Rubber Duckie Paint'n!

I had gotten myself a pack of white rubber duckies for painting a few weeks ago as a neat little project. Someone suggested painting them up ask the members of Slipknot, but I decided that would be too much work and I doubt it would turn out well. Anyhow, I had started painting a couple a few days ago...

Before one gets started, one must ask "what shall I use to paint them?". Well, the package says use permanent markers, but where's the fun in that? The finished product won't look so nice & for such small ducks, you'd have to use really fine tipped ones. Water-based paints would be a waste, if you want to float them (Duh, it would wash off), so acrylics would probably not be good.

I decided on enamels. Now there's model paint enamel and nail enamel. I'm not sure the difference, other than the bottles they come in & the fact that model paints have a toxic warning on the tiny label. ...but I'm not letting baby's near my duckies anyway. I then decided that nail polishes were probably all the same. Except, I did wonder as to why the different names. Many don't say much more than "nail color". Then there are the ones labeled nail enamel and nail laquer... Based on the colors I wanted to use, I went with a couple of the laquer paints. I have learned this to be a baaaaaad idea. Apparently, laquer is not a good paint for rubber ducks. I only used a little black for details on one, but the other I covered in pearl and it is sooo sticky and still stinks as if I painted it today. Both are sticky, but the pearl one I should probably clean off and retry. I also used a little red, but that paint didn't say a type and seems to be ok.

I guess next I will be using those enamels. I have some of both model and nail types. Hopefully that turns out better. If not, I have fabric paints. That however, takes long enough to dry on fabric and would likely peel. Bonus is, I do know that it's flexible and won't run in water. (For those who don't know, although made for fabric, those paints can be used on different surfaces.)

When it comes to various projects, particularly artsy stuff... You can guess the things that won't work for a project, but you never know what will work until you try. I say, don't knock it if it works. I also say, don't stifle others' creativity (this doesn't apply to 'ruining' other people's property or inappropriet things targeted at impressional youngins).


Well... If you have advice on the topic of what (brushable) paints are good for rubber duckies or possibly some other random bit of creativy commentry, feel free to post a comment. :o)