Also, which clear gloss do you get? I think they had 4 different ones & they each said "clear gloss" but each was different.

Thanks in advance!!!

[HauntedCollector]

If you have some sort of base coat you should be fine, If you spray directly on the vinyl it becomes tacky and never cures. I hope this helps.

[Story]

I know this is posted somewhere else, I just couldn't find it when I looked this evening. (So please feel free to move this if it needs moved!)

I know a few people mentioned using Testors spray for their finishing gloss. I have been searching everywhere to find it (I didn't want to order it off the website & pay shipping since I figured I could find it locally). I went to every craft & auto parts store I could find & no one had it. They had plenty of Testors sprays, just no clear gloss. Anyway, I finally found it this past week & I read the bottle prior to purchasing it. It says on the lid "do not use on vinyl". So I was just wondering if its still ok to use...has anyone had problems when using this? Also, which clear gloss do you get? I think they had 4 different ones & they each said "clear gloss" but each was different.

Thanks in advance!!!

I merged your thread with a FAQ that discussed some of the questions you have. Hope this helps!

[HauntedCollector]

I merged your thread with a FAQ that discussed some of the questions you have. Hope this helps!

Thanks Story, is this sticky worthy yet? I hate digging for this link everytime a question gets asked. Check with the man.

[Story]

Thanks Story, is this sticky worthy yet? I hate digging for this link everytime a question gets asked. Check with the man.

I was just thinking about that- I'll see what I can do

[HauntedCollector]

I was just thinking about that- I'll see what I can do

Thank you : )

[Story]

The mods have spoken- sticky-fied

[HauntedCollector]

The mods have spoken- sticky-fied

Very good, when I get some extra time I will add more content. Ive always wanted to make video "How To's", one day I guess.

[jwags2112]

A video "how to" would be great.

[HauntedCollector]

A video "how to" would be great.

Yeah it would, I wish I had the time. Im sure I will get around to it. What would you like to see in a video?

[HitchHikingGhostFangirl]

The mods have spoken- sticky-fied

I take credit for the word "sticky-fied"

[Story]

I take credit for the word "sticky-fied"

Yes, it is an awesome new word!

[HauntedCollector]

Yes, it is an awesome new word!

Alright could someone MOD the MOD's? This thread is about customs ; P

[Story]

Alright could someone MOD the MOD's? This thread is about customs ; P

Uh yeah, we were talking about a "custom new word"



Just think of our getting side tracked as the "commercials" between great questions and tips!

[HitchHikingGhostFangirl]

Alright could someone MOD the MOD's? This thread is about customs ; P

Fineeeeeeeee

I actually do have a question. I need to do wood grain of sorts. I cant decide if I should just paint in the detail with a darker colour or use a brush to make a texture of sorts.

[HauntedCollector]

Fineeeeeeeee

I actually do have a question. I need to do wood grain of sorts. I cant decide if I should just paint in the detail with a darker colour or use a brush to make a texture of sorts.

Good question, I have yet to do wood grain but I think its a combination between painting darker lines on top of lighter browns, and doing a wash.

* A Wash is a really watered down color brushed on, it should have the same Viscosity as water.

I really should start making some videos.

This video has some good idea's:

Video

[HitchHikingGhostFangirl]

Yea, I tried the using a brush on a 3" but since it'll be on a 9" I'm not sure. I guess I'll just have to try and see

And brown wood? HA! I'll be doing Blue wood (shouldnt be too hard to figure out what I'm doing )

[HauntedCollector]

Yea, I tried the using a brush on a 3" but since it'll be on a 9" I'm not sure. I guess I'll just have to try and see

And brown wood? HA! I'll be doing Blue wood (shouldnt be too hard to figure out what I'm doing )

Check out the video I added to my post, this will give you alot of great idea's.

Also I just thought, you might want to try an old tooth brush to make the lines. Just take the old brush and smash the brissles down so they are all over the place.

[Boolani]

for woodgrain effects in the past I've base coated with the lightest colour, then picked varying darker shades of the colour to gently dry brush over with a fan-type brush or a bristly one. Dabbed the brush in the paint then brush off most if it on a scrap of paper so that there's hardly any paint left on the brush. Then with long light strokes, drag the paintbrush across to get the base wood texture (like in the clip Chris posted before she went nutso with the tools lol). after I take the the second darkest shade I'm using and add knots and dark grain around them with a thin brush and finally add the darkest shade to the middles of the knots and to the side of some of the darker lines to give a bit more depth. kind of like swirls and the odd random long dark line.

There are some wood finish stampers in craft stores but they don't always work well on curved surfaces and they sometimes just look too "tiled" when finished on projects.

If you're doing what I think you're doing, with wanting blue wood.. We worked on repainting the infants school play things during one of the school summer day camps that our school back home would run. One of the projects needing repainting was a life size tardis we used 3 colours, a white a grey and a black, base coated with the white and dry painted the grey and black overtop making basic wood-like patterns. Once it was dry we were given blue wood stain and went to town. the pattern underneath didn't look the best before, but after the stain it looked a lot better. sad thing is the next time it came to be repainted they just blue washed the whole thing covering all our hours of work . Anyway, if you water down some blue paint it'd probably give the same effect as wood stain.

[XSno_GalX]

aw thanks! Ive tried making a couple custom ones....but i find them to fiddley to paint! after reading this im itching to create another! :-)

[HauntedCollector]

I started a new facebook Customs Page, please check it out:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vinylmation-Customs

[photographymom517]

Does anyone use clears for customs? I was just going to order some plain vinyls & figured I could get the clears for a cheaper price. Since the finish seems different on the clears, what should I do first? Sand it?