What I Learned From Painting My First Bike With POSCA Pens

What I used to paint the bicycle:
First Round Sandpaper (400 grit): amzn.to/3LjIgdA
Second Round Sandpaper (600 grit): amzn.to/3G0CI6Z
Third Round Sandpaper (800 grit): amzn.to/39j0r5U
Primer: amzn.to/3l7sjN7
Transfer Paper: amzn.to/3MiQ2pl
Tape: amzn.to/3waxTV7
1/8" Fine Liner Tape: amzn.to/3LfAAZN
Posca Paint Pens: amzn.to/3Mi9Toy
White Paint: amzn.to/3wvdWqW
Clear Coat: amzn.to/3we2bq9
Ceramic Coating Finish: amzn.to/3HOf6mH
You'll also need a painter's mask, gloves, drop cloths, tools to disassemble the bike, a cleaning solution like rubbing alcohol, and a bucket of warm water for the wet sanding.
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[@diontrespeller]

Awesome tips, will be using them

[@julianbrown1092]

Awesome seeing you back!!!

[@BikesAndSnacks]

Thanks… I started and stopped a couple of videos. This was one that took a while to do, but I am pretty happy with it.

[@karladrianaguro9128]

Dude, this helped me a lot. I'm currently customizing my frame and this saved me a lot. Really appreciate this!!!!

[@BikesAndSnacks]

Awesome.... glad the video helped out!

[@elevatorjazzex]

Great video and stellar editing. Love that bike!

[@BikesAndSnacks]

Thanks for watching!

[@Raikomartinez]

Great job man the edit are dope

[@BikesAndSnacks]

Thanks so much!

[@MrLotto22]

Amazing imagery and the editing kept me at the edge of my seat. Great work on the paint job too💯.

[@BikesAndSnacks]

Thank you so much 😀

[@IbexCustomBikes]

Editing video!!!!!!!! Wow!

[@JustinAndNicoleAdventures]

Thank you for sharing this video it really helps ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ we were planning to use posca paint on my bike and motorcycle too...

[@BikesAndSnacks]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JustinAndNicoleAdventures]

@@BikesAndSnacks hi just wanna ask...is posca good for tires too? Or it easily fades?

[@BikesAndSnacks]

@@JustinAndNicoleAdventures Hi, good question. I've never tried them on tires or any part of a wheel, but I suspect they would not work on tires. As a general safety matter, don't paint or spray anything that you rely on for traction or friction. Posca is pretty delicate and needs to be sealed. A clear coat sealant would cause your tire to slip, and the paint itself would cause the same problem. Also, as the rubber tire rolls along, it deforms which will cause the paint to crack.
If, you're thinking about painting a wheel rim instead of the tires, you could use Posca pens, but be sure to keep the brake track clear and clean (I'd use painter's tape to make sure nothing gets on it). If you're thinking of painting the rim of a disc brake wheel, then I'd cover or remove the rotor while painting and sealing.

[@JustinAndNicoleAdventures]

@@BikesAndSnacks omg okay thank you so muchhhhh for the info 😊 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@hardtailjefe]

I like how you make your videos!

[@BikesAndSnacks]

Thanks!

[@brianbrenton]

beautiful

[@BikesAndSnacks]

Thanks!

[@lilascott161]

Hello! First off, thanks for the video! Love it! I have a question. I really like the original frame color of my bike, but would like to add some flair and am curious if it’s possible to use Posca pens without stripping, sandblasting or sanding as I don’t want to lose the original frame color.

[@BikesAndSnacks]

Thanks for watching! Unfortunately, it isn't a good idea to paint without prepping the surface. The original bike paint is likely protected with a coating that will resist the paint you're applying. It might "work" but it won't be as nice, it will not "stick" the way it should, and it probably won't "paint" in the way you're used to.
If you decide to do it anyways, just make sure you add a clear coat or it will literally wash away.

[@jvimgs]

Hey, nice tips! Have you used some solvent over POSCA before clear coat layer?

[@BikesAndSnacks]

Thanks! Good question. POSCA paint is really delicate since it is water based. If you use a solvent or even water, the paint will run.

[@ZniperX]

Is it good to paint a matte bike?

[@2552legoboy]

Been thinking of doing a custom job with acrylics and brush and youve inspired me! Was just going to spray it black buts thats borning. Ive got clear coat to protect. Any other advice to give apart from take ur time :] Cheers

[@2552legoboy]

I polished my alloy frame just doin the carbon forks.Ill try post a vid when im done :)

[@BikesAndSnacks]

@@2552legoboy drop a link in this thread and I'll check it out, that sounds great.

[@BikesAndSnacks]

Wow, glad you are taking that on. Additional advice: Don't skip any steps; make sure you take all the underlying paint off without going into the carbon, use primer for sure, and use at least a couple of layers of very thin clear coat. Oh, and sketch ahead... plan ahead. Acrylics and a brush will have some interesting texture to it. If you do lots of detail work, it should be amazing. Make sure you use the right brush if you're painting any large sections... a brush that is too small will leave a lot of brush marks (which is fine if you're going for a Van Gogh-type of look). Consider doing a bright color on the inner part of the fork rather than the same design as the outside. I guess those last things are just stylistic. Have fun and good luck with the video!

[@2552legoboy]

@@BikesAndSnacks Thanks man , yeah im worried about the brush strokes but it might look cool! if not ill repaint it black :). Im very excited to give it a shot now! Ill keep you posted.

[@ll_n_lll_n_ll]

Hey, can I ask if I have to do additional coating even though I use water-based markers on it?

[@BikesAndSnacks]

Yes, you should do a clear coat. The water based markers will run.

[@descending_dudu]

Hi Bikes & Snacks,
I'm planing on drawing doodles all over my vintage steel bike.
I'm going for a black and white theme and doodles will be white.
My questions are..
Are Posca pens the best choice for this?
How many white Posca pens will I need to cover the frame and fork?
Should I give the frame to a paint shop to color it in matte black? or should I do the sanding and coloring?

[@BikesAndSnacks]

Wow, that is going to be an amazing design!
I'll try to answer your questions: If you are going with a paint pen, I think Posca is the way to go. They are good because the paint is opaque, so you can layer light colors over dark ones. That being said, white on top of black is always going to hard to pull off if you're going for a clean look unless you're using only a fine tip pen. Even though Posca paint is opaque, you have to use enough to ensure that the black doesn't show through, which is tough because (1) large sections of paint often have nib (brush) marks, and (2) the paint is delicate until you are done and do a couple of clear coats to seal it up. So, I've noticed that my hand resting on the frame will take a little paint off. It isn't a big deal, but with white on black, I'd probably end up going back to touch a lot of it up. I would strongly consider flipping the colors; i.e., painting the frame white and then doodling in black. If you did that, I'd use a black Sharpie because it has a lower profile... of course sealing it with clear coat too.
You'd probably need 2-3 Sharpie pens. If you stick with the Posca pens, I can't say for sure because I've never run a pen down. My guess is you could get away with one pen depending on the nib size and how much painting you'll do. I'm pretty confident two pens would do the whole frame for sure. I would buy a fine tip nib pen and a larger nib pen about 1/3 to half the size of the largest continuous area you want to paint.
Regarding whether you should have someone else sand, prime, and paint the background color: it is a question of how much you want to spend. The good news is that a metal frame can be sandblasted (carbon should not be unless the person is a professional). I would see if there is someone local who can sandblast the paint off. If you're doing doodles over the whole frame, you should consider priming and painting the rest yourself. Any drips or flaws will be hidden with the doodles, so you have a lot of room for error.
Good luck and let me know how it turns out.

[@BikesAndSnacks]

Oh, and one other thing, if you decided to flip the paint scheme and go with a black Sharpie, be careful with what clear coat you use. I've read that Xylene in Sharpies can interact poorly with some top coats. Your best bet is to do a test on a separate piece or on a small part like the bottom bracket.

[@descending_dudu]

​@@BikesAndSnacks Thanks for the detailed answers. These are really helpful.
I've prepared the frame and fork for painting tomorrow. going for a primer and a black base layer. I never thought about black coming through the white color. I'll try my best for a clean look.
Thanks for the answers and suggestion. You are very helpful and greating editing and filming skills...

[@asdfghjkl7494]

will the doosle stay in rain and heavy use too mud ect?

[@BikesAndSnacks]

If you seal the paint with several layers of top coat it will be protected from rain.

[@PatYongpradit]

Amazing as always. If you ever got into the business of painting bikes, I'd commission you immediately.

[@BikesAndSnacks]

Thanks! I wish painting wasn't such a time consuming thing.

[@Older_Mountain-goat_1984]

Did you learn that the Poska paint pen manufacturers rip people off by only filling their pens up 50%?