How to Paint Urethane Rubber Cosplay Armor That Flexes But Doesn’t Crack

If you’ve ever messed with foamsmithing some cosplay armor you know there’s a big problem. Armor is supposed to be rigid but foam and rubber are flexible. If your armor is supposed to look like shiny metal, this is an issue, most paints will crack and peel when flexed.

Darryl from Off Earth has been testing some different methods and has come to a solution that presents a fabulous surface finish that doesn’t crack or peel when flexed.

Ultimately, after talking with some friends, Darryl tried out Imperiflex, a 3 part system and was really impressed. It can be tinted easily, and as he demonstrates, it is very resilient to being flexed, scratched, and bashed.