News — Accessories

The holidays are coming up fast, so if you haven't already bought gifts, it's time to stop procrastinating.

If you're not sure what to buy, we've got you covered. We offer a bunch of great gifts  under $35 for the artists in your life.

Check out this list for some great, affordable holiday gift ideas.

If you know someone new to customizing and restoring sneakers, the Angelus Starter Kit is a perfect holiday gift.

This kit includes three paints, acrylic finisher, Easy Cleaner, Leather Preparer and Deglazer, a cleaning brush, and a paintbrush set -- everything you need to get started on your first pair of customs.

If you don't need to pick up all of the essentials, the 12 Color Assortment Kit is the perfect alternative to the starter kit.

You can choose 12 colors of your choice to put in your kit, which is enough to create a variety of different combinations. Whether you're customizing your Jordans or working on a restoration, our 12 Color Assortment Kit is your best choice.

The Angelus Easy Cleaner Kit provides all the products you need for basic shoe cleaning and care.

This kit includes one bottle of Easy Cleaner, a cleaning brush, and a premium microfiber towel. Perfect for anyone looking to keep their shoes nice and clean.

Wagner’s Furno 300 is a basic heat tool designed to apply focused heat for custom projects and is an essential tool in every artist's toolbox.

Be it for speeding up drying times or setting some Angelus 2-Soft, a heat gun is an incredibly useful tool for creating customs.

Last but not least, it's hard to go wrong with a gift card. Angelus gift cards are available for $10, $20, $50, and $100.

If you're not sure what to get, grab a gift card and let your friend decide what they need.

Hopefully, this list gave you a few good ideas for affordable holiday gifts.

If you want to take a look at some other gift ideas, check out our online store for more gifts under $35. And don't forget to follow Angelus on Instagram to see how you can use these gifts to create some amazing pairs of customs.

Angelus paints and dyes aren't just for sneakers. Clothes, furniture, accessories, and skateboards are just a few of the other things you can customize with Angelus paints.

Bryan from Swell Guy Customs (@swellguycustoms) stopped by the Angelus studio to show you how you can easily customize your own skateboard deck with just a few techniques and materials.

Follow along with this tutorial to see how a skateboard deck can be the perfect canvas to create a one-of-a-kind piece of art.

Before you getting started, you need to prep the deck by sanding it down a little bit.

Skateboard decks have light coatings which can make it difficult for the deck to absorb dyes and paints.

Start with 300-grit sandpaper, then work your way up to 800-girt, then 1,500-grit, and even higher if needed to create a smooth finish.

Sand along the grain back and forth to get even coverage all across the deck.

Once you're done sanding, apply some Angelus Leather Preparer and Deglazer to clean the surface and remove the factory finish.

Next, we're going to use some leather dye to stain the deck. Leather dye is a great way to create clean gradient effects on wood products.

Apply the leather dye in a color of your choice to the deck using a rag and work the dye into the deck using a circular motion.

Take your time, apply a few different coats, and make sure to get even coverage.

To create the gradient effect, use a different color dye along the edges of the deck and blend it in with the original color.

After applying the leather dye, be sure to let it completely dry before you start painting.

Once the dye is dry, it's time to start painting your own original artwork on top of the background.

For this deck, Bryan painted a deep-sea diver to go along with the nautical theme, but, of course, you can customize yours however you want.

If you want to replicate Bryan's design, make sure to check out the full tutorial to see which colors you'll need to get started.

After you finish painting, you're almost there. All that's left is to apply some Acrylic Finisher to add a little bit of extra protection to the deck.

Use a cotton swab to apply a couple of layers of the Acrylic Finish to the deck. This will help create an even finish and make sure your masterpiece lasts a little bit longer than it otherwise would.

Thanks to Bryan for stopping by and creating this tutorial. Again, make sure to check out the full video for a more detailed walkthrough, and go ahead and follow @swellguycustoms on Instagram

Don't forget to follow Angelus on Instagram as well, and make sure to check out our online store to grab the materials you need for your next custom project.

A few brushes and some paint might be all it takes to get started on your first customs project, but there are a number of other tools and accessories that can make your life as a shoe artist way easier.

From cleaning products to design accessories, take a look at how these products can help make creating your next pair of customs that much easier.

If you want to keep your colors accurate and your brush strokes clean, you need a product to help you keep your brush clean and soft.

Angelus Brush Cleaner makes it easy to keep your brushes and airbrush clean. All you have to do is soak your brush in the cleaner and agitate the bristles to keep your brushes good as new.

There's nothing worse than ruining the deadstock look of your customs with toe creases.

Decreasers make it easy to fill out your shoes during painting to prevent creasing when you're giving your customs that final touch.

Even if you take great care of your customs, the colors can fade and dry out over time.

Lustre Cream makes it super easy to restore, clean, and soften smooth leather shoes. A quick application of this stuff will restore your shoes and bring back their original colors.

Using paints on soft fabrics can lead to clumping and can make these soft surfaces stiff.

Angelus 2-Soft is absolutely essential when working on soft fabrics, like the sock-liner of a shoe. When heat-set properly, this Fabric Medium will help keep your fabrics nice and soft after being painted.

Whether it's for stenciling or just cutting masking tape, having a high-quality detail knife is essential for a good workflow.

The Angelus Detail Knife features a high quality anodized titanium handle, a soft comfort grip, and 6 total precision #2 blades, making it perfect for almost any project.

To check out more of our tools and accessories, visit our online store to find the perfect products for your next project. And don't forget to follow Angelus on Instagram to see how you can use these tools to create your own unique customs.

Having trouble keeping your customs in good condition? Your customs can easily crack and crease if you're not careful.

To help you learn how to keep your kicks in like-new condition, Ronald Pritchett, AKA @ron_got_sole, stopped by the Angelus studio to show you how to customize and protect a pair of Jordan 4s. Ron has been in the customs game for a while, so he understands the importance of durability.

Keep reading to learn his tips and tricks for protecting your next pair of customs, and make sure to check out the full tutorial on our YouTube channel.

Before painting, start by preparing the shoe with Angelus Leather Preparer and Deglazer. This will get rid of the factory seal on your shoes and help paint adhere to the surface.

Start by using shoe trees to maintain the shape of your shoes and get rid of creases on the toe box.

Then, use the Leather Preparer and Deglazer to gently wipe over every area that you plan to paint. Pay special attention to high-wear areas like the toe box and ankle collar.

Once the texture changes from smooth to rubbery is when you know you've gotten rid of the factory finish. 

After you get rid of the factory finish, you can use sandpaper to remove smaller imperfections.

This will help create a smooth finish and develop small rough ridges for your paint to stick to.

Once you finish sanding, go over the shoe one more time with the Leather Preparer and Deglazer to ensure a smooth finish.

The last step you need to take before painting your customs is taping up the edges. 

Make sure to get as close to the edge as possible without overlapping with the leather. If the tape does overlap with the leather, though, you can always touch it up later.

Now it's time to start painting your customs. Of course, you can use whatever colors you want, but, for this tutorial, Ron is using Angelus Flat Black, Do The Right Thing Yellow, Hot Pink (as the base for the red coat), and Chili Red paint.

When painting, make sure to use even, light coats, and let the paint dry before adding another coat.

The first coats will look streaky, but as you continue to build up your layers, the colors will become more saturated.

Quick Tip: For glossy colors, like Do The Right Thing Yellow, use Duller to get rid of some of the shine and make it look like the factory finish.

Not all surfaces are the same. For non-porous surfaces, like plastic or glass, 2-Hard will help paint adhere to the surface.

Ron used a 50-50 mix of 2-Hard and Flat Black paint to paint the netting on these custom 4s and make sure that the paint doesn't crack or chip.

You can also use 2-Soft for softer materials, like the fabric tongue patch on these Jordan 4s. Use a 1:1 ratio when mixing 2-Soft and Angelus paints to be used on fabric surfaces.

When you use 2-Soft on fabric surfaces, it's important to heat-set the paint with a heat gun to ensure its durability. 

All that's left is to take care of the details.

Make sure to use a detail brush to touch up any white spaces left after painting your customs. This will make sure your customs look like they could have come straight from the store.

Lastly, just remove the tape and your customs are finished.

By following these steps, you can create a clean pair of customs that stay in great shape for the foreseeable future.

Don't forget to follow Angelus on Instagram and check out more tutorials from artists like Ron on our YouTube channel.