Paint Pen Art: Your Fin is Your Canvas

I did a piece for Womens Surf Style Magazine about how to use paint pen techniques to personalize your fin. You know, the fin is really the perfect vehicle for self expression. It's like the banner that you board flies as you walk down the beach. OK, enough waxing philosophical. Here's how it's done:


Step 1:
Gather your tools and your "canvas." You'll need a handful of paint pens in various colors -- we prefer Sharpie Paint Markers, which come with different tip sizes and in 18 assorted colors (they're available at art stores or online at dickblick.com). A can of clear acrylic spray paint -- choose either gloss or matte depending on the finish of your board or equipment (available at The Home Depot or hardware stores). A pencil for applying your design. And, of course, a canvas -- your board, fins, and SUP paddle are all perfect candidates for embellishment. We've chosen to illustrate a fin for it's simplicity and small size.


**Keep in mind: The paint pens are opaque so they'll show up on dark colors, but to make your design really pop opt for working on lighter colors or white. Here we've painted an old fin white. Also, you may need to lightly sand the surface of what you'll be embellishing to ensure the paint sticks well (use 220 grit sand paper and lightly scuff the area where you'll be drawing).


Step 2:
Pencil on your design. We've chosen to freehand ours, but stencils also work well, especially for achieving clean lines. If you need to remove a pencil mark just rub lightly with an artist's eraser. This fin will be a compliment to the Aquarious Spring Water board--hence the swirls and dots--but skulls, dragons and pin-up art are all equally achievable using these techniques.


Step 3:
Start applying color with your paint pens. Keep in mind that you can use the pens like brushes for blending and mixing colors, but once you've contaminated a pen's tip, it's almost impossible to get it back to its original color.

Step 4:
Let your paint dry and determine if you want to add more to the design.


Step 5:
Once completely dry, you can draw over painted areas without fear of cross-contaminating your colors. We've chosen to outline our shapes for depth and interest using contrasting hues.


Step 6:
Wait for all paint to dry well then seal and protect your work with several light coats of clear spray paint. Remember: many light, even coats are better than one heavy, thick coat.

Step 7:
Although we've decorated a fin, don't be afraid to go big and try embellishing your board. You don't have to do the whole thing and the steps are the same. We've also done just the nose area on the deck of our SUP board... now we have a matching set.

Additional things to keep in mind:
Inspiration is everywhere -- Look around you to find patterns, designs and color combinations that strike your fancy. We were inspired by the design on the label of our favorite bottled water, Aquarius Spring.
Bold is beautiful -- Large geometric designs and bright colors look great on boards. From a distance it's hard to see small, intricate details, especially if you've decorated an area that will ultimately be waxed over.
Nothing is permanent -- If you dislike your design, simply sand it off using sand paper and a little elbow grease.
The sky's the limit -- From realism to abstractions to polka dots and hearts, the only limit is your imagination.