How to mimic the distressed or mottled look of leather or vinyl?

The mottled or distressed leather look is mostly a matter of technique. The trick is not so much how you apply Rub ‘n Restore® Color, but how you disperse it. You can also thin or strip some of your work, if needed. This video demonstrates.

Heidi beautifully demonstrates a sponge and rag technique at minute 3:26 here:

Some tips:

• Dilute the color with Clear Prep+Finish™ to make a more translucent glaze, especially for greater shade disparities (i.e. printing a dark brown over a light tan).
• Spritz the surface with a little water to allow the print color to flow and give you more working time.
• Use one sponge or other tool to apply; a second to disperse and blend. Leave some areas thin or even untouched.
• Disperse and blend the color before it dries to avoid any harsh lines or marks.
• Periodically step back and assess the appearance from afar to ensure you’re not overworking any area and getting too monochromatic (solid appearance).
• Come back with a dirty sponge (but not much glaze) for missed nooks and crannies.
• For a very defined print over the base color, use a paintbrush to apply Rub ‘n Restore® or the glaze to your sponge. This results in a cleaner, finer print. Saturating the sponge will lay the color on too heavily and therefore obscure more of the base color.
• For a burnished appearance, concentrate the color along seams, piping / welting, or tufted buttons, and blend outward. 
• The color will erase more easily from non-absorbent, finished leathers. Try a rag with water or rubbing alcohol. You can also dry or wet sand with 500 grit sandpaper or a ScotchBrite® pad.