Denim Painting 101: How to Fix Mistakes on Painted Denim
Published Feb. 2022 | Updated Oct. 2024
No matter how great of an artist you are, mistakes are inevitable, and that’s okay! For painting on jeans, I use acrylic paint and fabric medium. You can read my guide all about the materials I use for more info!
I consider acrylic paint a forgiving medium, meaning it’s easy to fix any mistakes you make with it.
There are a few different techniques I recommend, depending on what the mistake is and where it is on the jeans. Let’s jump in!
This post contains affiliate links that earn me a commission. For more information, read my disclaimer.
How To Fix a Small Mistake on Painted Denim
This is probably the most common size mistake made while painting denim (or any painting!).
Maybe you put down a stroke of paint in the wrong spot, or the color you mixed just wasn’t right — that’s fixable!
The steps below are for when you make a mistake on an area that you already intended to paint (e.g., the pocket). If you have paint in an area that you do not want paint, I’ll cover that further down.
1. Wipe Up the Paint
If you immediately recognize the mistake and it’s still wet, take a paper towel or cloth and wipe the paint.
Try not to smear it across the entire surface, but just wipe the small area where the paint is.
2. Let the Paint Dry
Once you wipe up the paint, or if you weren’t able to wipe it, let the paint dry completely. If you’re impatient, you can blow dry the paint to speed up the process.
It’s crucial to let the paint dry fully before you proceed to the next step.
3. Paint Over the Mistake
Acrylic paint can simply be painted over and covered like nothing ever happened! There are some colors that may be harder to cover than others, and some colors that cover better than others.
My #1 tip is to paint over the mistake with white paint first, then paint with your intended color.
In the image above, I had painted the circle a color I didn’t like. I waited for it to dry completely, then painted over it with white to start over. There was not a blob of paint, so it was not necessary to wipe off any excess.
How to Redo an Entire Painting
You may realize you don’t like your painting after you’re halfway through — or even after you are completely finished!
This has happened to me part way through a painted jean pocket, but I was able to fully fix it and you’d never know there is another painting under it.
1. Let the Paint Dry
You must let paint dry entirely before moving onto the next steps. This is important to ensure the paint doesn’t get muddy when you move onto the next step.
2. Paint the Entire Painting White
Mix up your white paint and fabric medium and paint over the entire surface of the painting. You can repeat this step a few times to add multiple layers for a more solid base.
For more information about how to use fabric medium, I have a full post all about it!
3. Draw Out Your Design
Now that you have a blank canvas again, you get to start over and draw out your design again, or your completely new design with the ballpoint pen.
If you want to freehand without drawing a sketch ahead of time, then you can go straight in with your paint at this step!
If you’re looking for more of my denim painting process, I recommend starting with my step-by-step denim painting tutorial.
How to Remove Paint Entirely
If you got a smudge of paint on your denim in an area there shouldn’t be paint, then there is a possible way to remove it!
I have done this a few times when I dropped my brush or got paint on my hand or wrist without noticing and transferred it to another area. Just artist things!
NOTE: It is not possible to remove large areas of acrylic paint. The technique below only works in very small areas and is not always 100% successful.
1. Wipe Excess Off
If there is a blob of paint that dripped into a no-paint zone, wipe it up as soon as possible! You won’t get all of it, but it will be much easier to clean if you immediately wipe off any excess.
The sooner you can start these steps, the better chance you have of removing it entirely.
2. Use Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) can break down acrylic paint and can remove it from denim pretty well. This method isn’t always 100% successful, but it’s worth a shot.
I prefer to use a cotton swab, but you can use a cotton ball if you don’t have a cotton swab or even a wash cloth/rag.
Pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol into a bowl, dip the q-tip/cotton ball/cloth into it, and scrub the small bit of paint that you want to remove.
Repeat this process a few times if needed until all the paint has been broken down and removed.
3. Wipe with Water
If there is still paint left after a few rounds of rubbing alcohol, use a rag or paper towel to wet and wipe down the area. You can repeat steps 2 and 3 a few times if needed.
This may not remove paint entirely since acrylic paint is mostly permanent on jeans, and especially permanent if it has been mixed with fabric medium and heat set.
