I'm glad you showed the difference between using plastidip and not using it. I think I'll omit it because the finish ended up looking exactly like leather which is what I'll be trying to replicate. Thank you!
I am brand new to creating foam art pieces. My biggest challenge has been making it look like actual metal and not foam painted to look like metal. I have a long-term Halloween project that I will hopefully be able to pull off successfully.
The trick to a metallic look is to try and get your base as smooth as possible and then paint it with a gloss black before adding any metallic paints, this will help sell the metallic look :). Sorry for the late response , you probably already figured all this out. :).
I use 5 mm thickness of eva foam. I would like to know if my cosplay will fall apart at the first run, or if plastic dip will give some form of protection against damage. How many times did your eva foam get worn while wearing cosplay? Will covering it with natural leather increase its durability? I would be grateful if you would solve my problems by answering my questions because I have been thinking about it for a long time.. Thanks a lot :)
Part of it will depend on what type of 5mm EVA Foam you are using. Most of them will hold up to mild wear and plastidipping it will help add some protection. You can get good quality foam from TNT Cosplay and SKS props, but if you are wanting to have it hold up on a photoshoot in the mountains or to not rip when you bump into something pointy at a con then you would want to go with more durable EVA Foam like our WTF (What the Foam) available on Amazon.
PAINT! I'm wondering about the particulars of painting: how many coats of PD? how long between coats? how long of a dry time before primer? how much dry time before the acrylic paint after sealing with 2X primer? Thanks for some help with the EVA awesomeness!
Yay!! Sure thing :) all great questions! I generally do at least 3 coats of PD. Time between coats varies on temperature and climate humidity but for me in warm seasons it is about 10-15mins between coats of PD and then About 15 mins after the last PD coat before I do my base of 2x Rust-Oleum. After that, I like to give at least a full day of sitting without handling it before I start painting with the acrylic brush painting. :)
Paint! I have two questions: how does your spray paint not crack when it dries and is wood glue/pva glue an acceptable substitution for plastidip? Great video!
The plastidip is what helps keep the paint from cracking, I usually spray my base coat on with spray paint as soon as the plastidip coats are dry to the touch. The paint bonding to the flexible plastidip coat helps with the flexibility. That being said, you can coat your foam in PVA glue/wood glue, but it will not provide as flexible of a result. I will be doing some test videos involving using Wood glue and stuff soon as a possible way to get a harder outer coating, so stay tuned for those :)
Did you end up doing a video on thinning acrylics for airbrush use? I tried and it was a massive fail on my part. So I have been using airbrush specific paints, but would be great if I could just use regular acrylics. Apologies if I missed the video on your page, but didn’t see it.
In regards to heat sealing, what am I looking for to know it is heat sealed? Edit: also after covering in plastidip, what could happen if I covered a sword or piece of armor with Rustoleum Primer before spray painting the color on?
I use Krylon primer; I tried their craft foam primer and it gave a grainy texture. I tried PlastiDip and it caused bubbles and wrinkles. I like using Krylon primer because it makes the foam stiffer, giving it a more realistic armor/dragon scale effect. I hand-paint with Folk Art acrylics (although the back of the helm & the pauldrons got a coat of Testor's color-shift spray paint) and then seal with Krylon gloss spray. Now...when is the pattern for that chestpiece going to be available? :-)
Hello, hope you doing well for today. Could you please explain a bit more for newbie (me). So you used whatever color Kryol for first layer, and then Kryol glossy varnish?
ok good to know did not realize you had to heat seal first, I just went straight in with the plasti-dip. Does it matter what color you coat with vs the final color you will put on?
If you are going to be painting it a lighter color you can use a white Plastidip if you'd like. I generally just use the black Plastidip for everything though, but they have all kinds of colors now so it is mostly preference. One thing if you are using white Plastidip, if you used a sharpie to draw lines on your foam, the shape marks can bleed through the white. It happens with the black too but not as noticibly
Here are a couple options I have seen used successfully Clear spray finish - www.amazon.com/dp/B002644N2Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_0alhEbDVGSA4X Clear coat acrylic floor finish - www.amazon.com/dp/B00J5HDC4A/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_0nlhEbTBKB6GC
i started work with eva foam a week ago and ruined my first two helmets. Since i dont have a heatgun yet are there any other ways to bend my foam. another difficulty i have faced is that i cant make clean foam cuts with my x acto knife. please give some advice it will be helpful
Sorry to hear about your first two helmets but I am excited that you are getting started with EVA Foam! Let's get your questions answered and set you up for success! :). First question for you is what type of EVA Foam are you using? That will help to advise both on the cutting and the heating. There is a method that @EbonyWarrior uses where you can heat your foam up in the oven but I would strongly recommend getting a heat gun, it will make life much easier. You can get a good one for only around $15 on Amazon, I am happy to send you my recommendations if you'd like. :)
What is a good way to fill unavoidable seams between pieces of EVA foam? I've got some seams in some curved pieces that are glued together and I need to get them as smooth as possible before painting.
I'll be doing a video on this first part of next month, I've had a lot of people asking about this, but in the meantime quickseal or Foam-Mo are both great ways to fill seams. :)
I have never used a heat gun before. I am scared of using it for the first time because it says that it will emit smoke for the first ten minutes of use (only a small amount). Is this normal or should I return it? It's a brand new heat gun from Amazon and that was in the disclaimer in the box. I am also worried about warping or bending the armour I am making. I used a template for a chestplate and it already has the curves that I need but I am afraid that if I use the heat gun on it that it will change shape. However, I do want to seal it properly. Is this necessary if I already have the shape I want? Can I just skip this step and go straight to plastidip? If I use plastidip do I need primer too before painting? Many thanks in advance!!
I've been looking for tips to paint a mask I'm making using the eva form. This is my first time at it, so my question is, when applying the heat-gun to the foam, do I spray the Plasti-Dip immediately while to foam is still warm, or do I have to wait for foam to cool down first?
The heat gun helps close the pores on the surface of the Eva foam, resulting in a smoother surface and one that is easier to paint on as all the pores won’t be soaking up your paint. No need to try and plastidip while it is still warm it will stay sealed after the heat gun pass. You can actually see the foam get a little more of a sheen to it as it heat seals. Just don’t hold the heat gun in any one place for too long, or too close to the foam because you cold risk burning the foam :)
I’m using 2mm white eva foam for a feathered cosplay I’m currently working on and I’m not quite sure what paints to use and if it would be in my budget
I dunno if they're EVA foam, but I have a couple weapons I need to repaint. Not sure if this method will work but I'll try it one day. Leviathan axe, blades of chaos, and mjolnir. They came painted but the detail work wore off.
Thanks! :) Yes, I have been getting a lot of requests for patterning and templating videos so I will definitely be doing a bunch of those. I'm moving them to the top of my list so I should be getting them out first thing next month. :)
Hello great video. If I'm painting a cosplay yellow should I use black plasti-dip or a white plasti-dip? I plan on using acrylic paints but didn't know what type of plasti-dip I should use for a base
One of the reasons for doing plastidip is that it is flexible and because the foam flexes it helps to prevent too much wrinkling from happening in your paint job because the base layer flexes with it. :)
@@js-xl8et Because Yellow is a light color the lighter your primer the better. Gray probably works fine too. You may need an extra layer of yellow to get full coverage.
Hope im not too late but PAINT! Still a beginner so I don't have most of the materials yet. What does the heat gun do and can I use hair blow dryer as an alternative?
Never too late for a comment! :) The heat gun allows you to be able to heat up and shape the foam. A hair dryer won't get the foam hot enough to shape it well and have it hold it's shape. I would highly recommend investing in one. It can seem like a big expense but on my kit.co page I have some links to some affordable options that work well. :)
Starting 💀, fr tho, I’m starting and it’s kinda daunting but my main issue rn is just space to do these things, I live in a very small apartment thing with a roommate and I highly doubt there’s enough ventilation to utilize volatile compounds and spray/air paints, I think I’m gonna have to go with acrylic paints
I want to hydrodip foam. I was thinking maybe I could plastidip it first, then hydrodip followed by clear coat plastidip? what do you think I will run into issue wise?
I am just starting. Do I need to seal the paint at the end by to avoid scratching off paint? I wanna put stuff in Christmas tree and afraid branches may scratch it off.
This is something I’ve gone back and forth on trying to figure out the best solution. You can clear out your props, but it is hard to find the right combination of paint and clear coat and timing between needed to prevent cracking on the surface. I have stopped trying to clear coat and I just try to give several days after painting before handling the item wherever possible, depending on the type of paint once it is fully cured it is pretty resilient but it is usually at the highest risk within the first several days of painting from my experience.
I know very little about EVA foam. I recently had someone on Etsy create a foam floor puzzle (consisting of 15 pieces) based on the work of M.C. Escher. The pieces are 12" x 12" x 3/4" thick and were cut from primary colors of EVA foam: Red, Yellow, and Blue. I would like to add some detail to the pieces (eyes, backbone, and other sketch marks). I was thinking of sealing the foam first before painting these black sketch lines. Should I heat the foam first and use clear platidip? Is there such a thing as clear Plati Dip?Thanks for any direction you can provide!
Yeah, that is why I generally use plastidip first, it prevents the Eva foam from soaking up the paint and make your paint layer more flexible compared to just doing a regular primer. :) But you could just put down a few coats of primer. Part of the problem with that is that it doesn't always work, especially if you have fine details, primer coats can get pretty thick and can sometimes ruin fine details. :/
Might be silly question but I’m repainting my cosplay. Do I need to prime it again with plasti dip or can I just spray paint it again over the old color with new one ?
I don't think you need to Plastidip again but you may either want to lightly sand the painted surface or paint with a primer over it to make sure your new coat adheres well. :)
Ok so I got krylon colormaxx all in one high gloss black paint and some krylon silver paint (all spray) and I am making some doc ock tentacles out of eva foam and foam pipe covers made of the same material as pool noodles… will the paint I got work for this without plastidip?
If you use What The Foam, you could probably get away with 2mm thick. Depending on how stiff you want the mask to be then you could go with 4mm. If you are using a different high density foam I would use at least 4mm thick if not 6mm. I would highly recommend getting a heat gun, you can get one for around $17-20 and it will be something you use all the time with cosplay!!
I've used Rust-Oleum 2x coverage spray paints after sealing foam with plastidip. You can use the generic craft store acrylic paints too. I've been really enjoying using Plaid FX paints lately though. :)
I have a flowboard with an Eva top that is severely faded. Can it be painted and, if so, what would you use. The board is used on a wave simulator so it has to do well in water.
I'm running into the problem of my acrylic paint sticking to other pieces. Like my pauldrons. I can't seem to find a really good way to seal that paint. Clear coat paint makes it to brittle and will crack with little pressure, mod podge still seems to be tacky even at this point of 1 day after coating. Any suggestions? Much appreciated.
You can heat seal it with a torch lighter, but you would still want to get a heat gun to use to heat shape your foam :). In my video on shaping foam I have a link to a heat gun that is only $15. :). You can use spray paint, I recommend coating it with Plastidip first and then I use Rust-Oleum 2x coverage spray paint. :) Thanks for your comments :)
I clear coated some of my projects in the past and depending on the build and the amount of paint layering I have to do, I will clear coat some between layers. But for the most part lately I have not been clear coating because it is has been hard to maintain the same sheen after clear coating. :)
I need help I have used a gesso to prime it and I'm using acrylic craft paint and it peels off. This is my first time making anything with foam. How do I seal it so it doesn't peel without having to sand of all the existing paint.
I just a heads up that if you are doing a gloss paint it is harder to get paint to stick to a gloss paint so keep that in mind if you are planning to add a layer of a different color on top of the gloss layer that you may need to lightly sand that area first. :)
@@CosplayApprentice okay thanks, im planning on painting ahsoka’s lekkus made out of eva foam, using plastidip as a primer, some sort of white spray paint then painting on blue acrilic paint to add her blue stripes.
@@CosplayApprentice awe dang. I've heard about an oven method but I haven't been able to find the video, what temperature should I do that at? I know it's recommended but due to my current situation I can't really get a heat gun sadly.
I know ebony warrior uses an oven method for heat shaping his foam. You might be able to find a video in his channel :) I haven't used it personally so I am unsure how it works fully. :/ Hopefully that helps point you in the right direction at least. :)
what are your thoughts on can spray paints? I been using them for experimentation and it doesn't leave a smooth surface. I can feel some tiny particles when I touch it. Is it the way how I spray it or etc?
I love can spray paint! It will only be as smooth as the surface you are painting on. Because it goes on in such a thin layer. You want to make sure your surface is nice and smooth to start and it helps to do a few coats of Plastidip first :)
My problem im having is I've tried 3 cans of Plasti-dip from 3 different stores and the it just pools up on the can and runs down it and my hand. I get nothing but clear mist out of the nozzle.
The parts of my mask I paint with acrylics are very transparent. Is this because my paint is too cheap or maybe because I need to do multiple coats? I need to delineate some outlines and multiple coats really won't work for what I am trying to accomplish. Thanks to any who can share their knowledge with me.
Did you seal the foam first before using the acrylics? It's likely you'll want to do multiple coats. If you want it to stay nice and thin coats with doing multiple, I would recommend doing it with an airbrush instead of with a paint brush. That might help :)
What type of paint are you using? What sheen is it. A lot of acrylic paints are matte sheen which will give you a flatter duller look than a satin sheen would. I find for wood texture a combination of one color in matte layered with another in a satin give a convincing woodgrain look. Hope that helps :)
I've watched countless hours on UA-cam on how to make Eva foam armor but after a year of trying I still can't get my seams to be smooth. I've tried Plasti dip, DAP Kwik seal (using water to smooth), sanding by hand, sanding with a rotary tool, etc. Over the past year over only made 4 small pieces because they look like trash. If I can't get them to look nice, there's no point in making more. Not sure what to do as I feel like I've tried a lot of things I've seen people do on UA-cam
I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm happy to help give you some ideas and guidance on what you might be able to do to get it to work for you. First I have a couple questions. What type of Eva foam have you been using? (Ex. Foam floor mats or craft foam from the craft store, etc.) What patterns are you using? (Ex. Making your own or using patterns other people have put out etc) These two questions will help me to better asses what might be causing your seams issue and will allow me to recommend some things to try. Thank you for reaching out, let's figure this out together and get you Forging your favorite fandoms! You got this!
@@CosplayApprentice I got the foam on Amazon, 6mm cosplay foam (says ultra high density). I got the patterns online and they seem to work ok although this is my first attempt with Eva foam
Perfect, thanks for answering those questions for me, sounds like you've got good foam and patterns. Now I have a few more questions. What contact cement do you use? Please describe what your seams look like when you are trying to fix them? Ex. Are they pulling open at the top and have a gap or are they uneven heights between the two pieces etc. Even better, if you want to send me a picture of the seams on Instagram messenger or something like that, that will help me understand better what might be the issue. @cosplay_apprentice. Do you have a heat gun?
Yes, you can, you may need to use more paint if you don't seal it first but I would recommend using PlaidFX paint it will stay flexible and flex with your foam! :)
No, you can do whatever base coat makes the most sense. Mostly I do a black Plastidip coat and then whatever color is the most prominent on the item as the base color coat and then details on top of that. :). Hope that helps :)
im thinking of just simply spraying with the cans just to make my foam cosplay prop rifle look all black and watching this video feels so complicating that I shouldn't spray but do regular painting instead.
I'm using EVA Foam Roll by ArtMinds. Which I purchased at Michaels, would this technique work well with this kind of foam? I'm doing a green ranger dragon shield from power rangers. As I'm sure u know the chest shield armor is gold and well the foam I purchased is white and it being for the chest and back it will need alot of flex definitely would love recommendations on great gold paint for this specific project.
I haven't personally tried that Eva foam but from what I know about it, these sealing and painting techniques will work the same as well. :) If you want it to have lots of flex, I would recommend Plaid FX flexible paint. I used one of theirs called gold coin on my wonder woman vambrace video, you can check that video out to see what the color looks like and if that is what you are going for :)
I'm glad you showed the difference between using plastidip and not using it. I think I'll omit it because the finish ended up looking exactly like leather which is what I'll be trying to replicate. Thank you!
I am brand new to creating foam art pieces. My biggest challenge has been making it look like actual metal and not foam painted to look like metal. I have a long-term Halloween project that I will hopefully be able to pull off successfully.
The trick to a metallic look is to try and get your base as smooth as possible and then paint it with a gloss black before adding any metallic paints, this will help sell the metallic look :). Sorry for the late response , you probably already figured all this out. :).
@@CosplayApprentice Actually, no. I went a different route. But next time I will try that.
I use 5 mm thickness of eva foam. I would like to know if my cosplay will fall apart at the first run, or if plastic dip will give some form of protection against damage. How many times did your eva foam get worn while wearing cosplay? Will covering it with natural leather increase its durability? I would be grateful if you would solve my problems by answering my questions because I have been thinking about it for a long time.. Thanks a lot :)
Part of it will depend on what type of 5mm EVA Foam you are using. Most of them will hold up to mild wear and plastidipping it will help add some protection. You can get good quality foam from TNT Cosplay and SKS props, but if you are wanting to have it hold up on a photoshoot in the mountains or to not rip when you bump into something pointy at a con then you would want to go with more durable EVA Foam like our WTF (What the Foam) available on Amazon.
me having watched way too many videos on this and then getting myself more confused and then this saved me, thank youuuuu
Yay! So glad it was helpful!! :)
Would love to hear more on how you make your patterns.
You got it, I've added it on the list and that one is getting quite a few comments) votes so I will move it up in priority :)
PAINT! I'm wondering about the particulars of painting: how many coats of PD? how long between coats? how long of a dry time before primer? how much dry time before the acrylic paint after sealing with 2X primer? Thanks for some help with the EVA awesomeness!
Yay!! Sure thing :) all great questions! I generally do at least 3 coats of PD. Time between coats varies on temperature and climate humidity but for me in warm seasons it is about 10-15mins between coats of PD and then About 15 mins after the last PD coat before I do my base of 2x Rust-Oleum. After that, I like to give at least a full day of sitting without handling it before I start painting with the acrylic brush painting. :)
@@CosplayApprentice Excellent info my good man, thanks!
Do you seal the paint after painting? This is great thank you!
This was a huge help, thanks so much and keep up the amazing work
Yay!! I'm so glad! Thanks, will do :)
When I working with foam I (uselly ) only sprey paint and airbrush because I not so good with acrilic
Paint! I have two questions: how does your spray paint not crack when it dries and is wood glue/pva glue an acceptable substitution for plastidip? Great video!
The plastidip is what helps keep the paint from cracking, I usually spray my base coat on with spray paint as soon as the plastidip coats are dry to the touch. The paint bonding to the flexible plastidip coat helps with the flexibility. That being said, you can coat your foam in PVA glue/wood glue, but it will not provide as flexible of a result. I will be doing some test videos involving using Wood glue and stuff soon as a possible way to get a harder outer coating, so stay tuned for those :)
@@CosplayApprentice Thank you for the help! :)
Did you end up doing a video on thinning acrylics for airbrush use? I tried and it was a massive fail on my part. So I have been using airbrush specific paints, but would be great if I could just use regular acrylics. Apologies if I missed the video on your page, but didn’t see it.
No worries :) I did do the video :) Here it is :) ua-cam.com/video/dDYweAJfuRQ/v-deo.html
In regards to heat sealing, what am I looking for to know it is heat sealed?
Edit: also after covering in plastidip, what could happen if I covered a sword or piece of armor with Rustoleum Primer before spray painting the color on?
I use Krylon primer; I tried their craft foam primer and it gave a grainy texture. I tried PlastiDip and it caused bubbles and wrinkles. I like using Krylon primer because it makes the foam stiffer, giving it a more realistic armor/dragon scale effect. I hand-paint with Folk Art acrylics (although the back of the helm & the pauldrons got a coat of Testor's color-shift spray paint) and then seal with Krylon gloss spray. Now...when is the pattern for that chestpiece going to be available? :-)
We are planning on getting the video and template out on the 17th :)
Hello, hope you doing well for today. Could you please explain a bit more for newbie (me). So you used whatever color Kryol for first layer, and then Kryol glossy varnish?
ok good to know did not realize you had to heat seal first, I just went straight in with the plasti-dip. Does it matter what color you coat with vs the final color you will put on?
If you are going to be painting it a lighter color you can use a white Plastidip if you'd like. I generally just use the black Plastidip for everything though, but they have all kinds of colors now so it is mostly preference. One thing if you are using white Plastidip, if you used a sharpie to draw lines on your foam, the shape marks can bleed through the white. It happens with the black too but not as noticibly
What do you seal the acrylic with though? I've been having issues with my paint running due to rain, etc.
Here are a couple options I have seen used successfully
Clear spray finish - www.amazon.com/dp/B002644N2Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_0alhEbDVGSA4X
Clear coat acrylic floor finish - www.amazon.com/dp/B00J5HDC4A/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_0nlhEbTBKB6GC
@@CosplayApprentice do you just wipe the floor cleaner on and off? The other option isn't available
Either brush it on in a thin coat with a foam brush or spray it on with an air brush
i started work with eva foam a week ago and ruined my first two helmets. Since i dont have a heatgun yet are there any other ways to bend my foam. another difficulty i have faced is that i cant make clean foam cuts with my x acto knife. please give some advice it will be helpful
Sorry to hear about your first two helmets but I am excited that you are getting started with EVA Foam! Let's get your questions answered and set you up for success! :). First question for you is what type of EVA Foam are you using? That will help to advise both on the cutting and the heating. There is a method that @EbonyWarrior uses where you can heat your foam up in the oven but I would strongly recommend getting a heat gun, it will make life much easier. You can get a good one for only around $15 on Amazon, I am happy to send you my recommendations if you'd like. :)
What is a good way to fill unavoidable seams between pieces of EVA foam? I've got some seams in some curved pieces that are glued together and I need to get them as smooth as possible before painting.
I'll be doing a video on this first part of next month, I've had a lot of people asking about this, but in the meantime quickseal or Foam-Mo are both great ways to fill seams. :)
I have never used a heat gun before. I am scared of using it for the first time because it says that it will emit smoke for the first ten minutes of use (only a small amount). Is this normal or should I return it? It's a brand new heat gun from Amazon and that was in the disclaimer in the box. I am also worried about warping or bending the armour I am making. I used a template for a chestplate and it already has the curves that I need but I am afraid that if I use the heat gun on it that it will change shape. However, I do want to seal it properly. Is this necessary if I already have the shape I want? Can I just skip this step and go straight to plastidip? If I use plastidip do I need primer too before painting? Many thanks in advance!!
I've been looking for tips to paint a mask I'm making using the eva form. This is my first time at it, so my question is, when applying the heat-gun to the foam, do I spray the Plasti-Dip immediately while to foam is still warm, or do I have to wait for foam to cool down first?
The heat gun helps close the pores on the surface of the Eva foam, resulting in a smoother surface and one that is easier to paint on as all the pores won’t be soaking up your paint. No need to try and plastidip while it is still warm it will stay sealed after the heat gun pass. You can actually see the foam get a little more of a sheen to it as it heat seals. Just don’t hold the heat gun in any one place for too long, or too close to the foam because you cold risk burning the foam :)
I’m using 2mm white eva foam for a feathered cosplay I’m currently working on and I’m not quite sure what paints to use and if it would be in my budget
I dunno if they're EVA foam, but I have a couple weapons I need to repaint. Not sure if this method will work but I'll try it one day. Leviathan axe, blades of chaos, and mjolnir. They came painted but the detail work wore off.
Do you weather seal after you paint? If so, what product do you recommend?
Do you seal the paint on the EVA foam after you've painted it or do you just leave it? If you do seal the paint after painting what do you use?
awesome work dude. any plans on make so advanced template making videos?
Thanks! :) Yes, I have been getting a lot of requests for patterning and templating videos so I will definitely be doing a bunch of those. I'm moving them to the top of my list so I should be getting them out first thing next month. :)
Hello great video. If I'm painting a cosplay yellow should I use black plasti-dip or a white plasti-dip? I plan on using acrylic paints but didn't know what type of plasti-dip I should use for a base
White
@@mariekevanzaal8682 Would a gray primer work?
I have not had good luck using white plastidip. I stick with black as the base for all my stuff.
One of the reasons for doing plastidip is that it is flexible and because the foam flexes it helps to prevent too much wrinkling from happening in your paint job because the base layer flexes with it. :)
@@js-xl8et Because Yellow is a light color the lighter your primer the better. Gray probably works fine too. You may need an extra layer of yellow to get full coverage.
Hope im not too late but PAINT!
Still a beginner so I don't have most of the materials yet. What does the heat gun do and can I use hair blow dryer as an alternative?
Never too late for a comment! :) The heat gun allows you to be able to heat up and shape the foam. A hair dryer won't get the foam hot enough to shape it well and have it hold it's shape. I would highly recommend investing in one. It can seem like a big expense but on my kit.co page I have some links to some affordable options that work well. :)
Starting 💀, fr tho, I’m starting and it’s kinda daunting but my main issue rn is just space to do these things, I live in a very small apartment thing with a roommate and I highly doubt there’s enough ventilation to utilize volatile compounds and spray/air paints, I think I’m gonna have to go with acrylic paints
Been looking for a way to prevent paint rubbing off my foam and onto my hands or whatever it touches.
As we are currently in lock down, is there an alternative to plastidip?
Great question :) Here is a video I made on a couple alternatives to Plastidip :). Thank you for watching! :) ua-cam.com/video/RJpZ0McuZto/v-deo.html
I want to hydrodip foam. I was thinking maybe I could plastidip it first, then hydrodip followed by clear coat plastidip? what do you think I will run into issue wise?
I am just starting. Do I need to seal the paint at the end by to avoid scratching off paint? I wanna put stuff in Christmas tree and afraid branches may scratch it off.
This is something I’ve gone back and forth on trying to figure out the best solution. You can clear out your props, but it is hard to find the right combination of paint and clear coat and timing between needed to prevent cracking on the surface. I have stopped trying to clear coat and I just try to give several days after painting before handling the item wherever possible, depending on the type of paint once it is fully cured it is pretty resilient but it is usually at the highest risk within the first several days of painting from my experience.
I know very little about EVA foam. I recently had someone on Etsy create a foam floor puzzle (consisting of 15 pieces) based on the work of M.C. Escher. The pieces are 12" x 12" x 3/4" thick and were cut from primary colors of EVA foam: Red, Yellow, and Blue. I would like to add some detail to the pieces (eyes, backbone, and other sketch marks). I was thinking of sealing the foam first before painting these black sketch lines. Should I heat the foam first and use clear platidip? Is there such a thing as clear Plati Dip?Thanks for any direction you can provide!
Are the pieces painted already or are they just colored Eva foam that make up the pieces currently?
The pieces have not been painted. Thanks for taking the time to respond.
N00b here but wouldn't a few coats of primer before your paint make the foam resistant to absorbing the paint?
Yeah, that is why I generally use plastidip first, it prevents the Eva foam from soaking up the paint and make your paint layer more flexible compared to just doing a regular primer. :) But you could just put down a few coats of primer. Part of the problem with that is that it doesn't always work, especially if you have fine details, primer coats can get pretty thick and can sometimes ruin fine details. :/
Might be silly question but I’m repainting my cosplay. Do I need to prime it again with plasti dip or can I just spray paint it again over the old color with new one ?
I don't think you need to Plastidip again but you may either want to lightly sand the painted surface or paint with a primer over it to make sure your new coat adheres well. :)
Ok so I got krylon colormaxx all in one high gloss black paint and some krylon silver paint (all spray) and I am making some doc ock tentacles out of eva foam and foam pipe covers made of the same material as pool noodles… will the paint I got work for this without plastidip?
Hi Im making a himiko cosplay and was wondering what foam thickness and what paints should I use for a face mask (I dont have a heat gun)
If you use What The Foam, you could probably get away with 2mm thick. Depending on how stiff you want the mask to be then you could go with 4mm. If you are using a different high density foam I would use at least 4mm thick if not 6mm. I would highly recommend getting a heat gun, you can get one for around $17-20 and it will be something you use all the time with cosplay!!
@@CosplayApprentice thanks so much
Happy to help! :)
What kind of paint do you use for eva foam? Acrylic paint spray like the one used for cars?
I've used Rust-Oleum 2x coverage spray paints after sealing foam with plastidip. You can use the generic craft store acrylic paints too. I've been really enjoying using Plaid FX paints lately though. :)
@@CosplayApprentice thanks new subscriber here.
Happy to help! Let me know if you have anymore questions! :). Yay!!! Welcome to the Apprentice-Squad!!! Thanks so much for subscribing! :)
Plasti-dip is basically rubber coating spray, right?
Correct, it is a sprayable rubber coating. :) Not sure what type of rubber.
Dude love your room design🙌
So first, I coat with plasti dip, then I spray over it with rustoleum? after that, can I just paint designs with acrylic?
Exactly! :)
I have a flowboard with an Eva top that is severely faded. Can it be painted and, if so, what would you use. The board is used on a wave simulator so it has to do well in water.
I'm running into the problem of my acrylic paint sticking to other pieces. Like my pauldrons. I can't seem to find a really good way to seal that paint. Clear coat paint makes it to brittle and will crack with little pressure, mod podge still seems to be tacky even at this point of 1 day after coating. Any suggestions? Much appreciated.
If I want to paint something white can I still use black plasty dip or if I can’t find white
I dont have a hear gun can inuse just a torch lighter ?? Can u use spray paint and what kind ??
You can heat seal it with a torch lighter, but you would still want to get a heat gun to use to heat shape your foam :). In my video on shaping foam I have a link to a heat gun that is only $15. :). You can use spray paint, I recommend coating it with Plastidip first and then I use Rust-Oleum 2x coverage spray paint. :) Thanks for your comments :)
Okay thank you! I have one more question, if u want to make it shiny is it possible or okay to use rub n buff on it?
Yes you can use rub n buff on it checkout LostWax on UA-cam. He uses rub n buff on Eva foam all the time :)
have you tried 3d printing resin as top gloss coat
is there any products that i can substitute the plastidip with?
3 Plasti-Dip Alternatives to Seal EVA Foam Cosplay Props and Costumes in a small space
ua-cam.com/video/RJpZ0McuZto/v-deo.html
It’s my first time doing all this armor cosplay stuff and I would like to know some easy tips for beginners if that’s possible? 😇😇
Could I use a hairdryer for heat treating foam
I love what you do. Keep it up.
Thank you so much!! Will do! :)
What finishing do you use for the paint?
Do you clear coat once you are done with the painting?
I clear coated some of my projects in the past and depending on the build and the amount of paint layering I have to do, I will clear coat some between layers. But for the most part lately I have not been clear coating because it is has been hard to maintain the same sheen after clear coating. :)
I need help I have used a gesso to prime it and I'm using acrylic craft paint and it peels off. This is my first time making anything with foam. How do I seal it so it doesn't peel without having to sand of all the existing paint.
For the spray paint do you recommend matte or gloss? Or does it not matter?
Just depends on the look you are going for to match the character you are creating. :)
I just a heads up that if you are doing a gloss paint it is harder to get paint to stick to a gloss paint so keep that in mind if you are planning to add a layer of a different color on top of the gloss layer that you may need to lightly sand that area first. :)
@@CosplayApprentice okay thanks, im planning on painting ahsoka’s lekkus made out of eva foam, using plastidip as a primer, some sort of white spray paint then painting on blue acrilic paint to add her blue stripes.
Can you substitute a heat gun with a hair dryer
Most hair dryers will not be hot enough.
@@CosplayApprentice awe dang. I've heard about an oven method but I haven't been able to find the video, what temperature should I do that at? I know it's recommended but due to my current situation I can't really get a heat gun sadly.
I know ebony warrior uses an oven method for heat shaping his foam. You might be able to find a video in his channel :) I haven't used it personally so I am unsure how it works fully. :/ Hopefully that helps point you in the right direction at least. :)
@@CosplayApprentice Should I spray paint alongside the plasti dip or paint after its dried
Do all of your plastidip coats first and then all your spraypaint coats afterward :)
what are your thoughts on can spray paints? I been using them for experimentation and it doesn't leave a smooth surface. I can feel some tiny particles when I touch it. Is it the way how I spray it or etc?
I love can spray paint! It will only be as smooth as the surface you are painting on. Because it goes on in such a thin layer. You want to make sure your surface is nice and smooth to start and it helps to do a few coats of Plastidip first :)
@@CosplayApprentice thx alot
My problem im having is I've tried 3 cans of Plasti-dip from 3 different stores and the it just pools up on the can and runs down it and my hand. I get nothing but clear mist out of the nozzle.
Hmm, what is the temperature where you are?
Can you use Rust-Oleum peel coat instead of Plasti-Dip? They don't sell Plasti-Dip where I live.
I also want to know how to make patterns.
I'm excited to make this one! :) A lot of people are asking about it so I'll move it to the top of the list to film next :)
The parts of my mask I paint with acrylics are very transparent. Is this because my paint is too cheap or maybe because I need to do multiple coats? I need to delineate some outlines and multiple coats really won't work for what I am trying to accomplish. Thanks to any who can share their knowledge with me.
Did you seal the foam first before using the acrylics? It's likely you'll want to do multiple coats. If you want it to stay nice and thin coats with doing multiple, I would recommend doing it with an airbrush instead of with a paint brush. That might help :)
@@CosplayApprentice thanks so much for the reply!
Can i use mod podge as a sealer for my acrylic paint?
So I'm having an issue with my paint. I'm trying to paint a wood texture, but it keeps coming out very dull and hazy I have NO idea what to do
What type of paint are you using? What sheen is it. A lot of acrylic paints are matte sheen which will give you a flatter duller look than a satin sheen would. I find for wood texture a combination of one color in matte layered with another in a satin give a convincing woodgrain look. Hope that helps :)
@@CosplayApprentice Yanno, I didn't even think about that. I think I might be using matte on matte.
Awesome! Let me know if that doesn't help and we can troubleshoot some more. :)
I've watched countless hours on UA-cam on how to make Eva foam armor but after a year of trying I still can't get my seams to be smooth. I've tried Plasti dip, DAP Kwik seal (using water to smooth), sanding by hand, sanding with a rotary tool, etc. Over the past year over only made 4 small pieces because they look like trash. If I can't get them to look nice, there's no point in making more. Not sure what to do as I feel like I've tried a lot of things I've seen people do on UA-cam
I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm happy to help give you some ideas and guidance on what you might be able to do to get it to work for you. First I have a couple questions.
What type of Eva foam have you been using? (Ex. Foam floor mats or craft foam from the craft store, etc.)
What patterns are you using? (Ex. Making your own or using patterns other people have put out etc)
These two questions will help me to better asses what might be causing your seams issue and will allow me to recommend some things to try. Thank you for reaching out, let's figure this out together and get you Forging your favorite fandoms! You got this!
@@CosplayApprentice I got the foam on Amazon, 6mm cosplay foam (says ultra high density). I got the patterns online and they seem to work ok although this is my first attempt with Eva foam
Perfect, thanks for answering those questions for me, sounds like you've got good foam and patterns. Now I have a few more questions.
What contact cement do you use?
Please describe what your seams look like when you are trying to fix them? Ex. Are they pulling open at the top and have a gap or are they uneven heights between the two pieces etc. Even better, if you want to send me a picture of the seams on Instagram messenger or something like that, that will help me understand better what might be the issue. @cosplay_apprentice.
Do you have a heat gun?
@@CosplayApprentice just sent thanks
Great video, thank you so much!
Thanks!! I'm so glad it was helpful! :)
Hallo can i paint it only with acrylic paint ? I don't like spays smell
Yes, you can, you may need to use more paint if you don't seal it first but I would recommend using PlaidFX paint it will stay flexible and flex with your foam! :)
@@CosplayApprentice thank you :)
Is the base color coat always white?
No, you can do whatever base coat makes the most sense. Mostly I do a black Plastidip coat and then whatever color is the most prominent on the item as the base color coat and then details on top of that. :). Hope that helps :)
im thinking of just simply spraying with the cans just to make my foam cosplay prop rifle look all black and watching this video feels so complicating that I shouldn't spray but do regular painting instead.
I'm using EVA Foam Roll by ArtMinds. Which I purchased at Michaels, would this technique work well with this kind of foam? I'm doing a green ranger dragon shield from power rangers. As I'm sure u know the chest shield armor is gold and well the foam I purchased is white and it being for the chest and back it will need alot of flex definitely would love recommendations on great gold paint for this specific project.
I haven't personally tried that Eva foam but from what I know about it, these sealing and painting techniques will work the same as well. :) If you want it to have lots of flex, I would recommend Plaid FX flexible paint. I used one of theirs called gold coin on my wonder woman vambrace video, you can check that video out to see what the color looks like and if that is what you are going for :)
Do you really have use plasti dip to spray pain eva foam
do you still sell the what the foam?
problem is you not ship to sweden and i faind no contact info.
the conclusion is that the first layer is PLASTIC DIP / the second layer is BASE COLOR CODE and the third layer is color ....right?
Yep, Plastidip, Base Coat of whatever your majority color is, and then tape and paint the details :)
can i use a hair dryer instead of a heat gun? im a 14 year old who only makes money off of selling art and im tryna be as cheap as possible 💀💀
Paint
this guy is cute ngl
Lol I'm the first comment
Nicely done!
Plasti .. what dude .???
U rumble to much
Hahaha, sorry, this was before we got a better microphone :). Plasti-Dip
Do you need a better mic man
Lol I'm the first
greatest challenge? thats easy 1 word Budget🥲
Paint