HAND PAINTED | For the artist

DIFFICULTY: High
DURABILITY: Medium
COST: $40-50

SUPPLIES:
Blank snowboard
Primer
Paint
Brush
Clear coat
Sandpaper
Painters tape
Cotton swabs
Buffing compound

STEP 1:

Use a cleaning solution to remove any dirt or other residue from the top of the board.

Use sandpaper to scuff up the top of the board.

Fill the binding holes with cotton swabs.

Tape around the edge of the board.

Apply the primer to the board. Plastic primer is best.

Apply the paint to the board (the more flexible the paint, the better).

Apply multiple layers of clear coat to the board, the more layers the more durability.

* Spar urethane (aka spar varnish) is a great clear coat option.

Remove tape and cotton swabs.

Apply buffing compound to make it shine.

Jac

This illustration is pretty amazing. Is there any kind of artist movement behind this yet?

Blank Snowboards

Jac, we have definitely seen a lot of interest from artists. We started out making blank snowboards because they are more affordable but all the interest from artists helped broaden our focus. I’d say the majority of people buy a Blank Snowboard with the intention of customizing it. We think it’s really cool.

Casey, ElectricZepp

I am so interested in doing this, (for a career) aswell as for myself. Is there a reason why the contest is not avaible for my high school!?

Blank Snowboards

Casey, we just opened the contest up to a few schools this year as a trial run. Stay tuned and we’ll let everyone know how to get their school on board next year.

beezer

You say to use “flexible paint” – can you give a little more explanation there? I was going to go to the hobby store in my town to get model paint. Is that a bad idea?

Jac

I would use acrylics to do something like this. Liquitex is the most well known brand. You can cover it with a crystal clear varnish to protect it from scratching.

Mike

What grit of sand paper do you use to scuff the board with before starting?

Jac

I would go with a really high grit. You just need enough to take the shiny off of the base coat. To low a grit and you will put gouges into the surface. I’d probably start with something in the mid 100′s, like a 140 or 160 grit. Definately wouldn’t go under 80 grit. Best bet is to test it on something painted that you don’t mind screwing up the finish on. See how it works out. You don’t want anything that will cut all of the way through the base coat.

Ted

I just finished painting my board and I haven’t sprayed on the clear coat yet. I bought both Spar Urethane and Lacquer. Should I spray maybe 3 layers of Spar Urethane then sand it down a little and spray a layer of Lacquer over it?

Blank Snowboards

Sorry for the delayed response. You’ve probably already completed the project by now… But we really haven’t had any experience mixing Spar Urethane and Lacquer but I don’t see any reason why it would work.