Newbie Question - Accuracy Dying Inside Stamped Letters

[bob21804]

OK, I can't be the only one whose had problems with this. I was working on a dog collar for a friend, and stamped in the dog's name using Tandy's 3/8" Ensemble Alphabet Stamps. I wanted to dye the letters a darker brown to contrast the saddle tan strap. I used my new airbrush (I'm an airbrush newbie too) for the base collar and wanted to brush inside the letters. I'm using Eco-flo dyes. The collar was looking pretty good until I tried to dye inside the stamped letters. I tried a tiny brush, and even trimmed the bristles when I started having trouble keeping the dye were I wanted it. In spots the coverage isn't heavy enough to be uniform, and other spots I managed to go outside the edge. Overall, it's not pretty. I tried taking my time, using lots of light, but I ended up feeling like there has to be a better way. so what do you guys and gals do to ensure this type of thing doesn't end up looking like the work of a 3rd grader?

[Martyn]

I find glasses help with fine work of any kind - those cheap magnifying glasses you get off the shelf at a chemist.

[bob21804]

Thanks for the suggestion, Martyn. I do wear glasses and sometimes they don't seem to be enough for up-close work, so I also keep one of those magnifying visors, and magnifier than clamps to my glasses, but sometimes they both seem to blur things more than they helps. I didn't use either of them this time. I also have, out in my garage, one of those larger, lighted magnifiers that I might be able to clamp to my work table. Maybe one of those would have helped this time. I'm also wondering if there are techniques, tips/tricks, particular brushes, or anything else others have used along the way that has helped them improve with this. I've seen a lot of pics here in the forums where people have done beautiful, precise designs with nice straight, clean edges between colors. I certainly need to improve.

Thanks again for your suggestion.

Bob

[stelmackr]

Use an antique dye or that other stuff--Highlighter. Both will make any embossing or cuts darker.

Bob Stelmack

Edited March 21, 2016 by stelmackr

[SamB]

Hi Bob,

Depending on the size of what I want to color, if it's a really tiny space, I find the brushes that women use to make drawings in her fingernails very useful. they're tiny and cheap. Usually I use number "0" to "000", the smallest I've found.

And I try to begin painting in the center of my drawing and then spread the color to the edges!

Sandra

[bob21804]

Bob, thanks for the suggestion, I have used the antiquing dye and highlighter in the past, but wanted to try out my airbrush this time rather than use a dauber or sponge. I'm pretty sure others, many times, use this thing called skill (which I apparently still lack. lol). Really, I do want to develop my skills, and I think it's important keep trying.

Sandra, thank you so much for your suggestion too. I'm definitely going to see if I can pick up a few of those brushes tomorrow after work. I would imagine I can get them from a beauty supply store that's right next to hobby lobby, where I'm already planning to stop tomorrow. And you got me thinking... those women who do that stuff on fingernails do some really detailed work. Maybe I need to go get my nails done and take note. lol. But don't they also use a lot of decals?? Anyway, I think you suggestion is great. Thank you.

Any other thought, or ideas would be great (anybody)

I really appreciate the help I get here. This forum and the people in it, are the best.

Bob

[Martyn]

This is the set you're using right?



Why dont you try running a resist (resolene?) into the stamp depressions using a fine brush, then dying the raised portions also using a fine brush? Then when dry, run more resist over the whole letters before dying/airbrushing the rest of the collar?

Edited March 21, 2016 by Martyn

[penguineer]

If you're using the 3/8" "fancy" set that Martyn has pictured above, I would do the base colour across the whole strap and then follow up with an antique to make the letters pop. Remember to buff well!

To my mind - that fancy set has so little area to work in that I wouldn't consider using a brush.

If you're using the standard block letters (eg http://www.tandyleather.com.au/en/product/craftool-standard-alphabet-sets ), I start with my brush from the centre of the letters. When the dye starts to move to the edges of the letter, leave it alone.

I use a #5 brush for this - the tip is just as pointed as the smaller sizes, but the larger brush carries more dye. Very important to start in the centre and work outwards, gently, as you don't want a large pool of dye to flood the area, fill the edges of the letters and then bleed onto the rest of the job.!!

Once the letters are fully dried, then airbrush(or block dye) over the whole work and seal as normal.

Another option is to use your resist instead of the darker dye so you end up with lighter letters.

Cheers!

Edited March 21, 2016 by penguineer

[Colt W Knight]

I use a small artist brush, dip it ito in the dye, and then dab the brush in the middle of the letter and let the dye flow out to the edges. The stamped edges act like a border so the dye stays within the stamped portion of the leather. I do the same thing when I amoved dying backgrounds in tooling. Just be careful not to drip dye transfering the brush from the dye to the leather

Repeat until you get full coverage

Edited March 21, 2016 by Colt W Knight

[bob21804]

Martyn, Penquineer and Colt, thanks a lot for the additional input. Yes, that is the 3/8' letter set I used. Martyn, I agree that using a resist in the lower depressions and a darker color on the raised areas would look awesome. Unfortunately I'm beyond that point already, and unless I totally remade the strap - which I don't think I'm going to do, I'll have to try that another time - definitely on a practice piece first.

I stopped at Hobby Lobby and a beauty supply store after work and picked up several fine brushes, and touched up what I already started. It does look considerably better, but still not perfect. This collar is for a buddy's dog and he'll be fine with it. (His eyes aren't any better than mine. lol.) I've done a few other items for him and he's been very pleased, even when I could see an issue or two with the final result. Today he told me he wants one more collar after I finish this one. (his 4th)

In this case, I increased my lighting, cleaned the lens on my magnifying visor and wore that, and hit it again with the smaller brushes. I think I'm reasonably satisfied now. Also, I think just being in the right frame of mind and ready to work tiny areas will help me in the future.

Penqineer and Colt, I like the way you both explained your methods, and that's pretty much how I proceeded today. Your descriptions are certainly helpful to me, and I'm sure others reading this thread too. Another thing that helped me was going over the letters two or three times, getting coverage in the tiny spaces that weren't fully covered the first time through.

Thanks again to everybody who gave me advice. I really, really appreciate it.

Bob

Edited March 21, 2016 by bob21804