Brainstorming paint ideas: Creating a whimsical "Art Car"

I'm brainstorming ideas for a fun challenge car theme since the beater Saturn's paint is kinda ratty. The basic idea: Turn a bunch of 3-5th graders loose with a bunch of bright colors and see what happens (I'm a teacher, so that's where the kids come in) and see what happens. Going for the "fingerpaint" look here I'm not sure what the best way to do that is if I want to end up with a "livery" that won't just wash off the first time it rains.

Anyone done anything like this before?

Cover with a cheap white base, paint fun things with some kind of kid safe yet semi permanent paint, then clear coat?

Would white plastidip work as a "base" for something like that? I like the thought that I could eventually remove whatever ridiculous things happen. I'm not particularly attached to this car though so "cheap and simple" would trump "easily removable" if I couldn't have both.

What would you do?

If you want to paint over dip, you need lots of layers. Otherwise sounds like an awesome idea!

What about white paint and then have the students use permanent markers?

Dave wrote: What about white paint and then have the students use permanent markers?

This. Sharpie cars rule.

Alternatively, paint it with chalkboard paint, so that if one decides to write a dong on it ( i totally would) you can erase.

Ooh... chalkboard paint, then give them colorful chalk, then a clear coat of some sort so it's rain proof? I like that idea

BlueInGreen44 wrote: Ooh... chalkboard paint, then give them colorful chalk, then a clear coat of some sort so it's rain proof? I like that idea

Exactly. You could even use matte clear so its still all chalkboardy after.

Go multi! Have one team with sharpies, one with glitter, one with stickers, one with finger paint, glue on T-shirts with silly sayings, sequins, googly eyes...

You might divide up the surface so they don't have much overlap. Glitter flames and sharpie dinosaurs (or Pikachu) with googly eyes are sure to be there!

Bruce

egnorant wrote: Go multi! Have one team with sharpies, one with glitter, one with stickers, one with finger paint...

I....i really like this plan.

You could do the above and a paint by numbers/coloring book outlines beforehand. Then it could all come together and make one big something.

So like this, only a Saturn?

egnorant wrote: ...Glitter flames and sharpie dinosaurs...

Yes...

If you can do it with a Twin Beech...

Be prepared for Minecraft and Five Nights at Freddie's characters to be drawn!

I think this is an amazing idea!

Cover with five layers of cheap bright paint of different colors with white on top. Hand kids varying grade of sandpaper and go to town through different layers of paint.

My friend has an xB1 that he painted various panels with the chalk board paint, calls it the Chalk Box. Helps that he's a pretty talented artist.

He'll draw some stuff, then at car shows he let's kids draw stuff too.

I like the chalkboard paint idea!

I tried unsuccessfully to get my daughter, the self-proclaimed artist/journalist/ musician/ lightsaber expert, to come up with a design last night; I found a Saturn SL line drawing and printed it out for her.

Explained what to do, and why. She just stared at me like I'm an idiot (learned it from my wife) . I assume that painting an actual car would be more fun, though .