Need painting help- Teapot from The Office

[Darth Detori]

Hey guys. It's been a while since I worked on a prop, and my area of expertice is really more in finding and matching than in production. I'm doing this prop as a christmas present to a girl who is very much the Pam to my Jim. Problem is, I suck at painting. I don't have the first clue what kind of paint I should be using, how to apply it, how to coat it, etc.

This is the teapot on the show:

And I believe I've found an almost, if not exact match in this teapot:

It's by a company called Everyday White and is available at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. The obvious problem is that it's white. I've found a perfect color match: Pale Olive acrylic by Windsor and Newton. However I'm having a hell of a time getting it on there evenly, showing no brush strokes, having no white showing through, and having no paint build-up. I bought some clear-coat as well, but I've just been experimenting painting the detachable top part. It's not going well. I tried sanding it down so the paint will adhere better, and that seemed to help a little bit, but I still can't get an even coat. Am I using the wrong paint? Should I use a different paint brush? Bigger? Smaller? Again, I'm clueless on this and am hoping some of the experts here can give me some advice. Thanks!

 

[TridCloudwalker]

You'll never get a perfectly smooth coat with a brush. Air brushing or spray painting is the only option on something like a tea pot. Also, she'll never be able to put it on a stove, and pouring hot liquids into it may cause paint failure. For a working teapot, you'd need to have a colored glaze baked onto it. If a paint brush is truly you're only option, just paint on a light coat, sand it, and then wet sand it, and then put on another coat, san, wet sand, etc. Seal it all up with a spray on gloss or semi-gloss clearcoat.

 

[Darth Detori]

I was afraid that it wouldn't be functional, but then I guess it's not really a big deal. I don't intend on painting the inside, so it could still work as a liquid vessel, however I would then be worried about hot liquid melting the paint.

I'll try to look into spray painting since it probably would be the best option.

Thanks!

 

[Servo]

Is there one of those "paint your own pottery" places near by? There's a couple around here. Most of them are kid-centered (take your kid in, put their handprint on a plate, they bake it and you pick it up later).

If there is, take it there and see if they can help. You may need to sand the whole thing down and let them re-glaze it.

Firing it again (assuming it's ceramic) may cause it to crack. They would be able to tell you more.

Check your local yellow pages for pottery and see what you can find.

 

[weaselflinger]

http://www.giftworks-gourmet.com/teapot-pot-warmers/ceramic-infuser-teapot.html

This one is close, and it comes in seafoam green

 

[TheRealMcFly]

Wow, I can see what you mean... it does match. Its possible Everyday White might just be a packaging name. Perhaps the original source is supplying the same teapot to multiple distributors under different names. Continue the search but if you have to settle, I think you'll be better off with a less accurate already colored alternative.

 

[weaselflinger]

http://www.jollygoodtea.com/DetailsTeaware/Det2cupTeapots.htm

another close one in the proper color

 

[Darth Detori]

http://www.giftworks-gourmet.com/teapot-pot-warmers/ceramic-infuser-teapot.html

This one is close, and it comes in seafoam green

wow, that is pretty close. I might actually end up with that one.

I did, however, find out that there's an Everyday Green as well, which is the proper color and would logically be the exact found item. I sent bed bath and beyond an email asking them if they could get me in contact with the Everyday manufacturer or distributor, but I haven't heard anything back from them yet.

 

[ItsThatGuy]

Micheal's sells ceramic/glass paint that you cure in the oven. It works on glazed ceramics (like mugs). It's worth a look.

 

[Darklighter]

I wish I could find my screen cap of Dwight showing how he's going to use the Teapot.....