BOARD'EM Fundraiser Art Show - Beetle Board Completed

In the last stages of painting the skateboard, I'm working on the belly or the underside. I'm using exterior paint for the white background and black curved lines.

It's hard to achieve a crisp edge on a bumpy, damaged surface. Several coats of black will be needed for good coverage.

The black curved lines are now dry and I've transfered the beetle's details on to the board.

The head, body and legs are now done.

Then the wings and wing shells.

The varnishing stage. To me, varnish is not only for protecting the artwork, I also use it for special effect. Spot lamination is the term used in the printing world where a high gloss finish is applied only in certain areas. I very much like this look, it gives texture to the composition, from matte, semi-gloss to high-gloss.

I covered the entire flying beetle with varnish, but I only wanted certain black lines to be varnished.

As for the top of the board, it was entirely protected with varnish.
Voila, mission accomplished. Now that my old skateboard has a new artful skin, I'm hoping that it's still fun.

Below are some items that talented and imaginative people have come up with using old and new skateboards. Go here for more examples. Something to keep in mind before discarding an old skateboard - pass them on to Pass It On for a worthy cause.

So my beetle-board may not be used for skateboarding anymore, but a little kid may still get a lot of enjoyment out of it. My favorite new usage are these two swings. The one on the left, from Cedarworks, looks like its so much fun - I wish I had one like that when I was a kid. The one on the right from Notcot, I especially like because it's so simple and almost anyone can enjoy it. The board can be easily removed from its cables - convenient for when it rains. Of course, if my beetle-board ends up on the bedroom wall of a future entomologist, that would be great as well.