Okay, so I wanted to recreate that crazy cool Al Rihla ball from the 2022 World Cup – not a real match one obviously, just a fun little project. Here’s how the whole thing went down.
Getting Started
First thing I did was hit up some local stores hunting for any soccer ball. Found this cheap plain white one for like five bucks – good enough to mess around with. Grabbed acrylic paints too: electric blue, fiery orange, bright yellow, a bold red, and of course black and white.
Prepping the Canvas
That ball needed serious cleaning! Used rubbing alcohol and a scratchy cloth to wipe off factory gunk. Sanded it gently too so the paint wouldn’t just slide off later. Taped off the black pentagon panels with masking tape – took forever not to overlap the edges.
Diving Into Colors
Started with big swooshes! Painted wild blue curves swirling across the white sections. Mixed orange with a little yellow and threw down some zig-zag lines. Made sure every stroke felt kinda fast, like the ball was moving. Waited a whole day between layers – patience sucks but smudged paint sucks worse.
Next came the details:
- Dots & Speckles: Dunked an old toothbrush in red and white paint, flicked bristles to spray tiny dots everywhere. Messy but perfect for that flying-debris vibe.
- Black Linework: Used a skinny brush to add those signature racing stripes along the blue areas. Hands shook like crazy but slow breaths helped steady them.
- Pentagon Edges: Peeled off the tape carefully then neatened lines with black paint. One accidental smear meant redoing half a panel… grrr.
Final Touches & Seal
Sprayed the whole thing with glossy varnish. Three thin coats, hanging from a tree branch between sprays. Left it baking in mild sun – quick dry plus extra shine. Almost dripped varnish on my shoe catching a fly ball mid-hang. Close call.
What Worked & What Didn’t
So this thing won’t survive a real kick around – it’s totally decorative now. But damn, the colors pop! Lessons learned:
- Acrylic holds decently on vinyl with prep, but chips easy on seams.
- Thick layers crack; thin coats dry better.
- Pattern chaos is freeing! No need for perfect symmetry.
It’s sitting on my shelf now looking all energetic. Reminds me of wild overtime goals whenever sunlight hits those blues. Worth every splatter!