ursula: bear eating salmon (Default)
Ursula ([personal profile] ursula) wrote2019-05-05 01:13 pm

boots!

I finished my mothtopus boots!

IMG_20190503_204740


I started with red Doc Martens. Here they are after prep, which involved cleaning with an acetone-based prep solution to remove the factory waterproofing, and taping to protect the soles:

IMG_20190420_202718

I actually bought both boys' and women's Doc Martens, in the same size. The boys' were significantly cheaper, and I was really hoping that they would turn out to be identical & I could gloat about the vagaries of fashion (and, in all honesty, have a spare pair of red boots), but actually the boys' boots had lower-quality leather and an unnecessary zipper, so I sent them back.

I painted an undercoat in white. I'm not sure I needed to do that, as the Angelus leather paints I was using are quite opaque:

IMG_20190420_205830

About five coats later, I had a pair of gray Doc Martens:

IMG_20190425_211046

I painted a mothtopus, and experimented with outlining it in silver:

IMG_20190429_201511

I decided that I didn't want a complete silver outline, and painted over some of it in black:

IMG_20190429_202703

The painter's tape was not entirely successful in preventing spillover. I sanded down the worst of the streaks, so at least they wouldn't be quite as bright, and then taped the boots up again and applied a protective finishing coat. If I do something like this again, I might look for some sort of masking fluid (this might also have been nice for the eyelets, though honestly those clean up with a fingernail). I am pleased with the overall effect, though!
dolorosa_12: (sister finland)

[personal profile] dolorosa_12 2019-05-05 05:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow, those are amazing!
delight: (Default)

[personal profile] delight 2019-05-05 05:40 pm (UTC)(link)
These are perfection.
flowersforgraves: An image of Jeff Sinclair (Babylon 5), a white man in his 40s. He is facing right and smiling. (B5)

[personal profile] flowersforgraves 2019-05-05 06:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Looking good! Very stylish and also a nice craft.
yhlee: Alto clef and whole note (middle C). (hxx emblem Nirai)

[personal profile] yhlee 2019-05-05 09:40 pm (UTC)(link)
OMG amazing!!!
silversandbea: A rabbit wearing headphones at a keyboard (Default)

[personal profile] silversandbea 2019-05-06 12:21 am (UTC)(link)
These look fantastic!
math5: (Awesome land.)

[personal profile] math5 2019-05-06 12:40 am (UTC)(link)
Those are awesome. I had never thought about painting shoes
oracne: turtle (Default)

[personal profile] oracne 2019-05-06 12:49 pm (UTC)(link)
AWESOME.
redsixwing: A red knotwork emblem. (Default)

[personal profile] redsixwing 2019-05-06 04:31 pm (UTC)(link)
So! Cool!

verdantry: (Default)

[personal profile] verdantry 2019-05-06 04:51 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm a sucker for good progress shots - those are fantastic boots.
eirias: (Default)

[personal profile] eirias 2019-05-06 10:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Now I'm really hoping we can manage a get together Thursday before WisCon, because I think my friends who will be staying here that night would covet your boots.
hamletta: (Default)

[personal profile] hamletta 2019-05-07 03:04 am (UTC)(link)
These are awesome!