SAND IF NECESSARY Just wait till the paint is dry and lightly sand it with a fine grit sanding block to smooth it over. Paint over it again and you should be good to go! Here's a quick video to demonstrate how I spray paint and get a flawless finish every time.
If you spray too far away from the substrate you are painting, the paint will atomise and dry before it actually hits the substrate. This will leave a grainy feel on the top surface. You should be able to sand this back and reapply for a much smoother finish.
Any finish can dull over time, due to the elements and the age if the coating. You can experience premature dulling with spray paint and, this can often be down to moisture. If you are spray painting your item or surface in a humid or damp setting, this can often affect the appearance of the gloss coating.
It is recommended that you apply two coats and allow the proper time frame for drying. Be sure to also sand between each dried coat. Once the final coat is painted and allowed time to dry, it's time for a clear coat. Depending on the sheen of paint used, you can also apply a clear coat over spray paint.
Paint becomes sticky and tacky when it isn't able to dry thoroughly. Paint has trouble drying when the air is overly humid, or the weather is extremely hot or cold. Also, paint can have trouble drying if applied in thick coats.
Apply a skim coat.
The same technique gets rid of textured walls. A thin coat of mud is applied over the entire wall surface, allowed to dry, and then sanded smooth. Especially bumpy walls may need more than one coat. Skim coating a whole room is both messy and time-consuming.
If your paint job ends up looking and feeling gritty, something got into your paint before (or while) you used it. Stirring your paint properly helps to keep any bits of paint from clumping, and if you're using old paint, it should be strained before you apply it to prevent paint failure.
Start with 120-grit sandpaper to remove surface imperfections, then move to 200-grit sandpaper to get the surface perfectly smooth.
There are a few culprits, including not properly cleaning the surface and picking up dust and debris, applying the paint too thick, or applying too many coats of paint over time, says Stipe. “It's important to thoroughly prep the surface by cleaning and sanding before painting,” he explains.
Generally, it is a good idea to let any paint on any surface dry for two to three hours before sanding the surface lightly and applying your next coat of paint.
Applying the second coat too early will result in streaks, peeling paint, and uneven color. Not only will this ruin the entire project but it'll cost additional money to get more paint in some occasions. It's best to wait for the first coat to dry.
Normally you will achieve the best results with multiple thin coats, so plan on at least two coats. If you are using very bright spray paint colors, especially yellow paint colors or orange paint colors, then plan on 1-2 additional coats. Extremely bright colors could require 5 or more coats.
Sand with fine sandpaper between coats after they dry. Make sure you remove sanding residue before applying additional coats. I recommend three thin coats of paint, but it all depends on the color and consistency. After the final coat of flat paint, sand* lightly with super fine sandpaper.
Let the paint dry, sand and wait 48 hours before the “wetter” final coat. That wetter last coat is where the overall gloss finish is achieved. The trick is to lay it on heavy enough to be shiny, but not thick enough to run or drip. The larger the model, the harder it is to get an overall gloss.
Painting with an airless paint sprayer
Every professional painter owns an airless paint sprayer. There's just no more efficient way to deliver paint onto a surface, and for most pros, every minute saved is money in the bank. And the smooth, even finish that sprayers deliver just can't be matched with a brush or roller.