I thought I'd customize more tech for fun.
I have 2 identical external hard drives (EHD) I decided to customize with a couple pop art paintings featured in The Sims 4.
Why I Chose The Sims 4 Art
The Sims 4 is one of my favorite games. I've played it so much for over 5 years, I'm quite familiar with the items, music, crafts, and paintings in-game. I tend to play at least 1 Sim that paints regularly, probably because I envy how a Sim can learn to paint in a short amount of time and make loads of simoleons.
Usually, I'd have my Sim sell their paintings, but there are a few I like to hang in the Sim's house. Of the paintings I'd choose to keep, these 2 large pop art paintings seem like the easiest to recreate IRL.
Pre-Design Prep
I wanted to paint on one side of each EHD. I used an antibacterial wipe and dry paper towel to clean the surfaces I wanted to paint on. After letting the surfaces of each EHD dry, I used painter's tape to mask the edges of the EHDs. I didn't want to accidentally spray painting the sides in the next step.
I used white Rust-Oleum Peelable Primer in case I decided to peel the design in the future. Because the primer is removable, there was no need for me to sand the surface. I've used it on many items already, and it sticks very well. Of course, I've only used the product for a month, so only time will tell how long the design will last on the EHDs.
I sprayed 2 coats of the primer, waiting only a couple minutes between coats. As soon as I sprayed the second coat, I immediately removed the painter's tape. In the past, I'd have a ragged edge if I waited even a couple minutes before removing the painter's tape. Removing it immediately maintains a cleaner edge.
The primer is chunky when first applied onto the surfaces, but it self-levels with time. To be on the safe side, I let the primer sit overnight before handling the next day.
Painting a Base Color
I previously complained about my Artist's Loft acrylic paint being chunky in my Painting the Freezer Bunny on External Drives post. However, I still opted to use it because I didn't want to use my Posca paint marker to fill-in a large area with a single color. It's also the only acrylic paint I have.
Sure enough, it was thick when I applied it to the surfaces. Application wasn't smooth, so the surface ended up being textured to the touch. I applied 3 coats on each EHD for decent coverage. I didn't want to attempt a 4th coat because the surface was too textured for my liking.
When I accidentally got paint onto the edge, I used a clean, damp brush to wipe the paint off. It worked very well, but there were a few spots I missed in the end.
Painting The Sims 4 Pop Art Paintings
After letting the acrylic paint dry for a couple hours, I thought the surface was ready to work with. Except the Posca paint markers didn't go onto the surface as well as other surfaces I've used the markers on. I'm not sure why applying the Posca paint markers wasn't easy.
Maybe the acrylic paint wasn't completely dry. Perhaps the surface was a bit too textured. Whatever the reason, I frequently had to re-prime the markers often and apply several coats of each color. Even then it didn't look like I achieved complete coverage. On one design, the white of the teeth crackled after it dried.
Applying a Protective Coat
Even with the unexpected effects of the Posca paint markers over acrylic paint over peelable primer, I loved these designs and wanted to protect them for as long as possible. I used Mod Podge to protect the designs on each EHD. I let it dry for a day before handling the EHDs. I did this project in early May and the surfaces were sticky for a good week.
I visited my Mom 2 weeks ago and packed one EHD in a pocket of my laptop bag. I had to pry the EHD out of that pocket, but fortunately the design stayed intact. Over 3 weeks later, the surfaces are fine and they're not sticking to anything.
My Thoughts
If you've read my other crafty blog posts, you probably already know I simply enjoy customizing things. This was a fun craft project, but also a very easy one.
What's Next?
The pop art paintings were so easy for me to recreate, I'm thinking maybe I'll recreate them on canvas IRL and hang them in my craft room. It's a thought.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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