Demo: different coloring techniques

[ClayB]

I decided to play around a little with some different coloring techniques this weekend

I carved the same pattern several times and colored it a few different ways. This picture shows it with the background dyed with medium brown spirit dye

Then I oiled the piece with pure Neatsfoot oil. This picture shows what it looks like right after the oil has been added. This will soak in and even out in time.

After the oil even out, I then applied Neat Lac to the piece and let it dry. This piece of leather was a pretty dark color to start with. After the Neat Lac dried, I applied tan antique with a piece of sheepskin. This antique was mixed with a little Tan Kote to thin it out a little. It makes it easier to work with than the really pasty stuff (I think) I left the antique on for a minute or two, and then wipe it off with another piece of clean sheepskin.

I colored the next one a little different. Again I dyed the background with medium brown spirit dye. I didn't oil this piece. Then I used Neat Lac as a resist on the turn backs, the buds, and for a little highlight in the center of the scroll. When the Neat Lac dried, I applied the tan antique again, wiping it off right after applying it. This give a little different effect by adding one more color to the finished project.

The next piece is the same pattern again, but this time I carved the design inverted (beveled inside the lines instead of outside) I should have left off the border line because with inverted carving, the the background area isn't stamped. Since this is just practice, it really isn't a big deal. I colored this piece with spirit dyes. I used 3 shades each of green, brown, yellow, and red. The shades were made by adding rubbing alcohol to the dyes. I had one full strength, one half dye/half alcohol, and one about 3 parts alcohol to one part dye. By having several shades of each color, it is easier to blend from one color to the next.

Then I went over the whole piece with Neat Lac. When that dried, I added a coat of the tan antique. The antique seems to blend the bright colors a little.

On the last piece, I carved it the same as the first two. This piece of leather was from the belly of the hide and kind of stretchy. You can see how when I carved on it, it stretched out of shape. Again, this was just practice so it wasn't a big deal. If it was for an actual project, it would have not been good.

I did the background with med brown spirit dye. I like the spirit dye for the background because once you figure out how to work with it, you can get it to spread to the cut lines. This takes some practice but if you load the brush fairly heavily and then touch it to the center of the area to be dyed, it will spread out to the cut lines and usually will stop. If you have too much dye on the brush, it will jump the cut lines so you need to practice this.

I colored the rest of the design with acrylics paints. I used a dark brown color in the shadow areas, a medium brown in areas like the pear shaded impressions, and a white mixed with a little light brown for highlights. Straight white is too bright and is almost never used. I water the dye down fairly thin and do a lot of dry brush work to try and blend the colors.

I wasn't real happy with the blending of the highlights (white) so I sprayed this with an acrylic sealer and then applied tan antique again. I think it helped blend the colors together fairly well.

The idea of this was to show the effects different coloring techniques can give you on the same carved pattern.

Clay

[Hoyden]

I really like the colored sample!

I noticed you used spirit dye, is that the same as the pro dye sold by tandy? Or the Fiebings dye? You said that you diluted it with alcohol, would this be the same as using pro dye solvent?

[ClayB]

I noticed you used spirit dye, is that the same as the pro dye sold by tandy? Or the Fiebings dye? You said that you diluted it with alcohol, would this be the same as using pro dye solvent?

Fiebing's leather dye, Feibing's Professional Oil Dye, Tandy Pro Dye can all be diluted with rubbing alcohol. I use alcohol to clean brushes after using alcohol (spirit) based dyes too. I have been using the oil dye and I like it. I think it covers better.

Clay

[CitizenKate]

I see your point about the acrylic. I would never have guessed you used acrylic on that last piece.

Kate

[Regis]

Clay,

That's quite a guide. I see where you put an acrylic sealer on after the white. Then applied another antique coating. Can you simply interchange these water and spirit based products like that (when they are dry)?

Thanks for the lesson,

Regis

[ClayB]

Clay,

That's quite a guide. I see where you put an acrylic sealer on after the white. Then applied another antique coating. Can you simply interchange these water and spirit based products like that (when they are dry)?

Thanks for the lesson,

Regis

Hi Regis,

Finishes over acrylic paint can be tricky. Acrylic is water based. It can be thinned with water, clean brushes with water. Sometimes when you are trying to blend colors on your leather with acrylics, the wet paint can remove the paint you already have on. Once dry it is really hard to remove it from leather but a sealer is still a good idea. I sprayed a sealer on after the white to make sure that it didn't mess things up when I put the antique on. I think spraying the sealer on is safer than wiping it on with a sponge or brush. I think Fiebings antique is acrylic too. Not positive about that but it does clean up with water.

I think you could apply anything acrylic over alcohol (spirit) dyes without any problems. The alcohol dyes will pretty much stay where you put them. I don't think it would be a good idea to try putting alcohol based products over acrylic.

Hope this isn't more confusing.

Clay

[Johanna]

aarrgghhhh So far, what I've learned about coloring leather is sometimes you bite the bear, sometimes the bear bites you.

http://www.leatherworker.net/forum/index.p...findpost&p=1282

I'm sticking to the natural look!

Johanna

[abn]

Clay, congratulations on a very informative post. Thanks for taking the time to demonstrate these techniques.

Johanna, I wonder if it would make sense to "pin" this at the top of the Dyes and Finishes forum? I think this is a classic example of a post that folks will refer to for some time to come...

(Good idea!~ Johanna)

[Oscar B]

Great examples and check back often.