Camo Painting Case Guide

Before we begin with the fun stuff, I will talk a bit more about the camouflaging process and techniques so you can become more familiar with camouflage. The purpose of camouflage is to cover and conceal, however, in this case we are just using it for the nice look it produces. There is no set technique how camouflage has to be applied. In the military, soldiers draw out wavy patterns with chalk and magic markers and label each area a specific color that corresponds with the color of paint they will use. However, since computer cases are smaller then military vehicles and we are using spray paint, this technique wouldn't be efficient. Also, standard military camouflage is composed of only four colors. Two of the colors should take up approximately 45% each of the surface while the other two take up a mere 5% each.

Finally, what we have all been waiting for: to break out the cans of spray paint. To begin, you will need to apply a layer or two of primer. Read the directions found on your specific paint can, but generally, you will want to spray from 12-18 inches away with light coats of paint. It is important that light coats be applied so the paint won't slowly drip. After the first layer of primer has dried, decide whether multiple layers of primer are required, depending upon how well you did spraying the primer and sanding of the case.

After your primer is dry, it is time to lay down your initial layer of paint. If you plan to not paint your case in a camouflage pattern, then simply use the color of paint you purchased. For proper camouflage techniques, the lightest color of paint you purchased will be your base coat (in my situation it will be the Sand 977). Going from light on the bottom to dark at the top will prevent any of the different paints from "bleeding" through a lighter color. After you have applied one layer of your base coat, let that dry for the appropriate time and then apply a second layer. Two layers should suit most cases fine.

When your base coat is dry, it is time to create some stripes on the case. This layer of paint, when finished, should cover approximately half of the case with the other half being the base coat. Paintings of these stripes don't have to be perfect; they can be a bit wavy and such depending upon the size of your case and its shape. Also, the distance between the stripes should be just a few inches but this can also depend upon the size of your case.

Next, in order to give a more camouflage look we are going to be painting some "blobs". These blobs can be formed by using some newspaper or art paper and cutting random "blob" shapes. The shapes should be somewhat wavy and shouldn't be too big; however, it can't be too small either. When these shapes have been cut out simply place them against your desired area to paint. Keeping in mind these blobs should only cover about 5% of the entire surface area. In our case, we used some leaves and pieces of plants to give a more realistic camouflage appearance.