We often get asked, can creations made of Jesmonite® materials be painted?
The short answer is yes, they can!
Once our products have cured, you can do all sorts of tricks and techniques to add colour, detail and depth to your finished product.
What type of paint?
You want a paint that gives a smooth, professional finish… There are plenty out there, in a range of colours, from muted, neutrals to bold accent tones such as neon and glitter.
The best type of paint is acrylic-based ones, low in VOCs and waterborne, which makes them both safe and environmentally friendly. They are ideal for use in studios or when working at home.
Be sure to look up the ingredients and ensure you use it appropriately – for some you may need gloves or other PPE and a ventilated room.
Here is a great example of one of our brand ambassadors Studio_Mac painting her Jesmonite® AC100 – Click here!
Combine paints to seal or add those layers
Paints can be combined with an AC100 sealer, for example, to give your product extra protection from wear, moisture and handling.
You can save yourself an extra job by combining the paint you choose with any compatible finishes for your product – perfect if you plan a drenching of paint all over the piece!
If not, paints can be applied directly to the cured surface and then sealed later – this is a great technique for layering to give artistic effect, or picking out fine details with small elements of paint on top of a terrazzo tray, a candle holder or a decorative tile.
We love hydro-dipping!
If you mix acrylic marbling paint with thickened water you can begin hydro-dipping. We think this is great!
It gives a slight marbling effect but in a more translucent way. Simply thicken the water (many products available to do this), drop as much or as little paint in as you like, in as many or as few colours as you choose, and stir them just slightly.
They will remain sitting on the surface of the water – and this is just what we want – for you to dip your finished product in and gather all the colours onto it as you bring it out.
It’s actually quite difficult to describe! So instead see @make_hey_studio show you how it works here.
What else can I mix paint with?
Before applying paint to your finished product you can mix it with all sorts of things – not just sealer.
Why not add glitter? Or glue? Or, paints could be blended to make a custom colour of your own? Or paint could be diluted for a creative finish of translucent wash or gradient, this is a little like hydro dipping mentioned earlier, but it doesn’t give quite the same finish.
There really is no limit!
The MUST do!
No blog about painting a product made of Jesmonite® materials is complete or informative without mentioning the one thing you must do – before painting always ensure your surface is dry and clean.
For the best adhesion of your paint wait until your creation has fully cured – typically 24-48 hours, but it does depending on the size and style of product – and gentle sand or wipe away any dust before you apply the paint.
And if you haven’t mixed the paint with sealer, we recommend applying a clear sealer once your paint has dried in order to preserve the colour and protect your creation from scratches, stains and moisture exposure.
So the common question is a resounding yes – get those paint brushes out and get artistic on your finished product to make it unique and interesting for your buyers!
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