I recently embarked on a project to customise a vintage Levi Strauss denim jacket I purchased. Being heavily inspired by the great Frida Kahlo, I sought out to paint her on the back of my jacket and did so using fabric pens and paint.
- I initially started off with a sketch which I then roughly transferred onto the denim jacket with a ball point pen. I then began colouring it in, starting with a base layer of white paint to make sure all the colours used on the jacket would show up well. Waiting for the paint to dry was what took the longest in the whole project. But aside from a little patience, there isn’t much you can go wrong with in a project like this.
- Fabric paint was the obvious choice for this project as I still wanted to be able to wash and wear the jacket over a long period of time. However, if you are simply looking to make a piece of art, acrylic paint is also an option.
- I would definitely recommend planning your idea first. Looking at other customised denim jackets for inspiration on the internet is a great way to start. It really helps to give you an idea of what you want your jacket to look like. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you want.
