Surfboard and skateboard art is any type of addition to your board that may make it more attractive or personal to you and the only limit to the design is your imagination. Designs can be added to old or new boards fairly easily, and can be put on the top or bottom of the board.  Skateboards are usually painted on the bottom due to grip tape that may be on the top deck.

Old surfboards require quite a bit of preparation as they may have grip tape/wax on them, cracks or large dents.  Old skateboard generally require a general sanding to remove paint or stickers.  New boards generally require a quick sanding with 600-grit wet/dry sandpaper, which allows the markers to stick to the surface easier. The entire surface area to be painted must be sanded so the paint sticks evenly. Surfboards can take up to 20 hours depending on the design and size of the board. Simple designs or smaller areas can be painted in 4-6 hours.  Skateboards are quicker but the design usually has to be a bit simpler than a surfboard due to small surface area.  After preparing the surface the design is roughly drawn on with a pencil and then the painting begins.

I use Uni Posca or Sharpie paint markers, which are easy to use and mix well as you use them. Once the colours of the design are on the board I go back over the design with a black paint marker and put on the detail work. The black will be used to outline any designs or add texture to parts that may have to be darker in colour. After the black I’ll detail the board with a white paint marker to add a little extra flair.

Once the entire design is finished I finish the board with a clear lacquer, usually gloss finish. The lacquer is usually applied 3-4 times so the finish is nice and even. After the lacquer the board can then be wet-sanded again to bring out some extra shine.