Painting plastic shoes - an experiment

[Bizarro Amy]

I know people have discussed changing the color of plastic shoes before, so I wanted share a tip I read earlier today. There's stuff called gesso that is supposed to help, kind of like a primer. You can buy it in art supply stores.
The first thing you do is use fine sandpaper on the entire outside surface, just to roughen it a bit. Wash off any bits of plastic or dust. Then apply a coat of gesso with a paintbrush. Once it's dry, you should have a nice, paintable surface.
I'm trying something slightly different at the moment. I need a pair of black Barbie-sized shoes in a specific style. I took a pair of those generic boots that are so plentiful in auction lots and used an Xacto knife to cut them into the style I wanted. I sanded the surface, then applied a coat of Mod Podge Matte. Once it was dry, I painted the shoes with nice acrylics. I will post how well it worked once they're dry.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

Gesso.... not a bad idea. Never thought to use it on a figure. (I use it when painting.) You'll have to let us know how durable it is when it sets.

Don C.

[Bizarro Amy]

Keep in mind that I didn't use gesso this time around. I roughed up the shoes and coated them with Mod Podge Matte, because I've never had any trouble painting over it before. I left the surface fairly rough, because the shoes are going on a gift, and will be in a box, so I won't be able to redo them. I'm pretty happy with the results.
Before:


After:


I would imagine the gesso method could be used in a similar manner to paint custom bodies.

[Megospidey]

Duplicolor makes a spray Vinyl and Fabric Paint that requires no sanding and no priming. It does NOT chip off like acrylics. Works great on hard or soft plastic. It actually bonds with the plastic and changes it at the molecular level (I really have no idea if it does this or not...just sounds cool).

Every custom I make that requires changing the color of something plastic gets the Vinyl and Fabric Paint treatment. Only downside....the color choices are very basic - only 8 or 9 to choose from.

[Timothy2251]

Can you spray another paint, say Krylon Fusion over something painted with the Duplicolor Vinyl/Fabric paint? Sort of using the Duplicolor as an ersatz primer?

[ctc]

>Duplicolor makes a spray Vinyl and Fabric Paint that requires no sanding and no priming.

It's close to the car interior stuff I love so much. It's good, but it only works on certain plastics; namely porous vinyls and such. It absorbs in, and doesn't rub off. Ever. At all. (So be careful with it.) For shoes and boots, the Krylon stuff is probably better. Boots are a soft plastic, but they're a styrene or propolyne derivative. Not porous at all; hence why it's so tough to find anything that sticks.

>Sort of using the Duplicolor as an ersatz primer?

Mmmmmaaaayyyybbbbeeeee...... But I'd experiment first. The duplicolour would work more like an undercoat and not a primer; that is, it's not gonna be colour neutral and it'll tint the surface paint. (Unless you just hoze that stuff on!) For boots and shows you MIGHT try a really hardcore primer.... like sandable auto primer or house primer.... and paint over that. It shouldn't eat throguh the item, and there's not enough detail that you'd risk losing any.

Don C.

[THE MEGO]

That all sound very cool. Thank you guys for that information. I've been struggling with that for a long time now.
Gesso or Duplicolor. VERY COOL. I will try this.
If you guys want to laugh, I've been having such a hard time with painting mego boots, I just make cloth boots.
Example of cloth boots is on one of my customs on eBay. Check it out. I'm on my work computer now and I don't have that picture saved on this desk top. Sorry..
I believe its under, "Custom mego batman, world peacekeeper, gi-joe style 12 inch action figure." I THINK...

[Timothy2251]

>Duplicolor makes a spray Vinyl and Fabric Paint that requires no sanding and no priming.

It's close to the car interior stuff I love so much. It's good, but it only works on certain plastics; namely porous vinyls and such. It absorbs in, and doesn't rub off. Ever. At all. (So be careful with it.) For shoes and boots, the Krylon stuff is probably better. Boots are a soft plastic, but they're a styrene or propolyne derivative. Not porous at all; hence why it's so tough to find anything that sticks.

>Sort of using the Duplicolor as an ersatz primer?

Mmmmmaaaayyyybbbbeeeee...... But I'd experiment first. The duplicolour would work more like an undercoat and not a primer; that is, it's not gonna be colour neutral and it'll tint the surface paint. (Unless you just hoze that stuff on!) For boots and shows you MIGHT try a really hardcore primer.... like sandable auto primer or house primer.... and paint over that. It shouldn't eat throguh the item, and there's not enough detail that you'd risk losing any.

Don C.

Think I'll experiment when it gets warmer - thanks, Don!

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

One trick I"ve used is to use spray plastic paint on boots, and then urethane the hell out of them. It works, but urethane yellows over time, which is noticable on lighter colours.

Don C.

[Boywonder0]

DupliColor Vinyl & Fabric Spray Paint - For Vinyl, PVC & hard rubber.
Krylon Fusion for Plastics - Ehrr... For Plastics.

Amazing products on their own!

Take years of experimentation this quick...

[THE MEGO]

Painting boots

DupliColor Vinyl & Fabric Spray Paint - For Vinyl, PVC & hard rubber.
Krylon Fusion for Plastics - Ehrr... For Plastics.

Amazing products on their own!

Take years of experimentation this quick...

I'm affraid to mess up. I might try it.