Trying alcohol ink markers on peelable spray paint primer.
In March, I wrote about getting A Switch for One Game. Now that I have a Switch Lite and that "one" game, it's time to customize my Switch Lite Case. I thought, 'why not try using alcohol ink markers on peelable primer spray painted on my new case?'
My New Case
I bought a DOBE N-Switch Lite Crystal Case for about $12 USD through Amazon. I wanted to link to it in this post, but it doesn't appear to be listed anymore. However, I did find another hard clear case identical to the case I have.
I don't feel comfortable painting directly on my brand-new Nintendo Switch Lite device, but I wanted to customize it. I went with a hard clear case because I thought it'd be easier to customize than a silicone case which I considered buying at first.
It's been 5 days since I completed this customized craft project. The case is attached on my Switch Lite very well. It took effort to snap the front and back pieces together, a sign that it wasn't coming apart easily. In fact, I wanted to remove the case at one point to apply Mod Podge over my artwork, but I gave up trying to pry the front and back pieces apart. It's on that well.
I do regret not getting a case with the ergonomic comfort grip. When I started playing Animal Crossing New Horizons last month, I played no longer than an hour each day. When I unlocked the terraforming tool in-game a 3 days ago, I've been playing a couple hours a day at the least. The comfort grip would be perfect for extended use.
Testing a Peelable Primer
A few month ago, I bought a can of Rust-Oleum Peelable Primer from a local King Dollar store for about $1 USD. However, I believe you can find it at retail price of around $10 USD.
I liked painting on my phone case with acrylic paint, but the design only lasted about a week before the paint started peeling or chipping off. While I liked changing my phone case design, there were times I wanted a design I especially liked to last longer than a week or 2.
This product promised to last until you peeled it off. I watched a YouTube video on how to Make any Rust-Oleum Spray Paint Removable to see how to use the primer properly. I personally loved how there's no pre-sanding involved. The steps were simple, and I can see myself using this for a lot of different craft projects. I don't think I'd paint my car though.
The can I bought probably sat on the shelf for a long time, so it took a lot of vigorous shaking of the can than usual. The paint appeared chunky when applied to the surface, but it self-leveled as it dried. I found it best to remove any masking while the paint was wet for a clean, sharp edge.
I sprayed several items and worked on several craft projects at once. There were a few designs I didn't like, and I simply peeled the primer off. Once I got hold of an edge, peeling the primer was easy. In one case, the primer peeled in one piece. It felt like vinyl to the touch. I can see how I'd save some artwork once I carefully peeled it off an item.
Yesterday, my Dad and I had to leave the house, so we decided to head back to King Dollar to buy $20 USD worth of Rust-Oleum's Peelable Primer and Peel Coat in different colors. I'm going to spray paint a lot of items this month. I wonder if it'd work if I'd spray it directly into water for hydro-dipping? Probably not, but now I want to test it out.
The Sketch
I thought about making an Animal Crossing themed design for the back cover, but it made more sense to represent my past favorite Nintendo games as well. I searched online for images of some of my favorite characters and tried to fit them into my design.
The very first Nintendo game I played as a kid was Duck Hunt on the original Nintendo System. The game came with the console and was the only video game I had for a long time. I hated the ducks, mainly because I was awful at the game as a young kid. I remembered the chuckling dog when I got a duck, and thought I'd use him to represent the game in my design.
Other Nintendo games I've enjoyed in my past include Super Mario Brothers (Yoshi), Super Mario Kart (gold star), Donkey Kong (as himself), Pokemon (Squirtle), Dr. Mario (red virus), Paperboy (rolled newspaper), and Animal Crossing New Horizons (Tom Nook). I've played other Nintendo games in my past, but these were the ones I've owned and played often at some point in my past.
Trying Alcohol Markers on Peelable Primer
I didn't think the result of this customized design was going to look good since I consider myself a novice artist. I figured after I finished the design, I'd peel the primer off and start over again.
I wanted to see how alcohol ink markers looked on the paint primer. At first, I thought it looked awful. I was disappointed with how it started. The strokes were apparent, and the colors didn't blend well. I don't know if my initial disappointment was due to my lack of confidence in my own skills or the variety of alcohol ink marker brands I used.
I used Artist's Loft, Master's Touch, Firefly, and Spectrum Noir alcohol ink markers because they're what I have. I have a few Copic markers in my collection, but I didn't want to use my most expensive markers on a craft project I originally thought I'd end up discarding.
While the Firefly brand markers are the cheapest I own (based on where I bought it, not retail price), the Firefly and Master's Touch brands are my least favorite alcohol ink markers to use. They don't "play" well with other markers when it comes to blending the different brands.
As I continued layering colors, I realized the design wasn't all that bad. Sure, it's not the best artwork, but it's mine. I put in time and effort to make it, and I liked it more the closer I got to finishing the design. There was a sense of pride as I looked at the design and realized I recognized the characters represented in it!
When I finished coloring in the characters and items, I didn't feel like the design was done. It seemed incomplete. It was difficult to clearly see the gloves of the red virus and the rolled newspaper against the white background. I also wished the turquoise color of my Switch Lite showed as the background color of the design.
At the time of this design, I didn't have the many colors of primer I bought at Kings Dollar yesterday. I just had the white primer. I found a marker that somewhat matched the color of my Switch Lite and filled-in the white background. I worried doing so would ruin the entire design. While the background and characters appear streaky from the marker strokes, I fell in love with it. Again, it's my own design created with my own 2 hands.
I decided to protect the design with a thin coat of glossy Mod Podge. The surface was tacky for about 3 days, but now it's smooth to the touch.
My Thoughts (5 Days After the Initial Design)
To recap, I liked the case, I loved the peelable primer, and the alcohol ink markers didn't look too shabby on the primer. I do wish I had the hard clear case with the ergonomic comfort grips, turquoise peelable primer, and more higher quality alcohol ink markers. I also wished I placed the chuckling dog higher in the design. But overall, I liked the result so much that I'll keep the design if it lasts.
It's been 5 days since the initial design. I handled my Switch Lite a few hours each day. The peelable primer is holding on, but last night I noticed there's one edge that's beginning to lift slightly. I think it's because I took it with me when I headed out yesterday and the humidity probably affected its adherence onto the case. That's just a guess. I don't really know. Hopefully the design will last longer than a week or 2.
What's Next?
I'll likely be spray painting a lot of my electronics with the peelable primer and peel coat spray paints. I'm not sure if I'll document those craft projects or just do it for fun. Is that something you'd like me to blog about or post a video on? Login and Sign up to let me know if that's something you'd like to see from me in the future.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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