Super Simple Camo Job

[John Scifres]

Here is a simple way to do a camo paint job.  Yes. I painted an osage selfbow.  So sue me    

 Super Simple Camo  

Keep it Simple Camo Job
10/2007

About 3 years ago, I got tired of making pretty bows.  Don't get me wrong, I still like them, and I still make them, but most of the time for my personal bows, I just like camo.  Here is a really simple way to get a nice looking and effective camo job on your bow.

I am starting with the osage selfbow I made for the Bowyer's Journal Ambush Bow Contest.  I initially painted it flat black but that was too simple.  I had to complicate it just a bit.  Don't get carreid away trying to make this too hard.  It just plain isn't.
 

Here it is, sanded and ready to go.

I am using some flat black spray paint from Krylon for the first layer.  You can go about doing a camo job in a couple different ways, light first, then overlay some dark or dark first and then masking off the areas you want to stay that color.  I chose the latter because it's easier to mask off the smaller areas I want to stay dark.  You use a touch more paint doing it this way but it's a small amount anyway.  And paint is pretty cheap.  Most of what we see in the woods is light with dark streaks.  

Here it is painted black.
 
Then some masking tape and a sharp blade to cut the strips.  Again, keep this simple and remember you want more light than dark.  Mask off small strips.  Use random sizes and shapes.  I think it looks best to taper the strips but it really doesn't matter that much.  And, this is not the 90's, less is definitely more.  Try to move from the handle to the tip so later when you pull the tape, you can move from the tip to the handle and make your life easier.
     

[John Scifres]

Then paint it a slightly lighter color.  I chose a camo green from Krylon.  It is ultra flat paint and works really well.
 

Do the masking once again.  Cross some of the previously masked areas and then lay some alongside them.  Mix it up and don't have too much dark in any one area.  Again less is more.  Planned randomness is a good idea.  Everything you masked before is going to stay black and everything you mask now will be green (unless it's black).  Got that?

 

Then spray it with your final, very light, color.
 

[John Scifres]

Then peel the tape.  Take your time.  Don't pull your hard work off.  Try to distinguish between layers, pulling the most recently added layer off first.  It's much cleaner and easier that way.


Here is the result with a flash and about 10 feet away.
 

Here it is from 25 feet
 

Detail shots.
   
The tape will leave some ridges.  Scrape them off gently with your fingernail.  Don't sand it.  That might muddy your paint job.
A final coat of matte clear or satin poly after the paint fully cures and you are ready to go.

[Osagetree]

Looks really good!

[ChuckC]

good job
ChuckC

[adeeden]

Very nice!

[SKYLER W]

Wow, I'll have to try that!

[Mudd]

Looks good John!! Thanks for the lesson.
God bless,Mudd

[the Ferret]

You'll be hearing from my lawyer    


 

[BamBooBender]

Looks good! Sorta like the camo used on WWI ships.

[42WLA]

Originally posted by BamBooBender:
Looks good! Sorta like the camo used on WWI ships.

Exactly what I was thinking. They call it "Dazzle Painting".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzle_camouflage

You should name one of the bows "Dreadnought"

[Lost Arra]

I like it. Probably illegal to paint osage (at least in Marshall, Missouri) but it looks cool anyway.          

[Curtiss Cardinal]

What Lost Arra said.

[cjones]

I think it looks great John. You will be required to hand in your drawknife though. Ya just can't do that to osage, Now hickory i could understand, but not osage!

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

Cheaper than snake skins, easier to remove or redo... We use to use maple leaves rather than tape..

[elk ninja]

Looks great.  That is basically what USMC snipers do for thier rifles, with one exception.  They use vegitation from the local area.  I was thinking of a way to do this to my next bow, but I wanted to stain it... I was going to use an airbrush and some rit dye on the lams before glue up.... I'll post pictures of my project once I get 'round-to-it.
Mike

[John Nail]

I do most of my still hunting/stalking with a Pronghorn longbow. Painted it OD green long ago. I think you're on the right track for hunting bows.

[Ray Hammond]

used to use plastic ferns/plants and just paint the whole bow flat black, then hold the plastic plants over the bow and overspray with tan and green, just like you did, so the black under the plastic fern is kept, but its outlined in the lighter colors.

Same effect. Nice job, John.

[snufer]

If you don't want a permanent paint job, use floral paint, then simply wipe it off with laquer thinner after hunting season is over. Buy from your local florist, they should have several flat colors available in spray cans.

[Talondale]

Originally posted by Ray Hammond:
used to use plastic ferns/plants and just paint the whole bow flat black, then hold the plastic plants over the bow and overspray with tan and green, just like you did, so the black under the plastic fern is kept, but its outlined in the lighter colors.

Same effect. Nice job, John.

That's how I paint my treestands.  Though, I prefer using a maple leaf from the yard.