Eric Clapton "The Fool" Miniature Guitar

Hi there, welcome to my very first Instructable!

This project was inspired by famous guitarist Eric Clapton and his psychedelic guitar, The Fool.

In this Instructable, I'll be showing you how I made my own miniature replica!

Let's get started!

Supplies

Materials

- Tracing paper

- Paperboard

- Acrylic paint

- Craft foam

- Paper

- Tacky Glue

- Super Glue

- Hot glue gun

Tools

- Reference photos

- Google Docs

- Pen & Pencil

- Scissors

- Nail file or sandpaper

- Paintbrushes

- Toothpicks

- Sewing pin

- LOTS of patience

Step 1: Gather Reference Photos

Step 2: Making the Guitar Body (Trace, Cut, and Glue!)

On a Google Doc, I downsized an image of the guitar body (without the neck) to a size that was proportional to the figurine I was making this for.

Then, using tracing paper and a pencil, I traced around the shape of the guitar and cut it out.

Using the cut out tracing paper, I used it as a template to trace and cut out several more out of some recycled paperboard. Then, I stacked and glueed the layers together using Tacky Glue. I did about three or four layers.

Step 3: Preparing the Frontside Design (Sand, Paint, and Sketch!)

Once the glue has dried, I used a nail file to sand and smooth the edges. This step let me sand the guitar to be a cleaner shape since I wasn't completely satisfied with the traced version.

Once sanded, I painted a base coat on the guitar with white acrylic paint.

Using a reference image, I sketched out the design for the front of the guitar, focusing on where the colors will go instead of the details.

Step 4: Frontside Painting (Guitar Body)

Now, we can begin painting!

First, I started with the lines in the top left corner, which is made up of warmer colors (red, orange, yellow, and brown)

In the first set of lines, I painted in three different shades of brown acrylic paint, creating a distinctly layered gradient of lightest to darkest. Directly beneath it, I painted in orange-red, orange, and filled in the rest (above the curve) with a light orange-yellow.

Next, I started work on the bottom, which is made up of cooler colors (different shades of blue and green).

Starting on the left, I painted a line of dark navy blue, gradually making it lighter by adding touches of light blue. Around the middle, the colors transition to a bluish-green, then ending in a light green.

I then followed the same color sequence on the right side of the guitar, using the same paint used on the bottom.

Step 5: Finished Frontside Paint (Background Colors)

Step 6: Frontside Painted Details

Angel:

Using a toothpick, I gently dotedt on white acrylic paint to create a cloud. This will be where the angel is seated.

Beneath the cloud, I used another toothpick to apply yellow acrylic paint to be the flames. Then I applied red-orange acrylic paint on top of the yellow flames with a sewing pin.

Next, I used yellow-orange acrylic paint and begin painting the angel! (I practiced on a piece of paper since I only had one shot at this step)

I then used another toothpick and dotted on a mix of grey and yellow acrylic paint to create the wings. Then I used a tiny-tipped paintbrush to create a streak on each wing using yellow acrylic paint.

Finally, I used another toothpick with red acrylic paint and add the hair!

Landscape:

I painted the designated section for the tiny landscape using light blue acrylic paint. Then I used light green acrylic paint and a tiny-tipped paintbrush to paint the bottom half.

For the sun, I placed a dot of red-orange acrylic paint. For the mountains, I painted tiny triangles of dark brown acrylic paint and add strokes of white for highlights. I then applied white acrylic paint in a dotting pattern for the clouds.

Next, I applied a stroke of yellow acrylic paint to be the road leading to the mountains. I used darker green acrylic paint to be the bushes. Finally, I placed white, light pink, and reddish-pink dots of acrylic paint to be the flowers.

Back to the Angel:

With a tiny-tipped paintbrush, I added slightly watered down yellow acrylic paint directly above the angel's head, and above that, I added slightly watered down brown acrylic paint. This is the angel's halo.

I used another toothpick with silver paint and very carefully painted on the triangle and rod that the angel holds.

Lastly, I used a toothpick and yellow acrylic paint and placed dots around the angel. These are the stars!

Step 7: Finished Result! (Complete Painted Frontside)

Step 8: Sketching the Backside Design

Flipping to the back, I used a sharpened pencil to sketch the backside design.

Step 9: Backside Painting (Guitar Body)

Now we can begin painting the backside!

Starting with the circle, I painted the outermost part of the rim with a mix of blue, green, and grey acrylic paint. In the inner part of the rim, I painted with bright green.

Inside of the circle, I began painting a distinctly layered gradient of red, orange-red, followed by orange, then a yellow center.

After I finished painting the circle, I started to paint the rest of the guitar according to the reference pictures.

Step 10: Finished Painted Backside

Step 11: Making the Neck (Sketch, Cut, Glue, Sand, Paint)

Since the detail in the shape of the head of the guitar is too tiny to pick up while tracing an image, I decided to sketch it instead.

I sketched the guitar head and neck onto a piece of paperboard and cut it out. I then traced the cut out with a pen onto other areas of the paperboard, creating about 2-3 layers. I then stacked and glued the layers with Tacky Glue.

Once dried, I sanded the edges smooth with a nail file. Then, I added a base coat of white acrylic paint.

Lastly, I slightly bent the head of the guitar back.

Step 12: Sketching Head and Neck Designs (Front and Back)

Using a sharpened pencil, I sketched out the designs of the head and neck of the guitar (frontside and backside) according to reference images.

Step 13: Painting the Neck and Head (Frontside)

Now working on the guitar head, I painted it according to reference pictures.

As for the neck, I used a piece of paper to make a guide for the frets. I made distinct lines marking the top of the head, beginning of the neck, and the end of the neck. Then, I marked where each fret will go.

After, I painted only the front and sides of the neck with black acrylic paint.

Using the paper guide I just made, I used a toothpick and silver acrylic paint and painted a straight line across to make the frets.

Lastly, I used the guide to mark where the position markers go, then applying them onto the neck using a toothpick and silver paint.

Step 14: Painting the Neck and Head (Backside)

I painted the backside of the neck/head according to reference pictures!

Step 15: Finished Head and Neck (Frontside and Backside)

Step 16: Glue on the Neck!

I used Super Glue to very carefully attatch the guitar neck directly on top of the guitar body!

Step 17: Final Details (Frontside)

For final finishing touches, I added the tone and volume controls, as well as the guitar's pickups.

To make the tone and volume controls, I used a toothpick to add 4 thick dots of black acrylic paint over the painted flames. Next to the top left knob, I used another toothpick and silver acrylic paint and place a dot. I then repeated this step on the bottom right knob, but instead with black acrylic paint.

For the details on the tone and volume controls, I used a toothpick to add 4 smaller dots of gold acrylic paint on top of each dot of black paint. On the tiny silver dot, I used a sewing pin to place a dot of black paint in the center. I did the same with the black dot of paint on the bottom right, but instead dotted it with silver paint.

To make the guitar's pickups, I flattened a piece of black craft foam and cut out two very tiny rectangles. I applied it to the guitar with Tacky Glue, placing the first one a space away from the neck, and the second one a space beneath the first.

Taking a piece of silver paper, I cut out two smaller rectangles. I glued the silver paper to the center of the black craft foam. I took a toothpick and silver acrylic paint and placed a dot on either end of the of the craft foam. Above the first pickup, I used a toothpick and black acrylic paint and added two dots.

Underneath the second pickup, I took a tiny and thin rectangle of silver paper and glued it underneath. Then I used a sewing pin and dotted across the paper with black acrylic paint.

Lastly, I moved up to the head of the guitar and used a toothpick and silver acrylic paint to place dots where the tuning pegs go.

Step 18: Final Details (Tuning Pegs)

To make the tuning pegs was sort of tricky.

I heated up my hot glue gun and allowed a small amount of glue to spill over the nozzle. Then, taking a toothpick, I used the very tip to gather an extremely tiny amount. As soon as the glue was on the toothpick, I used my fingers to press the glue on the toothpick flat.

After the glue dried, I cut off the very tip of the toothpick (see picture). I made 6 in total!

To attatch them, I used Super Glue along the side of the guitar head. I attatched them on the side of the head beside each silver dot (the markers).

Step 19: Very Final Details!

After all the pegs are securely attatched, I painted both sides of them with silver paint!

On the guitar head's backside, I used a toothpick and silver acrylic paint to add the tuning peg markers like I did on the front.

I then painted on a vibrato tailpiece as seen on the original Fool guitar by painting a silver rectangle with a toothpick on the bottom of the frontside of the guitar.

For the very last detail I made an output jack! I added a tiny drop of hot glue to the bottom of the guitar and once dried, painted with silver paint!