Making Art Cars on the Cheap

Model Art Cars

Art cars are great. Maybe someday we’ll have the guts to art up our Prius, but in the meantime, we’re making miniature art cars. It’s easy and fun and doesn’t require quite the same level of investment that a full-size art car needs.

Model Art Car

Snap-together models are an easy way to start an art car, but more advanced models can be used as well. For models that require gluing and/or painting, much of that can be integrated into putting the art on. Or omitted entirely.
Model Art Car   Model Art Cars

We used a couple of techniques: super glue and hot glue. Super glue can easily damage the finish of the plastic, but works well for small parts like the googly-eyes. Hot glue is easy to work with but can be a little messy when you get too much on.
Model Art Car   Model Art Car

Our first miniature art car was made with super glue and a bag of googly-eyes. Not quite as incredible as the Googly-eyed car, but fun nonetheless.
Model Art Cars   Model Art Cars

We also made a Barracuda covered with sequins, reminiscent of Devolution, a Honda covered with AOL cds.
Model Art Cars   Model Art Cars

We put together a traditional mosaic art car, using similar materials to those on Glass Quilt, which we photographed at the 2006 ArtCar Fest.
Miniature Art Cars
Model Art CarWe had a very small art car gathering on our table. Googly-eyes won points for the cyclops effect on the grille.

For more art car fun, check out the Art Car Agency, Art Car Central, and the Flickr Art Cars Pool. And if you’re in the area, check out ArtCar Fest at Maker Faire in San Mateo on May 3 and 4.

3 thoughts on “Making Art Cars on the Cheap

  1. Googley-eyed cyclops car for the WIN!

    Now I want googley eyes that scale to fit a real car.

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