Nerf gun enthusiasts have created many stunning pieces with just a little paint and ingenuity. Since the blasters are designed for darts, and they already look like something out of the future, it’s not hard to see why folks love to customize them further.
Getting into blaster customizing is a great way to get amazing unique artworks. What is the best paint for Nerf guns?
The best paint for nerf guns is Krylon Fusion spray paint because it bonds with plastic and the overall coverage doesn’t wear off. However, you can always opt to sand and base coat instead if you need a drastic change from dark to light or a subtle shift that requires covering the original shade completely.
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Best Paint To Use On Nerf Guns
You can use most spray paints and acrylics to paint a Nerf gun. Spray paints are the best to use on Nerf guns. They offer even coverage, some have plastic bonding and weather resistance, and you’ll get outstanding color saturation.
Krylon Fusion for Plastics or a similar product is the best way to get a solid background on Nerf without a lot of extra steps.
A good set of standard acrylics is indispensable for those who prefer to hand paint and for added details. You can buy individual tubes of color, but a set is the best way to get a good range of options.
When you want a superb collection of brightly saturated hues to use on detail work, I recommend the Caliart Acrylic Paint Set from Amazon. You’ll love the twenty-four brilliant colors. Plus, Caliart is non-toxic and easy to work with.
- Acrylic Paint Set With 12 Brushes: Premium paints glide on smoothly, dry quickly and stay as beautiful as the day they were painted. Whether you’re new to acrylic painting or a seasoned artist, the paint kit will set fire to your imagination. Great acrylic paint for canvas painting, halloween decorations, pumpkin painting. The craft paint set is great to produce true, consistent shades on painting art, ideal for professional artists, young aspiring artists, painting lovers, students and kids.The color of the paint brush is random.
- High Quality, Rich Pigments, Certified Safe & Non-Toxic: No need to worry about toxicity with our acrylic paint. The acrylic water-based non-toxic paint is Safe for all ages. The creamy consistency and high pigments offer great covering power for large areas and fine details. Blend easily and dry quickly. The fast-dry formula allows you to layer additional coats or add other elements to your work right away. Easy clean up with soap and water.
- Premium Arts & Diy Craft Supplies. Caliart acrylic paints are versatile in canvas art, painting, scrap booking, Christmas, Halloween decorations and more. Suitable for most surfaces, including canvas, wood, rocks, painting pumpkins, stretched canvas, fabrics, stone, metal, plastic, ceramics, decorative wall, blackboard, paper, plaster. Great gift for creative adults, artists, beginners, students, kids, teens, boys and girls. Packed in a sturdy box for keeping always organized and accessible.
- This art acrylic painting kit comes with 24-pack, 2 oz / 59ml bottles in the classic colors: Lemon Yellow, Medium Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Orange, Vermilion, Crimson, Scarlet, Magenta, Purple, Phthalo Blue, Deep Cyan Blue, Cobalt Blue, Cerulean Blue, Viridian, Monastral Green, Sap Green, Phthalo Green, Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Lamp Black, Grey, Titanium White.
- Money-Back Guarantee: We're sure you'll love using our acrylic paint supplies for arts crafts & DIY paint projects, but if you have any problems with the art kit set, just let us know for a fast, no-hassle refund or product free replacement.
Last update on 2024-04-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Paints To Avoid
The only paints you should avoid completely are non-acrylics like ceramic paints, kids paint that wipes off, watercolors, and oil paints.
I recommend a combination of spray paint and doing details by hand with regular acrylic later. That said, the best paint to use on your Nerf is the one that works for you.
I also generally discourage people from grabbing off-brand paints. The materials and manufacturing process are always somewhat questionable since the savings have to come from somewhere.
That can mean cutting corners. However, nerf painting is a hobby anyone can and should be included in. If you have some cost-effective non-brand-name options, work with what you have.
Best Spray Paint For Nerf Guns
There’s no question about it; Krylon is top tier for Nerf painting. Specifically, you want to grab Krylon Fusion for Plastic because, as the name implies, it fuses well with plastic.
Once it’s bonded, you’re not getting the paint off unless you lose plastic as well. That’s a significant bonus when working with toys a lot of us use outdoors and tend to roughhouse with.
Check out Krylon Fusion for Plastic Spray Paint in Satin Burgundy from Amazon for an excellent place to start. Not only does this have a beautiful, rich color saturation, but the satin finish looks outstanding on Nerf.
Plus, it’s fully chip-resistant after seven days.
- The product is 12OZ Burgundy Sat spring Paint
- Elegant design and Smooth finish
- The product is manufactured in United States
- No sanding or priming required. Bonds easily to most plastics, PVC, resin and more
- Fast dry; fully chip resistant after 7 days
Last update on 2024-04-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Best Clear Coat For Nerf Gun
Clear coating your Nerf blaster is the final stage to make it ready. Choosing the right finishing touch for your Nerf gun painting is crucial.
By adding a glossy or matte clearcoat layer, you can give your project added protection and a final professional touch to keep it in good condition.
Opt for a glossy clear coat if you are looking for an almost wet or glass-like shine, such as you’d find on a new blaster with chrome parts.
However, most custom Nerf blasters have a matte finish for a more toned-down and used in-real-life appearance.
I suggest Rust-Oleum Matte Clear Ultra Cover 2X Enamel Spray Paint from Amazon. You’ll appreciate the durability of this no-shine topcoat.
More importantly, it also bonds with plastic, so you can use it to protect every part, whether you painted it or not. Best of all, it’s dry to the touch in twenty minutes, so you don’t have to wait as long.
- Ideal for use on interior/exterior surfaces including wood, plastic, plaster, metal, masonry and unglazed ceramic
- Oil-based formula is low odor, resist chips and provides long-lasting protection
- Dries to touch in 20 minutes and covers up to 12 sq. ft. per can
- Durable formula provides excellent hide and goes on smoothly
- Matte finish gives projects a no-shine appearance
Last update on 2024-04-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Nerf Gun Paint
Once you start painting your Nerf guns, a whole world of opportunity opens up for you. No longer are you stuck with a simple orange and blue blaster.
You can have lavender or teal and neon green if it makes you happy. Every blaster can be a work of art.
Can You Paint A Nerf Gun
If you grab a tube of acrylic paint and a brush, then start swiping it on untouched plastic, it’s not going to go great.
Plastic is water-resistant and will try and slough off the paint. You can paint a nerf gun, but only if you know what you’re doing.
For hand painting like this or non-bonding spray paints, you need to sand first with the right sandpaper. I recommend a one hundred to start.
Once you’ve sanded the first time, going up to a two-twenty or even a little higher is a good idea. By sanding, you create a surface the paint can adhere to.
Pro Tip: It’s a good idea to pre-sand even if you choose a bonding spray paint.
What Type Of Paint To Use On Nerf Guns
It would help if you had acrylic paint for Nerf or any plastic. Oil paints, ceramic paints, and watercolors are all stunning and have their uses. However, for plastic painting, they won’t cut it. Use acrylic.
What Brand Of Paint Is Best To Use On Nerf Guns
The best option I’ve found for painting nerf blasters is Krylon Fuson for Plastic. It’s a well-respected brand that makes a durable, high-quality product.
However, if you can’t find Krylon, then Rust-Oleum Outdoor is also an acceptable option.
How To Paint Your Nerf Gun
To paint your nerf gun, the best technique is first to disassemble and sand it. Then I recommend laying it out flat on a drop cloth or other protective background and spraying one side and layer of paint at a time on each piece.
Let each layer dry, which takes around twenty minutes. You’ll need a lot of patience for this part, but it’s worth the wait.
You’ll probably need around three to four layers of paint. Ensure you spray the nooks and crannies carefully on each layer, or you’ll end up with the original plastic showing through.
Pro Tip: You should always paint outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. Wear a mask, goggles, and gloves while painting and wait for a dry, sunny day since humidity will interfere in the drying process.
Best Paint For Nerf Guns Buyers Guide
There are a lot of small details to consider when choosing your paints. Below I’ve curated a quick guide to help you paint the Nerf of your dreams. Feel free to bookmark this page for future reference.
1 – Plastic Bonding or Sand & Base Coat: You Can Do Both
It’s always important to double-check your labels. A high-quality plastic bonding spray paint will quite literally become a part of your Nerf blaster. However, other paints require sanding and a basecoat.
That said, you may need a basecoat anyhow, depending on what color you are trying to apply and the original color of the plastic.
Always choose a white basecoat or at least a much lighter base than the color you want to paint.
As Nerfguns.net points out, “Most blasters have indented detail lines all over them, and require a little ingenuity to get sanded… (Sheets of sandpaper) can be easily folded and used in cracks. This is one reason that makes it great for sanding blasters!”
2 – Give It Depth & Detail: Go Lighter
It’s important to avoid similar colors when you’re trying to get details like grunge or metallic overlay. Dry brushing a dark color over a dark or bright color isn’t going to show up very well. Go lighter.
Choose accent colors that are much lighter than the background for a more dynamic look.
3 – Powder Finish or Semi-Gloss: Get The Pro Look
If you’re new to painting, it’s easy to get confused by all the sub-labels. Indicators like Satin, Matte, and Gloss tell you how shiny, flat, or even how powdery looking the finish will be.
It’s great to experiment and find what works for you; however, most nerf painters opt for a semi-gloss or even a powder finish to get that professional-looking paint job, so start there.
There’s nothing wrong with deciding you need a high-gloss shiny, almost wet-looking finish or a totally flat matte, but it should be a choice.
4 – Paint / Brand Quality: Don’t Go Off Brand
Another smart choice is to stick to one brand of paint. It’s okay to use one spray paint, one clear coat, and a different acrylic for hand painting details, but try to get all your colors from the same brand since they are made to work together.
5 – UV Resistance: Fading Away
Both paints and clear coats can be UV resistant. What that means is they are less likely to fade in the sun.
Even indoor lights can eventually cause the color of your paints to fade. Look for UV-resistant paints and clear coats and store your Nerf out of direct light when you put it away.
6 – Always Clear Coat
A great paint job is only worth it when it sticks around long enough to be admired. No one wants hours of their work to start flaking off as soon as anyone touches it. Using plastic bonding paint helps, but there’s more to preservation.
Choose a good-quality clear coat that can help with UV resistance. You want one that is waterproof and weather resistant. The more benefits it has, like temperature resistance, the better your clear coat will protect your paint job.
Skip over the high gloss clear coats. The overly shiny, almost wet look of high gloss doesn’t do any favors for your blaster toys. If you want your blaster to look professional and last, choose a satin, semi-gloss or matte finish instead.