Ladybird
June 18, 2018
2. Staying Safe and Good Technique
June 20, 2018
1
Assemble your materials. Action paint is available in lots of colours, so check out your options to see what will meet your project’s needs. You will also need a few other supplies to do a professional spray paint job. Before you begin, you will need:
- Action paint in the colour(s) of your choice
- Newspaper, drop cloth, or a plastic tarp to protect the ground and other items around the item you are painting>
- Masking tape
- Optional: primer
- Disposable gloves, safety glasses, and if working indoors, a ventilator mask
2
Prep your work area. Whenever you spray paint, you should always work outdoors in a well-ventilated area because the fumes from the paint are not good for you. Keep in mind that action paint adheres better when it isn't too cold or wet outside, so ideally wait for a time when it isn't too humid and it is sunny and warm.
- Place your newspaper, drop cloth, or tarp down. If you are working outside, you can use weights (like rocks) to keep your protective materials from blowing around in the wind. Be sure to spread your protective materials far enough out, otherwise your surrounding area may end up with a light misting of colour from the paint. (But this is obviously easy to remove with Action Paint)
- Tape off any areas you don’t want to paint. Be sure the edges are sealed well to the surface to prevent paint from leaking underneath. Some masking tape is better than others at this.
2
TIP
(TIP) Create a paint box for a small item. If you have a small item to spray paint, then you can also try putting it inside of a box that has been placed on its side. Then, you can spray the paint into the box to spray paint the item and this will reduce the chances that paint will end up on nearby surfaces and it will also help protect from any wind. You can also put items on a small piece of cardboard or a turntable inside of the box to make it easier to turn the item around as you paint.
3
Clean the surface of your item. Paint won’t stick to surfaces that are dusty, greasy, or otherwise unclean. Take a few minutes to wipe off any debris that might be clinging to the surface of the material you will be spray painting.
- You can use a damp rag only or use a household cleaner to clean your surface if it is extra dirty. Just make sure to dry the surface completely before you paint it.
- If there is any sticky residue on the surface of your item, such as the remnants of a price tag sticker, scrape off the residue and then use a household cleaner to remove the rest.
- You may want to use sandpaper to smooth out rough surfaces. This will help to produce a smooth finish when you spray paint the item. If you are paint metal then you may need to sand paper rust patches.
