Dyeing Dilemma On 'multimedia' Guitar Strap

[DoubleC]

I didn't know how else to explain it although the strap is only going to contain leather. It's more a multi-technique problem I guess. I'm doing a strap where I'm going to sew on the leather pieces in the picture. However above the State I'm going to stamp initials and behind the initials but before the tractor I'm going to stamp and carve a tree of life. If I do the strap light with antiquing which I had originally planned, the state and tractor are going to blend right in with the strap, especially the state. If I do it darker I'm afraid the initials and tree won't 'pop.' I've seen a few threads about highlighters but have never used them and don't even know if that is something that would help rather than antiquing so I can do the strap a darker brown. I mean trying to highlight the stamping and tooling.

This is the first strap I've made like this that had both on it, and I really can't think of a way to make everything pop. Any ideas will really be appreciated. Cheryl

[Sylvia]

High lighters are a pretty easy to use. You put them on thick, working the stuff into the stamp and carved impressions and wipe it off right away leaving the stuff in the cuts.

As to your dilemma with colors. I would probably go sideways and dye the strap a dark blue. Then your rusty brown would show up.

[DoubleC]

That I can't do. It's for a 'manly man' that about choked when I mentioned dyeing the State of VT. green, LOL. I'm kinda locked into shades of brown. But will a lighter color highlighter work on a darker brown to make it show up more? I'm not worried about trying them or how to use them so much as I don't know how they work. Like say would a tan highlighter or even antique (never thought about the fact I could get a lighter antique probably) show up in the creases? Sure, an antique would, just didn't think about it. Then I could also do the smaller strap a light tan too. I'll check SLC for light colors in the brown family to highlight or antique. Thanks Sylvia. Cheryl

[Tree Reaper]

Can you keep the strap lighter and use blockout on the initials or paint them to match the two symbols?

[DoubleC]

I never thought about that. I could do the strap light and then use resist around the tree and initials and dye them darker. I was actually just looking at SLC for that latex rubber to do something like that but I already have block out, haven't used it in a while so forgot I had it. I'd have to use my light tan watered down to get lighter than the symbols though because they are made from the regular tan, then I added antiquing to the state and made a 'rusty' light red for the tractor. If it would ever quite raining here in the Verdant Hills I'd suntan it. I did an eye that way and liked it a lot. But since I'd like to finish this year, LOL, I'll try watered down light tan. Thanks Kevin

[Tree Reaper]

You can use your dye as is, the blockout will give you a lighter shade once you wipe it off.

You won't be able to dye over the blockout but you can paint over it.

Try it on a piece of scrap with just the blockout and your dye, you'll see the effect.

[DoubleC]

Oh I was going to water down the dye and maybe even add a little white acrylic to it, then I can use the medium brown antiquing on it if I get the strap lighter than the cutouts. Or I was going to resist around the tree and initials and dye them dark brown. I'll try the blockout on scrap like you said with the same dye I used for the cutouts and see if that lightens it enough. I could paint the tree and initials instead. Well pretty much paint them brown or black :-) He liked the tractor but that's because it's painted to look like an old tractor. He talks about the plight of the small farms a lot in his songs. I don't think he'd like rusty red on the tree and initials. He's just really kinda into brown and I was surprised he liked the tractor painted. I'll just have to play with some of these techniques and see what I can come up with I think he'll like. Thanks Kevin, I really needed some help on this. I just want all the elements to 'pop' but be subdued at the same time. I guess that's what I'm saying. It's not so much he's into brown I don't think as he wants everything there but subdued.

[DoubleC]

Well as these things usually go, I laid out the options for the customer (in such a confusing way even I didn't understand it, like my typical explanation) and he went with what I thought about first....dark brown with tan antiquing. I've never antiqued like this in a reverse way, or it seems reverse to me, so I'll be practicing that and the other techniques on here so I can send actual pictures to Duane so he can actually see what I was stuttering and stammering about. So we'll see how it REALLY turns out after he sees me use all these techniques. I'm going to include a painted sample to on the light. Thanks for all your help. Cheryl

[Bigfoot]

Don't know if you've done it yet but here are some pics of my first guitar strap that i just finished.

The notes are dyed black, the "Fender logo" is dyed oxblood and then the telecaster letters and all the other light coloured areas were given 2 coats of block.

Then the whole thing was then gone over using undiluted saddle tan highlighter and wiped off again.

Hopefully that will help and give you some ideas

[DoubleC]

LOL, I was the one who suggested you paint a guitar in oxblood where you had the ooops. It's a beautiful strap.

I'm going to do all the strap dark brown, and then put resolene on it, and use tan antiquing on the carved and stamped parts. Then I think I'll do the smaller connecting strap in tan to even out the lights and darks. I'd love to get my hands into some oxblood, or some other cool dyes on this, but the customer wants browns. And the customer is right.....right? Cheryl