Question about Tandy Cova Color

[Chitin]

The Tandy website offers a line of acrylics called Cova Color. Are these in some way better for painting on leather than acrylics I'd find in an art store? Is there anything special I should keep in mind when painting on leather?

[ClayB]

I think Cova is Tandy's brand, at least it is what they have always sold. I think most any acrylics will work on leather. Silva Fox (http://wdstudio.net/foxart/main.htm) told me that she uses mostly Liquitex brand. Jan Schoonover (http://www.sculpturedleather.com ) uses mostly Delta Ceramacoat. I really admire both of these artists work and have learned a lot about how to paint from them, so I have also been using these brands of paints.

I think the biggest thing you need to know about acrylics is to not overdo it. If you use the paint right out of the bottle and put it on too heavy. you will hide the leather. If you thin the paint down with water and put it on in thin coats, you can build up to the color you want. It's easier to put on more color than to try and take it off. Silva has a good video available on her website that will teach you quite a bit about using acrylics, shading, etc. There are also a few lesson on her site that you can check out.

For me, coloring has been one of the hardest things to learn. I still mess things up sometimes, but not it's getting better.

Clay

[pepin1948]

I buy acrylics from craft stores like Michaels and A.C.Moore. I find they have a wider color assortment than Cova colors - although Cova was what I used for many years.

Like Clay said, it's important to dilute the colors a little and build them up. Sometimes I will use them straight from the bottle, but it really depends on the project.

[Chitin]

Thanks for the helpful replies and tips! That was exactly what I needed to know. I was digging around my old room at my parents' house and found all my old acrylic paints, so I figured they might be useful. Glad to hear I was right!

[redmeat]

Does acrylic hold up on a hard use like a work belt? Or should one stick with a dye?

[ferret]

Dye penetrates more so will last longer. I've used acrylics on a few projects and it seems to be holding up ok, but its only been 3 years so it's too early to tell how long it lasts

[BigRiverLeather]

I couldn't find a Pink dye that I like or would work for a holster I was making so I tried out one of the Pink shades of Cova. I was concerned about it apearing to "thick" and leaving brush marks on the leather. So, after brainstorming, if you can call it that with my local Tandy guys, I tried applying it to a few pieces of scrap a few different ways.

right out of the bottle - good color but I had a hard time not leaving marks from either a foam rush or a high quality 1" paint brush.

Mixed with about 20% resolene - Yeah, I like it. I like how it applies, I like how it maintained the color, it still could apply a little smoother

Mixed with 20% resolene and about 10% water - This worked well for me. Still left a little bit of brush marks, but I can work with that. I toook some 400 grit and 800 grit paper to it and that took most of any ridges out of it. it also gave me a flat finish if I should want that. I will be applying a final coat of resolene so it should look Jim Dandy when that is done.

I really like what miking the resolene in did for thinning it a bit. I would think that would help maintain some of the integrity that acrylics are supposed to have.

[redmeat]

I couldn't find a Pink dye that I like or would work for a holster I was making so I tried out one of the Pink shades of Cova. I was concerned about it apearing to "thick" and leaving brush marks on the leather. So, after brainstorming, if you can call it that with my local Tandy guys, I tried applying it to a few pieces of scrap a few different ways.

right out of the bottle - good color but I had a hard time not leaving marks from either a foam rush or a high quality 1" paint brush.

Mixed with about 20% resolene - Yeah, I like it. I like how it applies, I like how it maintained the color, it still could apply a little smoother

Mixed with 20% resolene and about 10% water - This worked well for me. Still left a little bit of brush marks, but I can work with that. I toook some 400 grit and 800 grit paper to it and that took most of any ridges out of it. it also gave me a flat finish if I should want that. I will be applying a final coat of resolene so it should look Jim Dandy when that is done.

I really like what miking the resolene in did for thinning it a bit. I would think that would help maintain some of the integrity that acrylics are supposed to have.

I couldn't find a Pink dye that I like or would work for a holster I was making so I tried out one of the Pink shades of Cova. I was concerned about it apearing to "thick" and leaving brush marks on the leather. So, after brainstorming, if you can call it that with my local Tandy guys, I tried applying it to a few pieces of scrap a few different ways.

right out of the bottle - good color but I had a hard time not leaving marks from either a foam rush or a high quality 1" paint brush.

Mixed with about 20% resolene - Yeah, I like it. I like how it applies, I like how it maintained the color, it still could apply a little smoother

Mixed with 20% resolene and about 10% water - This worked well for me. Still left a little bit of brush marks, but I can work with that. I toook some 400 grit and 800 grit paper to it and that took most of any ridges out of it. it also gave me a flat finish if I should want that. I will be applying a final coat of resolene so it should look Jim Dandy when that is done.

I really like what miking the resolene in did for thinning it a bit. I would think that would help maintain some of the integrity that acrylics are supposed to have.

[redmeat]

Thanks for the good info. I am going to experiment both with dye and with acrylic. I have some (dark) purple dye I want to brighten. Do you suppose the addition of some white dye be better or should I start with red and blue and just build a color from scratch ?

[BigRiverLeather]

Well I guess I've learned that the acrylic, in my application on a holster which gets a lot of handling, pressing etc, sucks to work with. Very sticky, easily absorbs other colors it touches, just doesn't work for me as a solution. I'm scratching that plan of attack for a finish and have to find a different pink dye.

[Leather Ink]

I have found airbrushing to be the most consistent way to get even color with eco flow products. Cleaning up with water, since they are all acrylic's is nice too.