Harley Quinn Bat (Suicide Squad)

First thing you want to do is the big, GOOD NIGHT lettering down the middle. Now the best template to get this as accurate as possible would of course be the actual bat from the movie. At first you might worry because there's really no clear picture of it from the trailer yet. However, Kevin Smith actually bought one of the real bats used in the movie and gave it to his daughter as a present. There's a picture of her crying and holding it. This is your best template for the letters. Find this picture online, and blow it up so when you print it, the bat in the picture is the same size as your bat. Tape it to the bat so it lines up. You get the correct font and spacing all in one picture. Then take your wood burning tool (or sharpie if you don't have this tool) and carve through the paper and onto the bat, using the picture basically as a stencil.

Once that's carved, paint the letters red. After that, you might want to re outline with the wood burning tool to give the letters that smoky look. You can even burn some of the red paint too if you want to make it look more worn out.

Next you want to do the four blue diamonds that will go right above where the grip tape will go. Again, use the picture of Kevin Smith's daughter (who if you didn't know is also named Harley). You can see that there's quite a bit of space between this feature and the last T in 'good night'. You need to leave that space there for quotes that will go on later. You have to try and eyeball this. Use pencil first to try and find your placement of the outside brown stripes.

Next, you have to make the two brown stripes that go outside the diamonds. Once you've placed them with pencil, use painters tape to stencil out the stripes all the way around that piece of the bat. Use your red and black paint to get the brown color as close as possible to what you need. Then paint, dry, and remove the tape.

The diamonds are really tricky, so take your time with them! The best idea is to start with the little red triangles surrounding the diamonds first. You will have four blue diamonds, so that requires 8 little red triangles. Then fill the empty spaces with the white paint. When that's all dry, paint the blue diamonds on top of the white. Don't make the diamonds touch. Let them have and entire white outline. If you don't get the lines/edges that straight the first time, it's okay. You could always go back with the color that's sitting next to it and try to re adjust it. Like I said, be patient and go slow. This will probably take up more time then any other step.

Take your white grip tape. Start about a quarter inch below the diamonds, and then work your way down to the bottom on the bat. White grip tape for hockey works just as well for this. Then, if you want to age it, take some sweaty hands and some dirt and rub it right on to that brand new tape.

On the oppisite side of 'good night'', USE PENCIL FIRST, write KISS THIS in capital letters, then draw a small set of lips to the bottom right of it. Now on the actual bat, this detail is down lower then on my bat. I made the choice to move it so it looks like it's more on the part you would hit a person with, but if you want to be more accurate, move it down more toward the diamonds.

When you have placement, use the super fine tip sharpie and retrace the letters. Then take your red magic marker, color in the lips, and quickly smudge the lips a bit.

Now, see all that writing all over the back of the bat? That's your finishing touch. Again USE PENCIL FIRST. Now this is a detail that is pretty much impossible to get exactly right, because the Harley Quinn quotes used were never released to the public, and they are way too small to read on any picture. The only thing you can really do to be accurate is use a script handwriting. You can tell in the picture of Margot Robbie that there are loops in the letters, so it's kind of safe to assume that it's script. I just decided to go with my own script handwriting. Also, when it comes to the quotes, just pick your favorites. I used stuff from Batman the Animated Series (which is very appropriate because that's where Harley Quinn was born and brought into the world of Batman), the New 52 Harley Quinn Series (one featured in the picture above) and Gotham Sirens (which is an amazing series that everyone should read). You can see from the main picture how I wrap the lettering around the rest of the features that I have on the bat. Once you've written them in pencil to your liking, use the super fine tip sharpie to trace them over.

Take your red marker and right a few HAHAHAs all through the black lettering. Also smudge them while they're wet like you did with the kiss. You don't have to do this, but if done correctly, it can be a cool extra detail.

And then you're done! Enjoy wrecking shit with this awesome bat (actually pleas don't break stuff, I don't need to be responsible for that) HAVE FUN!

"It is to laugh, huh Mr. J?" -Harley Quinn, the first words she ever spoke, Batman the Animated Series