Looking for a good fabric marker.

January 5, 2008 10:49 PM

I'm looking to make a pair of DIY Vans and I need help in deciding what to use.

I'm looking to make a pair of DIY vans but I have no experience with this. At first I was thinking about using colored sharpies, but then I thought "what about fabric markers?" Thing is, I have no experience with either and how it looks on the fabric of the shoes (canvas). I found a website with a person who makes shoes similar to what I want to do for myself and I like the way his look. I found a picture of a sample of his shoes and what I'm guessing are the types of fabric markers he uses. Do these look familiar to anyone? If I could find those, I would use them. If not, I will take suggestions from others about what I should use.

posted by MaryDellamorte to clothing, beauty, & fashion (6 comments total)

Sharpies will probably bleed some, or at least rub off on shit and start looking not so good. They might be worth a try just because they're cheap and readily available, but go for fabric markers for really nice results.
posted by MadamM at 11:05 PM on January 5, 2008

Yeah I don't want to really experiment with this because a pair of all white canvas Vans slip-ons is around 40 dollars. At least that's the cheapest I can find them for on the internets.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 11:19 PM on January 5, 2008

Those are fabric markers in the picture, I've seen that type in craft stores and fabric stores. While you're there, buy some white canvas fabric to experiment with your technique.
posted by yohko at 11:37 PM on January 5, 2008

sharpies are a bad idea. I used to use them for tees; the ink is really acidic and starts to eat through cotton after a while. FYI. great for punk tees, not so much for footwear.
posted by patricking at 12:32 AM on January 6, 2008

You need to get busy on the customisation forums over at Sneaker Freaker and Hypebeast. Plenty of experienced sneaker painters and a heap of How To Stuff.

General consensus seems to be apply a primer, hand paint then seal although fabric work seems to be trickier.
posted by brautigan at 4:19 AM on January 6, 2008 [1 favorite]

This might sound obvious, but have you tried just emailing him to ask?
posted by missmagenta at 7:59 AM on January 6, 2008