This piece of fan art is inspired by my favorite Hip-Hop artist, Lupe Fiasco. Lupe didn't win the Grammy for Best Album or Record of the Year, but he has won fanatical Art by me!( Much more important than a Grandma Award). So with that preface, I present El Fiasco, el-wire tribute art.

Step 1: Parts & Tools

Picture is annotated with stuffs
Shopping lists

AdaFruit:
2 X El Wire (WHITE) http://www.adafruit.com/products/410
1 x El Wire Inverter http://www.adafruit.com/products/448
2 x El Wire extender http://www.adafruit.com/products/616
1 x El Wire Spliter http://www.adafruit.com/products/402

Michael's
1 x Gallery Wrapped 48x24 canvas
1 x 1" plastic stencils
1 x Drawing tools--protractor, large ruler, light pencil
1 x 1" brush
1 x Nylon or clear polyester thread
1 x Xacto knife

Lowe's
1 x sample can of "Wet Pavement"
1 x Can of White Spray Paint(Gloss)[not pictured]
1 x roller for pain

Other
1 x album art printed to serve as reference(important)
1 x 8AA battery pack---Radio Shack http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062242
Heat shrink...Alot

Extras
Knife swtich (Radio shack)
Grey wall Plate (Lowe's)
vinyl tubing (Lowe's)
lexan™ (poly carbonate glass)3/8 inch (Menards)
more heat shrink
El wire connector pieces (AdaFruit)
1 Watt LED (http://www.adafruit.com/products/518)
2AA battery pack(Radio Shack)

Step 2: Getting Started

First, use the roller to paint the canvas grey with our paint
Next, lay out the letters and cut them out. i used a cardstock posterboard as my template substrate.
After that, Tape the stencil to the canvas
Lastly, Use the spray paint and tag that name.

Step 3: Adding the El

Do this a letter at a time. Adding tape and securing it as you go. Don't think you'll get it right the first time. It took me a few tries to get it. After you get a letter done, slip some black heat shrink to black out the spaces.
After you get it laid out. It's sewing time. each letter takes about 4 sewing anchors to secure it to the canvas. There's no need to sew every inch of the el, It'll look bad and take forever. Even up close you can't see my stitches there so tight. Pretend you are making a gallery art piece, take your time and make it amazing.
After its all attached and set, use a heat shrink tool to shrink the heat shrink. Do it right Meow! I wouldn't use a lighter, too much fire and damage risk doing it right by the canvas.

Step 4: Going From a Loser to a LAser

Sorry I didn't get better pictures of this step. I was working with wet paint.
First, mix the color-I used grumbacher red and alzarin crimson. (Acrylic)
Then, sketch the letter A to serve as a guide.
There's no take backs on this step, It's do it right or ruin it all.
Use the brush at a 45 degree angle and paint on your letter.
Now, because the paint is think and we want it to run in certain areas; go get some water, dilute the paint till runny
and carefully add some real runny paint where you want it to drip. Once it drips how you want it. Lay the canvas flat so that gravity will no longer have an affect on the paint.
Let it dry and you're done.

Step 5: Installing Your Masterpiece(Pimping It Out!)

After I thought I had finished I had decided that this was sooooo awesome that I needed a gallery tag and super cool On/Off switch.
I used the part detailed in "Extras"
The QR code was generated on a website, imported into Word, and printed on vellum.
That paper is sandwiched between two pieces of Lexan.
The super bright LED backlighting it(Overkill I know) is wired straight from the battery pack-3 volts-with the knife switch in between.
The knife swtich is wired for two on modes and one off mode; All on, gallery tag only on, All off.
I orginally tried using acrylic, it would crack too easily when I tried to drill through it.
After wasting a hour and a $4 sheet, I switched to Lexan. The Lexan took alot of scoring to get through. This stuff doesn't break easily.

Step 6: Glo Baby

Done! Now enjoy your work and hope the misses is as understanding as mine; Letting me display this prominently in the loft. :) Also I know this looks blue, That's some camera phenomena, it looks and is white in person.
For anything I forgot to mention