Lettering on leather: painting supplies for live events
Have you ever considered lettering or painting on leather products? Well, you are in luck! I had the pleasure of working for Coach to be the on-site artist in Chicago for their live customization events earlier this year. From this experience came lots of lessons learned, including what kind of materials are required for this kind of event, and how to adjust lettering techniques when it is live in front of customers.
I’m excited to team up with Roselly Monegro, a fellow Los Angeles lettering artist who also works with Coach, to bring you a three-part series where we share tips and tricks from our experiences!
Whether you are looking to customize a bag at home or hope to partner with brands for live brand activation events in the future, we hope this series will help you to get started!
For part one, we will be covering what materials you will need for creating a custom painted leather product:
Main painting materials
Extra materials for on-site live lettering
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FREE Live Lettering on Leather materials checklist
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Main painting materials
1. Angelus paint
Angelus paints are specific for leather and come in a big variety of colors. You can find them in stores like Blicks, Michaels, and Amazon. If you’re unsure about colors, there’s a starter pack on Amazon you can order (pictured above). The nice thing about these paints is that you can also mix the paints for a very custom color.
2. Paint brushes
We prefer to have a mix of round and flat brushes. The round brushes are great for detail work and script lettering, and we keep a size range of (00–3). The flat brushes are good for larger sized sans serif lettering.
You can find these brushes at places like Blicks and Michaels. The sizes that you use will depend on your preference, If you don’t know, grab a few different brushes and test them out at home. Try to find brushes that have a good quality bristle so that the hairs don’t come out while you’re painting (that would be the worst). It doesn’t have to be super expensive, but try to avoid the cheapest!
3. Paint markers
If you’re not comfortable painting with brushes, you can also use markers! We have used Posca, Sharpie Oil Based, DecoColor, and Molotow markers in a variety of tip sizes and prefer Posca and DecoColor. It’s nice to have at least a fine point (for details and small monograms) and a medium point (for larger customizations). Each brand has a different set of colors available, so the brand you choose may depend on what colors you want. If you’re not sure, try getting a small sample that you can test at home to see how you like the color and the way it dries on leather.
If you end up using a variety of painting materials, make sure to test a combination of it on a scrap of leather to see if you can layer it (usually an oil paint and an acrylic paint do NOT mix well)
4. Angelus matte finisher
Using a matte acrylic finisher is an optional material. It is an extra coating that you can apply to help preserve the paint and prevent it from getting scratched off. If you choose not to use it, just make sure to wait 24 hours for the paint to dry before using the customized product.
5. Angelus leather cleaner or rubbing alcohol
Angelus leather cleaner and rubbing alcohol are good options for removing paint splatters or mistakes. It works best when you use it immediately before the paint dries.
When you try to remove the paint, you will need to add some pressure to scrub it off, especially if it is a pebbled or textured leather. Again, we recommend testing this on some scrap leather first so you see how effective it is.
6. Water solvent pencil for sketching
This pencil is very handy to lay down sketches and guidelines before you start painting. Make sure it is the water solvent pencil and NOT a coloring pencil. With a water solvent pencil, you can simply wipe off your sketch with a damp towel. After trying a few brands, we found that a Stabilo aquarellable pencil worked best.
7. Tape
Tape is useful for laying down guidelines as well to keep your lettering straight. You can use washi tape or painter’s tape (for delicate surfaces) so that it is easy to remove from the leather when you are done.
8. Q-tips
Q-tips are handy for removing small mistakes and clean up brush strokes quickly. You only need a couple per customization, if at all.
9. Container for water
Any container will do! We just use some glass jars to fill up with water to clean our brushes in between colors and customizations.
10. Rags or paper towels to wipe paint brushes
Make sure you keep some reusable rags or paper towels to dry your paint brushes.
Additional materials for on-site event lettering
Below are additional materials to bring if you are lettering on-site for a brand activation event. Prior to the event, make sure you are clear about what the brand will provide for you and what you will need to bring. Usually they will set up a space with a table, chair, and sign for you to create your customizations. Depending on the client, they may even provide all the materials for you.
1. Storage box for painting materials
Any box will do! We both happen to use this box from Michaels that fits quite a lot of materials, but you can choose whatever you’d like and even customize it for a branded look.
2. Notepad and pencil
This is helpful when you are working with the customer to make sure that you spell their name correctly or to quickly sketch out their vision, depending on what they are asking for.
3. Samples of illustration and lettering on leather
It is helpful to provide a selection of motifs and lettering styles for the customer to choose from. The brand may even require you to provide this for them to approve prior to the event. You can pick up leather samples at fabric and craft stores like Michaels.
4. Samples of colors on light and dark leather
This gives the customer a better idea of how the color they choose will look on their product.
5. Pre-cut stencils with your designs
This is very useful if you have complex motifs or shapes and you want to speed up the process. Having stencils is also nice if you have an assistant with you on-site during particularly busy events. These stencils were created with the Silhouette Cameo cutting machine.
6. Palette knife and palette paper or tray
Palette knives, palette paper and palette trays are optional but allow you to mix paints if your customer has a very specific color that they would like to customize their bag.
7. Signage and freebies to promote your brand
Some clients will provide the signage to share who you are on site. If they don’t, you can check to see if you can bring your own sign to share your information like your name and instagram handle with the customers.
8. Water and snacks (obviously 😉)
You don’t want to be dehydrated or hungry on site!
9. List of materials you need to pack
Wouldn’t it be the worst if you forgot an important painting supply the day you’re on-site for your customization event?! Never fear, we created a FREE live lettering on leather materials list for you to keep!
Sign up to the newsletter below to download your copy today. Subscribers will have exclusive access to goodies like freebies and tutorials sent directly to your inbox, no more than once a month.
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Want to know more about live lettering on leather and customization events?
Read the entire series below!
About the Authors
Belinda Kou is a lettering artist and illustrator based in Chicago. Known for her colorful and energetic illustrations, she often draws inspiration from food and beverages to develop thoughtful storytelling. She has had the pleasure of working with clients like NPR, Coach, The Washington Post, Logitech, and Michaels.
Roselly Monegro is a lettering artist and illustrator based in Los Angeles, CA. She is specialized in digital art pieces, murals and live-lettering customizations for events and mostly known for her colorful art pieces that incorporate a mix of shapes, florals, textures and unique letterforms. She's passionate about creating art with powerful messages for women about self-love and mental health. Roselly has worked for brands such as Coach, Prudential, Facebook, Cariuma and more.