Preparing leather for Acrylic Paint

[MoJo1811]

Hi, 

I have been seeing the idea of conditioning leather floating around in forums but I don't really get it. 

Currently I use veg tanned leather which I wet and dry quite a bit as I do a lot of tooling and this can drag out in short sessions over weeks. So by the time I'm finished I'm guessing my leather could really do with some conditioning but I'm worried about the acrylic paint (for flowers and things) not sticking. 

Currently I just apply my acrylic cova colors straight onto dry leather then use a super sheen over the colours before staining. After staining I then super sheen the whole lot to seal it. I don't bother conditioning because I figure it wouldn't be able to penetrate the super sheen??? 

Should I be conditioning before I paint or will it affect the acrylic sticking? If so what conditioner should I use? I have some carnauba creme which says it's a natural wax finish. 

Is there a better suggestion for making the acrylic stick? Once I use up my cova colors I will conver to angelus colors for improved flexibility. 

Thanks in advance. 

[Colt W Knight]

When I case my leather, I give it a good wipe down/scrub with Fibings saddle soap. This both cleans and conditions the leather and removes oils from the tanning and handling process that screw with alcohol dyes. 9 out of 10 times this is enough to keep the leather conditioned and flexible. If the leather is stiff or extra dry, I will wipe it down with a light coat neats foot oil affer the tooling has dried snd let it sit for 12-24 hours

[Colt W Knight]

To keep from wetting and drying your leather over and over, i would recommend looking at Bob Parks casing thread, and keep your work covered with plastic while tooling and keep it in a plastic bag in a cool place between tooling sessions. 

[MoJo1811]

Thanks Colt, does the neatsfoot oil affect the acrylic sticking? Do I need to be careful about how much to apply? I would like to try painting with dyes in the future, will the neatsfoot oil affect the dyes? 

[Boriqua]

If I am going to wet and rewet my leather several times over several sessions then I put neatsfoot oil over the entire project when I am done carving and let it soak in for at least 24 hours. Then I will buff and paint. I have no scientific evidence this does anything but I figure wetting and drying the leather several times over several days is going to require a little oil afterwards and I have not had any problems with cracking or paint adhesion using this method.

[fks1]

I dont know from experience but I would think that the Neatsfoot would affect the adhesion of the acrylic since you're putting a water base over oil.

[Colt W Knight]

As long as you do not soak the piece in neatsfoot oil and give it time to soak through there is no problem with adhesion. Take a rag damp with neats foot oil and wipe over the leather once. Most folks use way too oil. 

Lightly oiling the leather actually improves how well the piece dyes

 

[Leedawg]

Thanks again Colt! I read Bob's article. Looks like I been casing wrong, ie with a sponge and over and over, and I do lose some definition in my tooling. Thanks for taking the time to answer questions! Much appreciated

I have 100% Neatsfoot Oil and Prime Neatsfoot Oil compound from Fiebing's. Preference? Also does this tend to darken the leather quite a bit or am I using way too much?

Edited June 27, 2016 by Leedawg

[Colt W Knight]

Neatsfoot will darken the leather some, but if you are getting a lot darker, you are using too much. 

[Leedawg]

Tried it with one swipe and you were right. Very little darkening

[MoJo1811]

Awesome advice.  Thank you!