The Keypress Graphics Painting Process
Overview & Equipment
My studio is fitted with a magnifying LED lamp which delivers daylight spectrum light across a wide area. Good lighting is very important to reduce eye-strain and allows fine details to be painted with greater accuracy.
Winsor Newton Series 7 brushes are used exclusively, along with Vallejo Model Color and Model Air hobby acrylic paints, varnishes and mediums. I also use a wet palette which helps keeps paint dry over multi-day painting sessions. A hair dryer is used to speed the drying process between coats of paint.
A Typical Painting Process
Painting an artisan keycap generally consists of the following steps.
- The keycap is thoroughly cleaned and primer is applied to the entire surface, which is allowed to set for 24 hours.
- The keycap is base coated with multiple layers of paint, and allowed to fully dry between each layer.
- Tens or hundreds of thin layers of paint are then applied to create the various effects, details and color blends.
- After painting is completed, the paint is given 24 hours to fully cure.
- The keycap is given 5-6 coats of gloss varnish, and allowed fully dry between each coat. Two final layers of matte varnish are then applied.