ElectriCute - Elastolite Tattoo
Check out today's edition of ElectriCute to build a light-up tattoo made with Elastolite.
In today's episode of "ElectriCute," Creative Technologist Nick and Techstyle Specialist Dia build an awesome light-up temporary tattoo made with an Elastolite Panel.
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If you're looking to start working with Elastolite - our flexible, waterproof EL material - this is a great video to get your started.
Check out the video and feel free to leave any questions or comments below! Special thanks to SparkFun Engineer Toni for graciously offering to model the tattoo!
Interested in learning more about LEDs?
See our LED page for everything you need to know to start using these components in your project.
I posted these comments on the You tube page for this but think it would also be good to post them here.
mactac makes a vinyl that is white but with a black underlayment that blocks light. Much easier than two layers of vinyl. Its called IMAGin digiTrans™ product number JDT429 bad news that it only comes in 54 and 60 width rolls. ETA: Its a printable vinyl and with the right printer so you could print the model's skin tone on to it.
Also if you could have extended the decal further than the panel, rounded the corners and maybe made the edges wavy, you could have blended it in better. Nothing screams sticker like straight lines.
Not sure how well the adhesive on the vinyl would affect skin. Its designed to stick to things like the sides of vehicles for 3 to 5 years so it maybe too aggressive.
Thanks for the vinyl tip! Agreed, the straight lines are what will kill the effect in the end. Letting the decal overrun the panel is a good idea.
It also just occurred to me that it may have worked to mask the positive part of the image with vinyl, paint the thing with a thick liquid latex and then remove the vinyl so that you're using latex as the masking material. That would allow for better blending around the edges.
I'd love to see someone with some serious make-up chops tackle this project.
You would still need the black vinyl to block out the light.
If you cut the black vinyl and then applied it without weeding it (removing the parts you don't want) first you get a light mask, the part that remains and a paint mask, the part you remove.
Yea I've been watching Face Off on Syfy for years and there is something that they spread out to make skin. But the contestants are always worried about the edges. Its what gives it away.
Maybe you will see something like this on the show. In just the last year or so they have started to use more stuff like EL wire.
Since this was posted, I have had the idea to add it to my Mandalorian costume i will be building.
Kandosii
Brilliant practical demonstration. Hey Nick, how about a similar example of using the green Rebel LEDs? I have been messing about with a few them and I feel no picture or description covers what these things can do, I want others to be aware of their potential.