Eric Clapton "The Fool" Miniature Guitar

by The Wilbury Pigeon in Craft > Art

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Eric Clapton "The Fool" Miniature Guitar

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Hi there, welcome to my very first Instructable!

This project was inspired by famous guitarist Eric Clapton and his psychedelic guitar, The Fool.

In this Instructable, I'll be showing you how I made my own miniature replica!

Let's get started!

Supplies

Materials

- Tracing paper

- Paperboard

- Acrylic paint

- Craft foam

- Paper

- Tacky Glue

- Super Glue

- Hot glue gun

Tools

- Reference photos

- Google Docs

- Pen & Pencil

- Scissors

- Nail file or sandpaper

- Paintbrushes

- Toothpicks

- Sewing pin

- LOTS of patience

Gather Reference Photos

Making the Guitar Body (Trace, Cut, and Glue!)

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On a Google Doc, I downsized an image of the guitar body (without the neck) to a size that was proportional to the figurine I was making this for.

Then, using tracing paper and a pencil, I traced around the shape of the guitar and cut it out.

Using the cut out tracing paper, I used it as a template to trace and cut out several more out of some recycled paperboard. Then, I stacked and glueed the layers together using Tacky Glue. I did about three or four layers.

Preparing the Frontside Design (Sand, Paint, and Sketch!)

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Once the glue has dried, I used a nail file to sand and smooth the edges. This step let me sand the guitar to be a cleaner shape since I wasn't completely satisfied with the traced version.

Once sanded, I painted a base coat on the guitar with white acrylic paint.

Using a reference image, I sketched out the design for the front of the guitar, focusing on where the colors will go instead of the details.

Frontside Painting (Guitar Body)

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Now, we can begin painting!

First, I started with the lines in the top left corner, which is made up of warmer colors (red, orange, yellow, and brown)

In the first set of lines, I painted in three different shades of brown acrylic paint, creating a distinctly layered gradient of lightest to darkest. Directly beneath it, I painted in orange-red, orange, and filled in the rest (above the curve) with a light orange-yellow.

Next, I started work on the bottom, which is made up of cooler colors (different shades of blue and green).

Starting on the left, I painted a line of dark navy blue, gradually making it lighter by adding touches of light blue. Around the middle, the colors transition to a bluish-green, then ending in a light green.

I then followed the same color sequence on the right side of the guitar, using the same paint used on the bottom.

Finished Frontside Paint (Background Colors)

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Frontside Painted Details

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Angel:

Using a toothpick, I gently dotedt on white acrylic paint to create a cloud. This will be where the angel is seated.

Beneath the cloud, I used another toothpick to apply yellow acrylic paint to be the flames. Then I applied red-orange acrylic paint on top of the yellow flames with a sewing pin.

Next, I used yellow-orange acrylic paint and begin painting the angel! (I practiced on a piece of paper since I only had one shot at this step)

I then used another toothpick and dotted on a mix of grey and yellow acrylic paint to create the wings. Then I used a tiny-tipped paintbrush to create a streak on each wing using yellow acrylic paint.

Finally, I used another toothpick with red acrylic paint and add the hair!

Landscape:

I painted the designated section for the tiny landscape using light blue acrylic paint. Then I used light green acrylic paint and a tiny-tipped paintbrush to paint the bottom half.

For the sun, I placed a dot of red-orange acrylic paint. For the mountains, I painted tiny triangles of dark brown acrylic paint and add strokes of white for highlights. I then applied white acrylic paint in a dotting pattern for the clouds.

Next, I applied a stroke of yellow acrylic paint to be the road leading to the mountains. I used darker green acrylic paint to be the bushes. Finally, I placed white, light pink, and reddish-pink dots of acrylic paint to be the flowers.

Back to the Angel:

With a tiny-tipped paintbrush, I added slightly watered down yellow acrylic paint directly above the angel's head, and above that, I added slightly watered down brown acrylic paint. This is the angel's halo.

I used another toothpick with silver paint and very carefully painted on the triangle and rod that the angel holds.

Lastly, I used a toothpick and yellow acrylic paint and placed dots around the angel. These are the stars!

Finished Result! (Complete Painted Frontside)

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Sketching the Backside Design

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Flipping to the back, I used a sharpened pencil to sketch the backside design.

Backside Painting (Guitar Body)

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Now we can begin painting the backside!

Starting with the circle, I painted the outermost part of the rim with a mix of blue, green, and grey acrylic paint. In the inner part of the rim, I painted with bright green.

Inside of the circle, I began painting a distinctly layered gradient of red, orange-red, followed by orange, then a yellow center.

After I finished painting the circle, I started to paint the rest of the guitar according to the reference pictures.

Finished Painted Backside

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Making the Neck (Sketch, Cut, Glue, Sand, Paint)

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Since the detail in the shape of the head of the guitar is too tiny to pick up while tracing an image, I decided to sketch it instead.

I sketched the guitar head and neck onto a piece of paperboard and cut it out. I then traced the cut out with a pen onto other areas of the paperboard, creating about 2-3 layers. I then stacked and glued the layers with Tacky Glue.

Once dried, I sanded the edges smooth with a nail file. Then, I added a base coat of white acrylic paint.

Lastly, I slightly bent the head of the guitar back.

Sketching Head and Neck Designs (Front and Back)

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Using a sharpened pencil, I sketched out the designs of the head and neck of the guitar (frontside and backside) according to reference images.

Painting the Neck and Head (Frontside)

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Now working on the guitar head, I painted it according to reference pictures.

As for the neck, I used a piece of paper to make a guide for the frets. I made distinct lines marking the top of the head, beginning of the neck, and the end of the neck. Then, I marked where each fret will go.

After, I painted only the front and sides of the neck with black acrylic paint.

Using the paper guide I just made, I used a toothpick and silver acrylic paint and painted a straight line across to make the frets.

Lastly, I used the guide to mark where the position markers go, then applying them onto the neck using a toothpick and silver paint.

Painting the Neck and Head (Backside)

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I painted the backside of the neck/head according to reference pictures!

Finished Head and Neck (Frontside and Backside)

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Glue on the Neck!

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I used Super Glue to very carefully attatch the guitar neck directly on top of the guitar body!

Final Details (Frontside)

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For final finishing touches, I added the tone and volume controls, as well as the guitar's pickups.

To make the tone and volume controls, I used a toothpick to add 4 thick dots of black acrylic paint over the painted flames. Next to the top left knob, I used another toothpick and silver acrylic paint and place a dot. I then repeated this step on the bottom right knob, but instead with black acrylic paint.

For the details on the tone and volume controls, I used a toothpick to add 4 smaller dots of gold acrylic paint on top of each dot of black paint. On the tiny silver dot, I used a sewing pin to place a dot of black paint in the center. I did the same with the black dot of paint on the bottom right, but instead dotted it with silver paint.

To make the guitar's pickups, I flattened a piece of black craft foam and cut out two very tiny rectangles. I applied it to the guitar with Tacky Glue, placing the first one a space away from the neck, and the second one a space beneath the first.

Taking a piece of silver paper, I cut out two smaller rectangles. I glued the silver paper to the center of the black craft foam. I took a toothpick and silver acrylic paint and placed a dot on either end of the of the craft foam. Above the first pickup, I used a toothpick and black acrylic paint and added two dots.

Underneath the second pickup, I took a tiny and thin rectangle of silver paper and glued it underneath. Then I used a sewing pin and dotted across the paper with black acrylic paint.

Lastly, I moved up to the head of the guitar and used a toothpick and silver acrylic paint to place dots where the tuning pegs go.

Final Details (Tuning Pegs)

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To make the tuning pegs was sort of tricky.

I heated up my hot glue gun and allowed a small amount of glue to spill over the nozzle. Then, taking a toothpick, I used the very tip to gather an extremely tiny amount. As soon as the glue was on the toothpick, I used my fingers to press the glue on the toothpick flat.

After the glue dried, I cut off the very tip of the toothpick (see picture). I made 6 in total!

To attatch them, I used Super Glue along the side of the guitar head. I attatched them on the side of the head beside each silver dot (the markers).

Very Final Details!

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After all the pegs are securely attatched, I painted both sides of them with silver paint!

On the guitar head's backside, I used a toothpick and silver acrylic paint to add the tuning peg markers like I did on the front.

I then painted on a vibrato tailpiece as seen on the original Fool guitar by painting a silver rectangle with a toothpick on the bottom of the frontside of the guitar.

For the very last detail I made an output jack! I added a tiny drop of hot glue to the bottom of the guitar and once dried, painted with silver paint!

The Finished Product!

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And now the guitar is finally finished!

If you have any questions please feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer them :) Hope you enjoyed!