- Jun 10, 2014
- 2
- 10
I need help with customizing Lebron 10 x. Is there any needed preparation before I start? What paints? Is it possible to paint airmax? Anything would be greatly appreciated!
help with customizing Lebron 10 x
- Thread in 'Sneaker Art' Thread starter Started by thenikewarrior,
- Start date
- Oct 13, 2012
- 162
- 53
Alright here we go:
Pretty much there are three main steps to painting shoes:
1. Preparation
2 Painting
3 Finishing/Sealing
First step is probably the most important, and that is preparation. With poor preparation that paint job won't last very long, and paint can rub off easily (even onto clothes). To prepare you are going to want to buy some nail polish remover and some cotton swabs. You will use the nail polish remover to get rid of the finisher that NIke puts on the lebrons. Don't apply the nail polish remover to the air bubble, sole, tongue, or liner (unless you daer to paint these on your first try).
2.(ADVICE FOR LEATHERS AND SYNTHETIC LEATHERS, not suede, the sole, nubuck, or mesh) Painting is the next step, and the key to this is to take your time. First off you are going to want to buy angleus paint, which is an acrylic, water based paint avalible on multiple sites (turtlefeathers.com , angelusdirect.com , etc). The reason we use angelus paint and not other paints is because other paints are not flexible. Angelus paint is quite flexible once dry, and if applied properly it will not chip and crack. For this step be sure to take your time and be a perfectionist. I actually start by painting the most difficult parts of the shoe (right where the upper, meets the midsole) and then paint the rest of the upper. I recommend this because on your first custom it is hard not to become impatient, and you might as well finsih by doing the easiest part. Be sure to paint many light layers of paint. Therefore the paint job won't crack, and also you won't see the brush strokes. Another key point is to add duller to your paint. This is the step that seperates the amateurs from the professionals. A lot of new customizers apply the angelus paint straight out of the bottle. Angelus paint is naturally shiny, and if you want the professional look then you'll want to apply duller to your paint. So I highly recommend adding angelus duller to your paint.
DO NOT paint the airbubble. This will look awful, and generally the air bubble colour that you have now is the one that will stay. Once you become a really advanced customizer you can take apart the shoe, dye the airbubble, and then piece the shoe back together (but this can be really tough, and I have not even come close to attempting it).
3. Finish. You will want to finish your shoe off by applying either an angelus finisher, or a finisher of personal preference. For you, I would recommend using angelus finishers, which come in a variety of shines. I would recommend matter finish, or "Flat-Top" finish for the best look.
Hope this helps.
Pretty much there are three main steps to painting shoes:
1. Preparation
2 Painting
3 Finishing/Sealing
First step is probably the most important, and that is preparation. With poor preparation that paint job won't last very long, and paint can rub off easily (even onto clothes). To prepare you are going to want to buy some nail polish remover and some cotton swabs. You will use the nail polish remover to get rid of the finisher that NIke puts on the lebrons. Don't apply the nail polish remover to the air bubble, sole, tongue, or liner (unless you daer to paint these on your first try).
2.(ADVICE FOR LEATHERS AND SYNTHETIC LEATHERS, not suede, the sole, nubuck, or mesh) Painting is the next step, and the key to this is to take your time. First off you are going to want to buy angleus paint, which is an acrylic, water based paint avalible on multiple sites (turtlefeathers.com , angelusdirect.com , etc). The reason we use angelus paint and not other paints is because other paints are not flexible. Angelus paint is quite flexible once dry, and if applied properly it will not chip and crack. For this step be sure to take your time and be a perfectionist. I actually start by painting the most difficult parts of the shoe (right where the upper, meets the midsole) and then paint the rest of the upper. I recommend this because on your first custom it is hard not to become impatient, and you might as well finsih by doing the easiest part. Be sure to paint many light layers of paint. Therefore the paint job won't crack, and also you won't see the brush strokes. Another key point is to add duller to your paint. This is the step that seperates the amateurs from the professionals. A lot of new customizers apply the angelus paint straight out of the bottle. Angelus paint is naturally shiny, and if you want the professional look then you'll want to apply duller to your paint. So I highly recommend adding angelus duller to your paint.
DO NOT paint the airbubble. This will look awful, and generally the air bubble colour that you have now is the one that will stay. Once you become a really advanced customizer you can take apart the shoe, dye the airbubble, and then piece the shoe back together (but this can be really tough, and I have not even come close to attempting it).
3. Finish. You will want to finish your shoe off by applying either an angelus finisher, or a finisher of personal preference. For you, I would recommend using angelus finishers, which come in a variety of shines. I would recommend matter finish, or "Flat-Top" finish for the best look.
Hope this helps.
- Jun 10, 2014
- 2
- 10
Thanks so much. I look forward to doing my first custom with your advice in mind. I appreciate all the help!
- Oct 13, 2012
- 162
- 53
No probs dude, excited to see the results!
