Update: A judge at Comic Con told me my spray paint job looked like a 'dusty mess'

I was so proud of my $15 foam armor for a Destiny Titan, but the judge said the cheap matte black I used looked chalky and uneven. I switched to a $7 can of satin finish from the hardware store and did three light coats, and the difference is huge. What's your go-to cheap paint that doesn't look cheap?

2 comments

2 Comments

richard_west520d ago

My first cosplay prop looked like it got painted with a melted crayon. I swear I used half a can of that bargain bin matte black and it just soaked into the foam. Switched to Rust-Oleum's satin finish for like eight bucks and it actually covers stuff without that weird chalky texture. Still mess up the details sometimes but at least the base coat doesn't look sad anymore.

amymiller20d ago

Remembered trying to seal a foam sword with that cheap white glue mix. Dried all rubbery and peeled off in one sad sheet when I tried to paint it. Switched to just using a heat gun to melt the surface a little before priming. Works way better and doesn't leave that weird sticky film. Sometimes the simplest fix is just skipping a step.