My Dad made the request, so I gave it a try.
My Dad isn't big on surprises, so I asked him what he wanted for Father's Day. He said he wanted me to draw a certain Disney character on a t-shirt for him. I wasn't originally going to do so, but lack of other supplies and my unwillingness to spend money to buy those supplies caused me to pull out my Posca paint markers as requested.
Sonny Eclipse?
Sonny Eclipse is a lounge singer at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe. This restaurant is in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.
He sings and plays his Astro-Organ for restaurant guests for much of the day, only taking breaks during special events such as Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.
While guests see Sonny and his Astro-Organ onstage, he's also joined by the invisible Space Angels, his three talented backup singers.
I didn't know about Sonny Eclipse until 2015 when my Dad and I decided to eat at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe for the first time. The sight and songs of Sonny took us by surprise because we didn't know he existed. He's not a well-known Disney character, or at least not to us at the time.
Every time we visited Walt Disney World, we always stopped to listen to Sonny's songs and jokes for a short while. Dad's always wanted a Sonny Eclipse t-shirt, but they never sold any in the surrounding shops when we visited.
Plan A (Scrapped)
When my Dad said he wanted me to use Poscas to draw Sonny Eclipse on a t-shirt, I needed to make sure I could draw Sonny first. I've never attempted to draw this character before.
I pulled out some photos I took during my last visit to Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe and attempted to recreate Sonny in my sketchbook. I was pleased with the sketch and felt confident in recreating it.
However, I didn't think Posca paint markers were the best option. The original plan, ignoring Dad's request, was to recreate this as a digital drawing excluding the name. I wanted to upload the design to Cricut Design Space and cut iron-on vinyl to adhere onto his t-shirt.
Unfortunately, I only have teal iron-on vinyl for some reason. No white. No black. No other color. I didn't think the teal would show well, or look right, on Dad's darker t-shirt, so I scrapped my idea for Plan A.
Plan B (Scrapped)
After realizing I didn't have iron-on vinyl, I recalled having an unopened pack of printable t-shirt transfers. My Dad bought it last year with hopes that I'd test it out in making him a custom Sonny Eclipse t-shirt.
I started to wonder if I could simply edit one of my photos of Sonny Eclipse to transfer onto the t-shirt. I would've done a couple tests on old t-shirts to see if a photo or digital drawing would be best for this custom t-shirt design.
However, I couldn't find the unopened pack of printable t-shirt transfers. I've attempted to reorganize my home and packed things in the process. I don't have plans to move, but I've found that if I'm not looking for something weeks after packing an item, it's probably an item I can get rid of to declutter my home.
At least now I know I won't be getting rid of the printable t-shirt transfers since I've been searching for it. Unfortunately, I scrapped my idea for Plan B.
Plan C (Final)
Because I waited until a couple days before Father's Day to make my Dad's custom t-shirt, I felt I had no choice but to do as Dad requested.
I hesitated because I've yet to wash any of the Posca designs I've done on fabric and don't know what the outcome will be. I'm not convinced the design won't be ruined after he throws it in the washing machine.
Yet, I was pleased knowing I'd do what he wanted and have fun in the process. I placed a large piece of cardboard inside the t-shirt. I didn't want the Posca paint to bleed through the back of the t-shirt, especially since I knew I'd layer the paint often.
I started by sketching the design with a white graphite pencil. I chose this for the initial sketch because I believed it would come off easily. Sure enough, a wet Q-Tip served as an effective eraser for removing the markings from the t-shirt.
I decided to only use white Posca paint markers and keep the design simple. Like my previous attempts using Posca on fabric, this design required many applications to show well on the t-shirt.
I encountered a few challenges while creating this design. First, the t-shirt would wrinkle when I applied pressure from the marker nib. Even after attempting to fold it tightly around the cardboard piece and taping it in place, the fabric would wrinkle. I made short strokes because longer strokes wouldn't end up straight.
Second, little specks of dried paint covered the fabric frequently. This was a minor challenge. I simply needed to stop and lint roll over the fabric periodically. I encountered this challenge while Drawing on a Laptop Sleeve. I've made a mental note to wipe the plastic shell after use, although I forgot the last time I used this marker.
Third, the fibers of the marker's nib kept fraying. With every application, I needed to pull off the frayed fibers to prevent uneven line thicknesses. Unfortunately, there were many uneven line thicknesses due to the frayed fibers and my novice drawing abilities.
Lastly, my design wasn't centered on the shirt. I unknowingly drew at an angle, and the design looked unbalanced to me. My Dad saw it and said it looked good. It bothered me, so I attempted to create balance by drawing his shoulders and adding his signature.
My Thoughts
I'm glad Dad liked it. Personally, I think it would've looked better with iron-on vinyl. It would've also been easier using my Cricut Maker or Cricut Explore Air 2 to make this design on his t-shirt.
This design took hours of reapplication, removing fibers off my marker nib, and lint rolling away dried paint specs to make sure I didn't make a horrible mistake in the design.
I'm still not convinced the design will survive the first wash or a light rain shower. However, Dad wanted me to draw on a t-shirt with my Posca paint markers. I fulfilled his wish by doing just that, but only because other options weren't readily available to me at the time.
Alright, so the t-shirt design doesn't look that bad. If it does wash away, at least I know I can recreate it if it's a design Dad really wants.
Dad's Day 2020
Father's Day went well for him. I presented his shirt to him early that morning. I explained that it was probably a one-time use, but he thinks he won't wear it until our next visit to Walt Disney World.
He wanted pizza and sweets, so we headed to Domino's to pick up a medium MeatZZa, Marbled Cookie Brownies, and Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes. We still have some left over. The sweets are good reheated.
By the way, I like how my closest Domino's setup their contactless carryout. You're in and out quickly. Good job, Domino's.
When Dad wasn't eating, he spent his day playing his newest game, No Man's Sky. He's addicted to that game currently. I did my part by trying to keep my dogs from bothering him.
Dad's special day wasn't that much different from how he spends his days regularly. He loves retirement and gaming, so naturally Father's Day went well for him.
What's Next?
While I don't mind using Posca paint markers on fabric, I don't think I'll use them to design a t-shirt ever again.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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