checkered vans to great wave UPDATED

[thriftjunkie]

so i bought these checkered vans about two years ago. standard issue, you see them everywhere. and this is exactly why i was ready to change them- they're completely ubiquitous now!
before:


i decided to do a painted, black-and-white interpretation of the great wave japanese woodcut.
after:




now guys- i am one of those people who actually appreciates constructive criticism. since these are painted, i can fix problems! point them out for me!

bonus picture- my hand afterwards (i use it as an easel)


UPDATE: answers to some questions, etc.

supplies

scotch-guard protector for crafts, on sale at michael's for $4 (thanks, raina.storms)*
tuilip soft fabric paint for the white "primer," about $3
Y & C fabricmate in black and grey, $2.50 each
decofabric paint marker in white (for white highlights), $3

*i was convinced i had ruined the shoes after i sprayed sealant- the paint ran all over the place and i thought the shoes were done for. after being on the verge of tears for about 30 sec., i grabbed a paper towel and blotted the hell out of them. they look fine now.

i just redid the sealant because i thought the blotting got rid of most of it. i took the shoes outside, and sprayed from about 2.5 feet away (the bottle recommends 6 inches), and the SAME THING HAPPENED! so i took them inside and used a blowdryer on low through a diffuser, and it fixed everything.

other views

totally boring, i know. it's just so detailed on the front that i'm hesitant to do anything to detract from that.

process
i first painted the shoes with about 4 coats of white paint. then i sketched out the wave in pencil on the shoes. after i was happy with that, i used the markers to paint away, using my fingers and small circular motions with the lighter toned marker to blend for shading. finally, i sealed with scotchguard. when you seal painted things with scotchguard, make sure you press down all the way on the aerosal head- otherwise it comes out goopy. also, i would suggest holding the can a few feet away. you could also try to dry it with a blowdryer on low (preferably with a diffuser attachment) if you're worried about the paint running.

[march]

Problems? What problems!

Those are absolutely on the money! I think it's great!

What have you done to the sides of your shoes? And.. what kind of paint/sealant did you use?

[slb2724]

wow wow wow! i would be too afraid to ruin them to wear them!!

[speedingpullet]

I see no problems - that's one of my favourite images of all time 

[abitlooney]

beautiful! i'm in awe. how did you seal them? or rather, did you, as you said you could still fix them?

[thriftjunkie]

um, so, i have no idea how to seal them. this morning, before i painted them, i went to michaels and tried to find a flexible sealant, and i couldn't. any ideas?

the checkers on the back are painted with black, and the middle part is painted in white (it started as a tan/off-white).

thanks for the positive feedback!

[TheBeckster]

omg those are amazing!

[justagirl]

I have some criticism:
These would be a ton better if you gave them to me.

Seriously though, gorgeous! I'm assuming it was all done by hand? Amazing. Question though: was it hard to paint over the black part of the checkers? Like did you have to put many layers on or was it fine? i've never apinted on black shoes before, maybe I'll give it a try...

[thriftjunkie]

I have some criticism:
These would be a ton better if you gave them to me.

Seriously though, gorgeous! I'm assuming it was all done by hand? Amazing. Question though: was it hard to paint over the black part of the checkers? Like did you have to put many layers on or was it fine? i've never apinted on black shoes before, maybe I'll give it a try...

hahahahaha! you WISH! i was actually considering selling them, or maybe making more and selling those.

edit: i was just reading over the craftster rules and realized this could be interpreted as violating the advertising rule. it was just a passing thought i had, and i don't have anything to sell, or the energy to make another pair of these! but i'm glad to hear that so many of you like them enough to buy them.

i did it by hand- i needed more than a few coats of white paint to cover the checkers, then i sketched the picture out with a pencil, and did the painting with paint markers today (wait...is that painting?)

[TrashedClothing]

You are the most awesome person ever. That is all. If you ever decided to make them and sell, I'll buy 2!