HOW TO USE ANGELUS LEATHER PAINTS WITH EMILY HEWITT
My background in art and design lead me initially into a career customising luxury handbags such as, Hermes, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Goyard. Clients would ask for a range of designs to be painted on their bags, from cartoons to flowers, even their own initials or portraits of their children. All of this was done using Angelus paints. One of the biggest requests I had during this time was butterflies, so for this how-to, I’ll teach you how to paint a monarch butterfly.
ALONGSIDE THE BELOW, YOU WILL ALSO NEED COTTON BUDS, LEATHER/FAUX LEATHER AND STENCIL
Decide on the design you want to paint on your leather good. I like to use references I find online to make sure I’m getting an accurate outline of the subject. It’s also very helpful when picking colours for the design. Once you’ve decided what you’d like to draw you can either:
1. Draw the design directly onto the leather
2. Draw/print the design onto paper and cut it out as a stencil. I like to use this method often for things that are more complicated or need a very accurate hand.
STEP 2
Now you’ve drawn your design on the leather or stuck a stencil down you’re going to carefully remove the topcoat of the leather. Many leather products are coated to ensure longevity of the product. The acrylic paint cannot adhere to the leather like this, so we need to remove the topcoat.
To do this, dip a cotton bud into the Leather Deglazer and wipe it on all the areas you wish to paint. Take your time with this step. You’ll know it’s worked because the sheen of the bag will look different to other areas that haven’t been deglazed
STEP 3
Apply your basecoat. Angelus paints, much like other acrylic on the market have different opacity levels. You will notice on my design the orange is more transparent than the black, for example.
One way to help the painting process is to do a couple of layers of white paint all over the design before you even put any colour down. This is especially helpful when painting with light colours on a dark leather.
STEP 4
Keep building your layers. Here I have added more layers of the orange paint to try and block out the dark grey leather
This step needs to be repeated until you cannot see the colour of the leather below.
Thin layers will ensure your design stays flat and the texture of the paint doesn’t disrupt the design.
STEP 5
Once you’ve got a solid base, you can start to add the details to your design.
Here I have added some high and low lights to the orange wings and begun adding the black details of the butterflies’ wings.
STEP 6
Keep adding that detail! Here I have added more black details to the wings and then simply dotted white along the edges.
I haven’t been particularly precious about the placement of these dots or how symmetrical the black lines are.
I like for natural beings to be imperfect as they would be in nature. Keep adjusting your design until you’re happy with the look.
STEP 7
Now your design is complete, you need to add that protective layer of the leather you removed at the very beginning in step two.
This keeps the design safe and less likely to experience wear and tear. I like to match the Angelus Finisher to the finish of the leather, so if the leather you’re painting on is shiny, perhaps pick a satin finish.
If the leather you’re painting on is matte, you can choose the matte finish.
Make sure your design is completely dry and then dip a paintbrush in your chosen topcoat. Paint a thin layer over the whole design, making sure to cover all of it.
Please note:
1. The topcoat is extremely hard to remove once it’s been added. Make sure you’re happy with the design before you do this step. If removed, the whole design would need to be redone.
2. The topcoat hardens quickly and can damage paintbrushes very easily. I recommend designating a paintbrush to the task and washing it immediately with soapy water once you’re done.
STEP 8
Let the topcoat dry and you’re done! Enjoy your new customised leather products.
Feeling Inspired?
Be sure to follow Emily on her Instagram for more amazing works of art and design.
