IT'S DONE

My first cooler is done! So much effort but it was all worth it. If I had to do it again, I'd change a couple things. I'd probably trace more and use painters tape to keep my lines straight and clean. However, for my first cooler I am impressed!

I haven't modge podged and sealed it yet so it'll have more of a satin finish when that's done!

Reminder: everything was freehanded! I would honestly trace next time I do a cooler. It'd make it look a lot nicer. But like I said, I'm still proud of it! 

Stay thirsty my friends.

Another side of my cooler is complete! This side took SO much effort but I love how it turned out.

It's not perfect but it makes me happy! I haven't sealed it so it's not as shiny as it soon will be.

Once again, no tutorial. Honestly, I just free hand everything. I look at the image then draw and if necessary, erase and re-draw. 

I use chalk to draw on the cooler but I hear graphite works better. The chalk is fairly thick so for skinnier words (like "cerveza" above) I had to strictly freehand it. 

Cooler painting is serious business and I hope to get better at it. For now, I'll work on at least doing progress pictures while I'm working! It's tough because, as mentioned, I freehand and sketch things. I really haven't been big on tracing anything. It'd probably make it look a lot nicer but oh well. 

The cooler will be done by this weekend! (I have a deadline to meet) So you'll see the finish product soon (: I'm so excited! 

Coolers!

I FINALLY got to start working on my cooler because classes died down slightly. Well, really I just get to have one day off before my life turns back into the busy mess it was before. 

So as I start this I'm about to say what I always say: no tutorial. Sorry. I just wanted to get the hang of cooler painting before I started snapping progress pictures and write a tutorial. 

Also, I freehanded everything so there really isn't much to give a tutorial on anyways. 

But anywho, let's begin! 

 I saw this and decided to be really ambitious and try to copy this! Frankly, I don't think I did TOO bad (: 

Haha, my feet. Just ignore them! 

To make the ocean took me two tries and a couple of hours. I eventually decided that for me it was easiest to paint the ocean a bace color and then add the accent colors and mix without changing brushes. It gave me the layering of color I was looking for. Further, I made sure my paint strokes were swirly and wave-like because it will dry that way and give an appearance of movement (at least in my opinion). 

The letters were simple. I just used my handwriting and wrote it in my handwriting. Simple (: 

This is where you'll really hate me. There's no tutorial and no mini tutorial like that above. 

I just free handed everything! I looked at my reference picture and drew! 

I think it turned out great though! The next sides of the coolers will be tutorials though! Get excited!