Clean Lines on Fabric

[trainman]

OK, so I admit to being an Extreme Newbie ..... Extreme ! I have a general question for working with fabrics. I was trying to spice up the sails for a model ship I'm using as a background item - it is the Black Pearl from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

The sail cloth looks like some type of linen, very dark grey, and coarser than t-shirt material. I was using White Createx and trying to spell out words arranged with bones.

I realize that I still lack confidence, and there are still techniques I need to learn, but beyond the initial problems of air pressure, paint consistency, control, etc. I had a very difficult time getting good coverage without going over the shapes many, many times.

I've seen t-shirt painters that lay out wide letters in a single broad cursive stroke. After some time, I was starting to get smoother, more sweeping strokes in, but nothing like they probably should have been.

It seems like that cloth sucked up the paint like a sponge, and the result was quite streaky looking by the time I got the letter shapes heavy enough for the white to stand out. I had an old balck t-shirt nearby that iused for comparison, and was able to do slightly cleaner work on it.

Are there different preparations for each of the fabric types ? I ironed the cloth to get it flat (already attached to yard arm, so I couldn't wash it). I also used a small backing board for support.

Would you be willing to share any tips/tricks for better technique ?

Trainman:

[Whit]

Might try to seal it first with extender/heat set,, then try it,,,
whites gonna be a problem anyway,, I've found if you hit it at a
slight angle the white stays more on top of the fabric,, as opposed
to "Soaking" in,, still,, it's prob gonna take a couple/three coats
to get a good white build-up (lot depends on the material as well)
Good Luck on it !!!

[ABD]

I don't spray much of any fabric so I'm not much help....But I can relate with working with thin paints...Maybe that's the case??....I thin my paint to death most times. Sometimes I'll have to go over a spot 4-5 times to get it to build up and be the color I want....I just like to work that way, plus thin paint sprays sooo nice...

If I wanted more coverage quickly, I'd use an AB that could handle a thicker paint...(bigger needle/tip combo) and more opaque paints...I wouldn't thin so much.

I dunno if that's yer case or not, or if it applies at all, just how I work things...Hang tight...Some people are textile Guru's in here, I'm sure they can help:)

[sharonsstudio]

after each coat hit it with the hair dryer or heat set it helps the first layer dries and the second layer sits on top.. also I use gac900 seems to help too..
hope this helps along with whits..

[XZOTIC INK]

i have done hard canvas type stuff for work bags that hold tools,,,i think its the same material,,,its thicker piece of tough canvas fabric stuff,,,

so this is what i did,,,first you can use auto paint on it,,cause your not WEARING IT,,so the auto paint will hold up,,like createx auto paint,,but you can also ,,just use any createx and use an eXTENDER BASE FIRST,,THAN HEAT SET THAT,,,THAN PAINT OVER IT,,AND KEEP HITTING YOUR WHITES,to brighten them up

now for A DARKER VERSION YELLOWISH CANVAS,,YOU CAN LAY A BASE WHITE DOWN,,,that will help pop out those colors,,

FIRST OF ALL,,,YOU HAVE TO PRACTICE BASICS TO HAVE A CLEAN DESIGN,,SORRY BUT TRUE,,dont chop my head off,,:avatargeraldif5: or you will never get it right,,lol,,

[AndyW]

White sucks, as above, something like extender or gac900 first and heat set, light coats of white and build up, or as Nat says an automotive white.

[syklystt]

well, I agree with whats been said about layering your paint and heatsetting it between layers...and the clear pre-coat makes a huge diff.

also...if you dont have skills to do letters yet..why not get some inkjet iron-on paper and just use whatever font you need and make little iron-ons...if you cut them real good...it should look real nice on there....and more perfect....if its too perfect...use photoshop to manipulate you text and then print.
Good luck

[XZOTIC INK]

omg i forgot,,,YOU HAVE TO HIT IT WITH HEAT AFTERWARDS,,AND KRYLON CLEAR BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME THIS MATERIAL WEARS AWAY QUICKER,,,the krylon will keep it a bit longer,,,I HAD PROBLEMS WITH GUYS SAYING hey that work bag you painted for me wore away,,so i touched it up and hit it with krylon and its still lasting,,,its just SOME TOUGH CANVAS STUFF

[trainman]

Thanks for the input, folks. It sounds like pre-sealing and heatset between layers might have helped.

Trainman

[XZOTIC INK]

and seal it,,some reason that type of canvas needs to have a touch of clear afterwards,,or even knick will eventually scratch it off,,