Leather jacket painted portrait removal

[Damon141]

I was browsing the Japanese auction sites and I found this like new jacket but unfortunately the owner had decided to send it to an artist to paint a huge Catwoman design on the back.

He doesn’t know if it could be removed, I contacted the artist on instagram and he says you can only paint over it.

Searching led me to other discussions but none with a happy ending so I wanted to see if anyone more recently has had luck removing art. Art is common with flight jackets but this is just something else.

The leather on the jacket is combination tanned with a pigment finish over tea core.

 

[ton312]

I was browsing the Japanese auction sites and I found this like new jacket but unfortunately the owner had decided to send it to an artist to paint a huge Catwoman design on the back.

He doesn’t know if it could be removed, I contacted the artist on instagram and he says you can only paint over it.

Searching led me to other discussions but none with a happy ending so I wanted to see if anyone more recently has had luck removing art. Art is common with flight jackets but this is just something else.

The leather on the jacket is combination tanned with a pigment finish over tea core. View attachment 426855

Acetone will absolutely remove it. If you strip the art you will strip the finish and have a black jacket with a giant brown skid mark back. You’d have to strip it the entire jacket I suspect and even then, if it’s veg tanned, some of the paint from the art may ghost the stripped back.
On the plus side, if you’re a batgirl fan, your chariot awaits.
I would hard pass this endeavor unless it was donated to me for a free makeover. I would love to take on this challenge. But I would never pay to do it.

 

[JMax]

Artwork is pretty darn good tho.

 

[ton312]

Artwork is pretty darn good tho.

It is, impressive for sure but I wouldn’t wear it on a bet.

 

[Damon141]

I figured it would take the pigment finish off. Strange to go through the trouble of having an artist paint such an elaborate painting of Batwoman of all things just to turn around and sell it

I would not paint any jacket but his art is amazing, you can see it on his insta rio_studiocom

 

[handymike]

I love unique artwork on jackets! It’s a total throwback to the late 80s here in LA, but yeah I wouldn’t wear it today (but I also wouldn’t want to remove it either).

 

[Damon141]

I like seeing the vintage jackets with the patches and pins but Batwoman would have my friends start to wonder about me

 

[Guppy]

Acetone will absolutely remove it. If you strip the art you will strip the finish and have a black jacket with a giant brown skid mark back. You’d have to strip it the entire jacket I suspect and even then, if it’s veg tanned, some of the paint from the art may ghost the stripped back.
On the plus side, if you’re a batgirl fan, your chariot awaits.
I would hard pass this endeavor unless it was donated to me for a free makeover. I would love to take on this challenge. But I would never pay to do it.

I've been looking for that same Toys McCoy's Beck 666 in size 44, and saw this come up weeks ago, and I passed on it. It's not any cheaper than a new unpainted one. I don't like the artwork, and I wouldn't value it at any less than $-950.00. Meaning if the jacket were only $50-150, I'd consider buying it. Just not that big of a Batgirl fan. Some enhancements detract.

 

[Damon141]

Yeah he won’t sell it at that price, it’s been there forever. Maybe $300

The artist told me he could repaint it

 

[Will Zach]

The only paintjob I would wear would be original, preferably somewhat faded, racing numbers on an original 50s racing shirt. Regarding OP's question - Ton is 100% right - acetone will take the image off together with everything else. I would only do it if I got the jacket for fifty bucks, as a project.

 

[Marc mndt]

The only paintjob I would wear would be original, preferably somewhat faded, racing numbers on an original 50s racing shirt.

This one! :

 

[Monitor]

It's a very nice drawing. Was I to be gifted this jacket, I would happily keep the paining on - To be honest, much rather than racing numbers and names because in my view, that is legit one thing the previous owner actually did earn - But otherwise, I would pass on the jacket precisely because of it.
But I'm sure this jacket and the painting would make someone really happy so why not just leave it if Batgirl isn't your thing.

 

[Edward]

I certainly wouldn't try to remove something like this. I don't think this particular design is for me. That said, it would have had a certain appeal had it been done in a more vintage styled art, or restyled in imitation of a Vargas. I've long fancied getting an A2 with a painted squadron label reproducing the BPRD logo from Hellboy.

 

[Aloysius]

As a comic book fan, I think this is fantastic. Buying it only to destroy the art seems silly. Pass on it if you don't like the art.

 

[Aloysius]

I certainly wouldn't try to remove something like this. I don't think this particular design is for me. That said, it would have had a certain appeal had it been done in a more vintage styled art, or restyled in imitation of a Vargas. I've long fancied getting an A2 with a painted squadron label reproducing the BPRD logo from Hellboy.

There was a fantastic run of comic book covers like this in 2014.

 

[Guppy]

It'd be a different story, I think, if the artwork were done by a known comic book artist, particularly if they had a special connection with Batgirl. Perhaps if Batgirl had wider appeal, I suppose it would help. The painting itself isn't poorly done, but I don't think Batgirl has a big following. I agree that what's done is done with it, and if someone were to buy it, they'd be best off wanting to keep it as is. But I bet it will be a very long time indeed before the seller finds that buyer.

 

[Canuck Panda]

The thing with Art is that while it may not have any value now it can potentially worth more down the road. Hope this is an incentive to not acetone it which will get rid of it.

 

[Monitor]

It's certainly infinitely nicer than that splattered A-2 or whatever it was that a certain maker was peddling for over $3K. One good thing indeed. . .

 

[Edward]

There was a fantastic run of comic book covers like this in 2014.

Yeah, that's the king of thing I had in mind.

It'd be a different story, I think, if the artwork were done by a known comic book artist, particularly if they had a special connection with Batgirl. Perhaps if Batgirl had wider appeal, I suppose it would help. The painting itself isn't poorly done, but I don't think Batgirl has a big following. I agree that what's done is done with it, and if someone were to buy it, they'd be best off wanting to keep it as is. But I bet it will be a very long time indeed before the seller finds that buyer.

It's definitely true that artwork can limit the audience for a jacket. In this case, I suspect the gender of the character limits it a bit too, as in there are an awful lot more women would wear a male character than there are men who would be so quick to wear a female character like this. A known artist would definitely increase the appeal.

I do think artwork on a jacket is like painting flames up a Model A: for every hotrod guy that loves it, there will be two more vintage car lovers that regard it as butchery.

The thing with Art is that while it may not have any value now it can potentially worth more down the road. Hope this is an incentive to not acetone it which will get rid of it.

Does tend to be the case, though, that painted jackets are harder to sell. Interesting to see it's not only A2s that are affected this way.

 

[Rgcards]

To revive a thread, I found a real McCoys jacket in a size that fits me, which is rare. Unfortunately also has an unacceptable painting in it. It's veggie tanned. Do you think after removal it could be redyed? What about baby oil, could that remove illustration more gently? Thanks