How to Draw a Cooler

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When y'all're painting a cooler, the color choices and design possibilities are countless. If you have the fourth dimension to prime, paint and seal your libation correctly, you'll have a personalized keepsake that you tin use for years to come.

1. i

   Fill up in whatever logos or indents on the cooler with spackle. Spackle is a putty used as a filler. It hardens when it dries, so you'll be able to paint right over it subsequently on. Apply a putty knife to fill the indents with spackle. Scrape the edge of the pocketknife over the pinnacle of the spackle so it's flush with the rest of the libation. Don't worry if it'due south not perfect — you lot can sand it down later.^[1]

2. 2

   Let the spackle dry out for several hours. The exact amount of time it will take the spackle to dry depends on how deep the indents you lot filled in were — the deeper the indents, the longer information technology will take to dry out. Afterward a few hours, endeavour touching the spackle with your fingers. If information technology's difficult and has a chalky texture, it's dry out.

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3. 3

   Sand the surface of the cooler once the spackle is dry out. Sanding the cooler will brand it easier for the pigment to stick to it. You lot want to sand the cooler merely enough to take away the shine and give the surface a petty chip of a grit. Don't forget to sand over the spackle, so it's affluent with the rest of the cooler.

   • Give the cooler a hard sand using 120-grit sandpaper. This volition scuff the surface enough that the primer will exist able to adhere to the surface of the cooler.^[2]
   • For a smoother end, start sanding the libation with a coarse grit sandpaper (40-l grit) and finish with a fine grit sandpaper (120-220 dust). Using 2 kinds of sandpaper will help you make your cooler equally smooth as possible.^[3]
   • If the cooler came with a smoothen finish, you still want to sand it down to remove the top layer of the plastic so the paint sticks.

4. iv

   Use a spray-on plastic primer to the surface of the libation. A plastic primer will assistance the paint attach to the surface of the cooler better.^[4] Spray the primer on the cooler and then in that location'southward an even coat over the entire surface.

   • Y'all can find a spray-on plastic primer at your local home comeback center or pigment store.
   • If the cooler has handles or wheels that y'all don't want to pigment, cover them with painter's tape earlier you spray the primer on.

5. 5

   Permit the cooler dry in a well-ventilated surface area for 24 hours. Place the cooler on a tarp or sheets of paper while it dries so the primer doesn't get on your flooring. After 24 hours, the cooler should feel dry out to the affect. If it's not, let it finish drying.

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1. one

   Paint the cooler background with acrylic pigment. Earlier you lot add designs or personal touches, y'all should create a solid base to work on. Embrace the sides and top of the cooler with pigment using a large paintbrush.

   • To use multiple colors for the background, pigment one color at a time and let the paint dry in betwixt colors.
   • Ane coat of acrylic paint should exist enough for the groundwork.
   • For a harder terminate, effort using enamel paint, rather than acrylic.^[5]

2. ii

   Allow the pigment dry for 24 hours. Later on 24 hours, the cooler should feel dry to the affect. If you're doing boosted colors for the background, paint them on 1 at a time and let the cooler dry for 24 hours in between each glaze.

3. 3

   Print out any designs or lettering you want to put on the libation. While you tin definitely draw designs on the cooler freehand, using designs printed off the computer will brand the cooler look cleaner and more professional.^[half-dozen]

   • Keep in listen that you'll be tracing the outlines of the designs onto the libation and filling them in with pigment, so stick with simple images and fonts.

4. 4

   Trace the designs and lettering onto the cooler using carbon paper. To use carbon paper, trace the outline of your design onto the paper. And so, hold the carbon paper on the cooler and draw over the lines to transfer the design onto the cooler.^[seven]

   • You can find carbon newspaper online or at your local art supplies shop.

5. 5

   Use printer paper to transfer your designs if you don't have carbon paper. Start past tracing your design onto a sail of printer paper. Then, shade in the back of the paper with pencil. After the back is shaded in, place the paper on the cooler where you want the pattern to go and trace over the lines with a pencil to transfer information technology.^[8]

6. vi

   Try tissue paper if you don't accept carbon printer paper. Trace your design onto a piece of tissue paper. So, position the tissue newspaper on the cooler where yous want the pattern to get and describe over the outline with a fine-point permanent marker. The marker volition bleed through the tissue newspaper and transfer onto the cooler.^[9]

7. seven

   Fill in the designs and lettering with acrylic paint. Use small-scale paint brushes to utilise the paint and so you tin can be more than detailed.

   • If you want to practise multiple colors in the same blueprint, practice i color at a time and permit the paint dry in between colors — otherwise, the colors might smudge together.
   • Information technology may be easier if you lay the cooler on its side so the side y'all're painting is facing up. If you do this, you'll need to paint 1 side at a fourth dimension and let the paint dry in between sides.

8. 8

   Let the painted designs and lettering dry for several hours. The thinner the glaze of pigment, the less time it will take to dry out. Later a few hours, bear on the paint to come across if information technology's completely dry. If it is, you can add boosted colors to your designs, showtime on a new side of the libation, or move on to sealing the cooler.

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1. one

   Apply a coat of spray-on Modernistic Podge to the surface of the cooler. Modern Podge is a sealer and finisher that will assistance forestall the paint on the cooler from chipping or peeling. In one case the pigment on the cooler is dry, spray the surface of the cooler with a thin, even glaze of Mod Podge.

   • You can notice Modern Podge online or at your local craft store.

2. 2

   Let the first coat of mod podge dry for fifteen-twenty minutes. After 15-twenty minutes, the Modern Podge should experience completely dry to the touch. If information technology doesn't, let it finish drying earlier yous move on.

3. three

   Utilize a 2d glaze of Mod Podge and permit it dry. Two coats of Mod Podge should be plenty to protect the paint on the cooler from chipping or peeling. After yous spray the second coat, let the libation dry for another 15-20 minutes earlier moving it.

4. 4

   Cover the libation with a thin layer of clear polyurethane to waterproof it. Since coolers have a tendency to get moisture, it'southward a good idea to waterproof your cooler so the paint doesn't come off. Employ a clean paintbrush to apply a thin, fifty-fifty layer of clear polyurethane to the entire outer surface of the libation.^[x]

   • You can find polyurethane online or at your local abode improvement center.

5. 5

   Allow the cooler dry out for 24 hours before yous utilise it. After 24 hours, the cooler should be completely stale, sealed, and gear up to go. If you covered the handles and wheels with painter's tape, you can take the tape off now.^[eleven]

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Add together New Question

• Question

  What kind of pigment do you lot use on a cooler?

  

  Patrick Coye is the owner and operator of Patrick'south Painting & Home Improvement in Alexandria, Virginia. With over 15 years of experience in residential construction, Patrick specializes in painting, wallpaper removal/installation, drywall, staining decks and fences, and kitchen cabinetry painting. To appointment, Patrick and his team have painted over 2,000 houses and stained over 800 decks. Patrick'south Company won a "Top Job" award from the American Painting contractor magazine in 2020.

  

  Painting Specialist

  Expert Reply

  

  Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert reply.

  I recommend using primer and enamel pigment for a harder finish. Yet, you'll need to requite the libation a hard sand with 120-grit sandpaper. That volition scuff it up to the point where the primer and paint tin stick to it.

• Question

  How long exercise I leave the Mod Podge on?

  

  You lot leave it on for one to three days.

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VideoRead Video Transcript

Things Y'all'll Demand

• Cooler
• Spackle
• Putty knife
• Coarse grit sandpaper
• Fine grit sandpaper
• Spray-on plastic primer
• Tarp or newspaper
• Painter'south tape
• Acrylic paint
• Paintbrushes
• Carbon or tissue paper
• Printer
• Printer newspaper
• Pencil
• Modernistic Podge
• Polyurethane

About This Article

Article Summary X

Before you pigment your cooler, spackle and sand any logos or indentations, so spray on a plastic primer and let information technology dry out for 24 hours. Then, employ 1 coat of acrylic pigment, and let it dry out for some other 24 hours. Next, draw or trace the design you desire onto carbon paper, and apply the carbon newspaper to transfer the design onto the cooler before using acrylic paint to outline or fill up in your pattern. When the paint is dry, apply 2 coats of Mod Podge to seal your cooler, and a coat of polyurethane to waterproof it. For tips on transferring a design to your libation using printer paper or tissue paper, read on!

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