Artist Thomas Evans explains how to make your projects smudge proof!

So you finally got your project up and running with the Electric Paint. Those of you using the material for the first time may have noticed that its water soluble, which means it washes off your hands easily, but can also smudge a little when touched, even when its dry. This is a problem for me, as I purposefully make interactive paintings that people constantly touch to play sounds! In this post I’m going to talk about a few ways to protect the connections and sensors you’ve made with different sprays and varnishes. And don’t worry – it will still conduct!

Check out Thomas’ website and follow his work on Instagram to see more of his amazing paintings.

For more project ideas visit www.bareconductive.com

Step 1: Materials

To begin you will need:

1 x Electric Paint 10ml or 50ml Jar

1 x Modge Podge Glue or 1 x Clear Coat Spray

1 x paintbrush

Step 2: Mod Podge

Mod Podge is a solution that I find extremely useful. It is mainly used in scrap booking, and is one of the best solutions that I have found. It can be picked up for under $10 at you local craft shop or even on Amazon. Acting as a bonding agent like a glue, Mod Podge can be used to create a very thick seal over painted areas. Applying Mod Podge can be done by using a soft bristle brush and short single strokes over after allowing the Electric Paint to dry thoroughly. Using a hard brush may cause the paint to reactivate and smear as you stroke.

Step 3: Clear Coat Spray

Clear Coat spray is one of the best ways to seal large areas of Electric Paint. This solution can be found in any hardware and paint shops for under $10. Its quick to dry and easy to apply in well-ventilated areas, plus you can layer it up. You don’t need a brush, so it won’t disturb the paint underneath.

Step 4: Testing

To demonstrate, I painted three lines of Electric Paint. The line on the left is protected with two layers of clear coat. The line on the right is protected with Mod Podge. The line in the middle is unprotected. You are able to see the different results that happen when stroking a wet brush over each line. Only the unprotected line is subject to smearing when contacted by water. Both protected lines are unsmudged by the wet brush.