Custom Cove- Customizing For Beginners

Painting Symbols

Now comes the fun part. ^_^

Tools

Paint brushes (Makes sure they're mostly small rounds)
Acetone
Q-tips
A naked bait pony.
Paint
Matte finish sealer
Paper towels (For potential spills)
A soft lead pencil (For your outlines)
A kneaded eraser
Hair dryer (optional)

Directions

Ahhh! Finally we get to decorate!

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Paint 1 layer of matte finish clear coat over the area where the symbol will go. This makes a better drawing surface for your pencil. Take the pencil and sketch a light outline of the way you want your symbol to look. Be sure to keep your kneaded eraser handy to fix any mistakes.

Once you are happy with your outline it's time to paint. Squeeze a small amount of your first paint color into one of the wells in your pallet. Make sure to thin it out a little with some water. Two or three drops from the end of your paintbrush should do it. A quick note about white paint: It is evil. Say it with me now "e-vil". Now, to combat this evil you should thin your paint out a little more than usual and be prepared to do a LOT more coats than other colors because coverage for white paint is terrible. And if you are using a cheapo white paint then, well, it was nice knowing your sanity.

Tip in just the tip of your brush and trace the outlines that need that color. I have trouble with a slightly shaky hand so I tend to brace it against the body of the pony, or on my knee if wet paint elsewhere on the pony prevents the first method. Once you have your painted outline you can fill the rest in. Rinse off your brush. Even if you're still on the same color it's a good idea to periodically rinse, just so the paint doesn't dry on it. If it does, it can ruin the brush. Repeat this method for each color, using the hairdryer to speed things up a bit. A note on the hairdryer: While it does make things go faster you have to be sure not to do it more than a few times in a row. Remember that dry paint is not necessarily "set" paint and you may wind up smudging something if you do too many layers in one sitting.

Now that your symbol is complete you need to seal it. Sealer requires no thinning. Just use a medium flat brush to smooth it over the symbol. Try not to go too far past the edges of the paint. It can make a very nice paint job look sloppy. Once the sealer is dry your symbol is complete!

HHHHHHHHHHHHH

Ahhh! Finally we get to decorate!
HHHHHHHHHHHHH
Paint 1 layer of matte finish clear coat over the area where the symbol will go. This makes a better drawing surface for your pencil. Take the pencil and sketch a light outline of the way you want your symbol to look. Be sure to keep your kneaded eraser handy to fix any mistakes.
Once you are happy with your outline it's time to paint. Squeeze a small amount of your first paint color into one of the wells in your pallet. Make sure to thin it out a little with some water. Two or three drops from the end of your paintbrush should do it. A quick note about white paint: It is evil. Say it with me now "e-vil". Now, to combat this evil you should thin your paint out a little more than usual and be prepared to do a LOT more coats than other colors because coverage for white paint is terrible. And if you are using a cheapo white paint then, well, it was nice knowing your sanity.
Tip in just the tip of your brush and trace the outlines that need that color. I have trouble with a slightly shaky hand so I tend to brace it against the body of the pony, or on my knee if wet paint elsewhere on the pony prevents the first method. Once you have your painted outline you can fill the rest in. Rinse off your brush. Even if you're still on the same color it's a good idea to periodically rinse, just so the paint doesn't dry on it. If it does, it can ruin the brush. Repeat this method for each color, using the hairdryer to speed things up a bit. A note on the hairdryer: While it does make things go faster you have to be sure not to do it more than a few times in a row. Remember that dry paint is not necessarily "set" paint and you may wind up smudging something if you do too many layers in one sitting.
Now that your symbol is complete you need to seal it. Sealer requires no thinning. Just use a medium flat brush to smooth it over the symbol. Try not to go too far past the edges of the paint. It can make a very nice paint job look sloppy. Once the sealer is dry your symbol is complete!
HHHHHHHHHHHHH