Painting 11 Vinyl Records From My Thrift Store Haul
I repurposed damaged vinyl records from thrift stores and antique shops by painting black and white portraits on them. Watch the process. ⬇
When I decided to paint some vinyl records, I had no idea whatsoever that record collecting had made such a big resurgence!
Vinyl records used to be relatively easy to find at thrift stores for reasonable prices, but this time around not so much...
I thought that because I was going to be painting vinyl records in less than perfect condition things would be a bit easier, but the fact that I was looking for recognizable artists still made it tough. So… let’s call it a wash.
Why didn’t I just buy some vinyl records from a record store?
Obviously, I could have swung by a record shop or two for some vinyl records, but I wanted to avoid that since that would be pricier while taking playable records off the market. I wanted to make every effort to choose heavily scratched/non-playable records to paint.
Plus... it was kind of fun to sift through an unpredictable selection.
What vinyl records were on my wish list?
Since I knew I wanted to paint black and white portraits onto the vinyl records, I was on the lookout for some legendary artists.
Genres I was hoping to come across included stuff like 90’s Hip Hop, Classic Rock, Reggae, and Soul. Finding widely recognizable musicians proved easier said than done.
Now, if you’re looking for something like, say, a Barry Manilow or an Engelbert Humperdinck, you shouldn’t have much of a problem. Buuuut... if you’re hoping to score a Tupac or Kiss album at the thrift store, then you’re going to have to visit a whole lot of shops. And that’s exactly what I did.
So, which vinyl records did I actually end up with?
After visiting an obscene amount of thrift stores (and a few antique shops), I ended up with some pretty cool vinyl records for this video.
My 90’s hip hop wish was granted when I came across a Notorious BIG album. Classic Rock was covered with both a Doors and Janis Joplin album. I was able to throw in a little reggae with a record from the iconic Bob Marley. I capped things off musically with Stevie Wonder, Buddy Holly, and Johnny Cash.
Now, where things got really exciting was when I realized I totally overlooked the potential of vinyl record soundtracks. That really allowed me to mix things up and broaden my search to actors and fictional characters.
That’s how I came to possess vinyl record soundtracks to ET, Superman, and the Broadway musical Wildcats starring none other than Lucille Ball.
An unexpected buy was an album by a band called Zebra, who I was not familiar with, but figured it could be fun throwing an animal into the mix.
Should you prime a vinyl record before painting?
The first step in the process was to get the records primed in some way. This served two purposes. One- to hide the scratches on the album and two- to help the paint stick to the record.
I used a water-diluted matte medium to accomplish this. This did leave the records with a matte look but without any cloudiness. Of course, streaking depends on how light your touch is and how long you’re willing to work at it.
Time to start painting the vinyl records!
I set out to finish painting all eleven records in three days. Why? Because I love setting ridiculous goals that stress me out to the point of insomnia. Why else?
Though I am very much used to painting celebrity portraits, these paintings being smaller and finer detailed definitely took longer than my typical art.
Though I don't paint black and white portraits nearly as much as full color, they always end up being some of my favorites. I love how even with the limited color palette they still end up feeling so detailed.
Watch the video and let me know which one’s your favorite!