What paint is good to use on guitars?

Question

I have a standard acoustic and I would like to personalize it with an image of my own creation.

But first I need to sketch on it to get the image in place but the varnish on it probably wouldnt allow pencil.

Any ideas on what I need to use?

I know oils would take to long to dry and secondly that looks a bit too messy. Acrylic may look flat and chip off.

Answer 1

If the wood is unfinished, you can use charcoal for your undersketch and pretty much any water-based paint for the artwork. Acrylic can look quite bold and vibrant if applied with skill and care. Don't thin the paint too much, or it will warp the wood and distort the sound of the guitar.

Alternately, you could use a polyurethane-based stain, which would not damage the wood. However, the finished artwork would be fairly subdued in tone. Perhaps colored laquers would do better, though it would be very hard to get a three-dimensional look in your finished artwork.

If the wood is varnished, the first thing you will need to do is get a solvent and remove the finish. Part of the point of varnish is to prevent marks from sticking to the surface, and you can rest assured that paint counts as a mark.

Whichever you use, make sure to put a good layer of varnish on at the end, or your picture really will chip off.

Answer 2

First sand down lightly the area where you gooing to paint it, just enough to get the finish off. That should give you enough tooth for the paint to stick to..
You can use acrylics or any other paint or laquer, but when you are done wioth it make shure you protect the painting withgel medium varnuish or other good qualith varnish .
I stuck quarters to floors with gel medium and people walked on it and the only way you got them off is with a knife or other strong sharp objects.
Also you can paint it with regular paint and cover it with polyutherene varnish and that will last forever too.