Custom Painted Suitcase

Never have a problem telling your suitcases apart at the airport again -- paint your old suitcases!

Materials:

• Delta Creative Ceramcoat
  • Quaker Grey 2057
  • Maroon 2075
  • Opaque Blue 2508
  • Charcoal Grey 2057
  • Timberline Green 2533
  • Eucalyptus 2569
  • Magnolia White 2487
  • Black 2506
  • Dark Forest Green 2096
  • Cricket 2585
• Delta Creative Ceramcoat Gesso 7002
• Delta Creative Ceramcoat Faux Glaze Medium Clear 5401
• Delta Creative Ceramcoat Satin Exterior/Interior Varnish 7003
• old suitcase
• Brushes by Loew-Cornell La Cornellie
  • Shader Series 7300 Size #6 and 12
  • Wash Series 7550 1”
  • Liner Series 7350 Size #1
• Brush Tub
• Graphite transfer paper black
• Palette Paper
• Tracing paper
• Stylus
• Paper towel
• Scissors
• plastic wrap

Click here for larger images and printable instructions.

Instructions:

1. Clean suitcase thoroughly with warm soap and water. Allow to dry.
    
2. Using 1” wash brush apply even coat of Gesso to areas to be painted.
    
3. Basecoat Quaker Grey using 1” wash brush. On second coat while grey is still wet blend in areas of Maroon and then Opaque Blue.
    
4. Apply one even coat of mix of 1:Faux Glaze Medium Clear to 1:Charcoal using 1” wash brush. While glaze is still wet press on crumpled plastic wrap.

Transferring Pattern:

1. Lay tracing paper over pattern. Trace all lines. Lay tracing on surface, tape top and one side. Slide graphite paper between tracing and surface, draw over all lines.
    
2. Apply pattern for rectangles only.
    
3. Basecoat all rectangles in Maroon plus touch of Black using 1” wash brush.
    
4. Band Opaque Blue using #1 liner.
    
5. Apply pattern for flowers.
    
6. Float shadows under flowers and leaves by adding more Black to basecoat color using the #12 shader. Tip: to float load brush first in floating medium or water, pat off excess on paper towel. Tip one corner of brush in color, blend color through bristles using short back and forth motion on palette. Color should graduate from heavy color on one corner to no color on opposite corner. If when you begin to paint, you have color showing from both sides of brush, it is improperly loaded. Rinse and start again.

Flowers:

1. Basecoat flowers Quaker Grey using #12 shader.
    
2. Float shadows lightly Timberline Green using #6 shader.
    
3. Float highlights Magnolia White plus touch Quaker Grey.
    
4. Reinforce shadows Dark Forest Green and highlights Magnolia White using same brush.

Leaves:

1. Basecoat leaves, center of flowers and stems all mix of 1:Timberline Green to 1:Eucalyptus using #12 shader.
    
2. Float shadows Timberline Green using same brush.
    
3. Float highlights Eucalyptus using same brush. Reinforce shadows Dark Forest Green and highlights Cricket.

To Finish:

1. Apply as many coats of Satin Varnish as desired using 1” wash brush.