I know Fé already wrote a tutorial for painting synthetic leather shoes with acrylic paint, so I guess that makes this one version 2! Anyway, I want to introduce a product that is now a staple in my stash of cosplay making supplies: Angelus leather paint.
1 ounce, 4 ounces and 1 pint bottles
Where to buy: Dharma Trading, Turtle Feathers
Price: $2-$2.69 (1 ounce), $4.49-$5 (4 ounces), $15 (1 pint, Turtle Feathers only)
Angelus paint is better to use than regular artist’s acrylic paint because it’s formulated to be applied on leather, synthetic or otherwise. The biggest benefit from using Angelus paint is that it won’t crack at all! That’s kind of a big deal when you need to paint shoes because the paint won’t be damaged after you walk in them for days at a convention, even where your shoes naturally crease. Compared to artist’s acrylic paint, it also needs less coats to get an even finish.
Boots and shoes painted with Angelus leather paint in colour Sapphire
My one complaint about this product is that it’s only available online. Maybe you’ll be lucky and be able to find it locally, but I wouldn’t really count on it. That means you have to pay shipping fees and picking the right colour is kind of a gamble. In my experience, the colour charts available online have always been off to some extent.
It’s really easy to use and get good results. The key is to paint thin layers and wait 4-6 hours between each coat. The paint will feel dry to the touch before that, but applying subsequent coats too quickly doesn’t give the best results. You can use paintbrushes or sponge brushes according to your preference, but sponge brushes use more paint since a lot is absorbed by the sponge.
The paint gets a few shades darker once it’s dry, so mix your colours accordingly!
Left: wet paint, right: dry
