I’m not going to give you Webster’s version, instead, here’s my own… To Uncap What’s Inside means to let your true colors show; to express yourself, to let your personality and creativity out and embrace what makes you, YOU!  At Sharpie, we believe that these markers and pens can help people express themselves creatively, turning the everyday into one-of-a-kind works of art – something uniquely your own! 

Here is a perfect example of a 12 year old girl who has taken this phrase to heart and has done just that – she Uncapped What’s Inside of her!

12 year old Maddie Chaffer of Grand Rapids, Michigan is an avid Beatles fan and wanted to stand out from the crowd when entering 7th grade.  With an assortment of Sharpies, she “Yellow Submarined” her trombone and will certainly stand out from the crowd with her MaddieC. Original musical instrument! 

Thanks for sharing your idea with us Maddie! Way to Uncap!

Get out your Sharpie and see what you can do!  

Upload your pics to the Gallery at SharpieUncapped.com

Let me introduce you to Peter Mullin, the mastermind behind the creativity, the art, and of course, the cool factor of OPC Kicks.  Since sixth grade, Mullins has been using sneakers as his canvas- transforming them, with paint and Sharpie markers, into virtually new shoes!  Soon after rockin’ his custom kicks around school, his friends wanted in on the action!

“Ever since I did my first pair, I started getting used shoes from my friends and customizing their shoes.”   

Realizing his potential and that of his product, Mullins began selling OPC Kicks on Ebay.  Wanting to spread the brand further, he created an OPC Kicks page on Facebook where he could promote and show off his shoes.  After receiving so much positive feedback, this sneaker savant is now designing and selling both new and used custom designed shoes to people all over the internet! 

What DREW (pun-intended) you to painting shoes?  I always have had a love for shoes; my favorite thing to do was to find the craziest shoes on the market.  Then I wanted cooler and more colorful shoes that were exclusive - that no one else could have.

Be honest…how many pairs of shoes do you own? And Does the shoe have to match the outfit?  Haha!  This is probably one of my favorite questions to be asked…My mom and Dad think I’m crazy, but I have 31 pairs of shoes.  I have my favorites, including my customs, some very rare Nike Dunks and, of course Jordans.  There is nothing better then waking up and looking at which pair to pick, and especially putting a new pair on!   But NO… my shoes don’t always match the outfit.  Sometimes though, because the girls like it…and I like to match too.  But sometimes I just like wearing whatever shorts I have clean so that people can see the full image of the shoes I am wearing. I also like when they POP out more than my clothes.

Why did you choose Facebook.com to be a main outlet to spread the word about your business?  When more and more people started asking to see my work and not having a way to show them, I made a profile for OPC KICKS.  It was easy to create and easy for friends to get to.  Once I created the page I was getting crazy friend requests and getting awesome messages from people supporting the shoes and my business. That got me more and more pumped up to work harder and keep on putting up more pictures.  It just seemed like people were using Facebook a lot more then other sites.

Well, now that our friendship is OFFICIAL seeing as we are FaceBook friends and all… I read on your profile that you only paint Air Force Ones.  Why is that?  Where do you get them? I have [worked on] other types of shoes before and they never ended up looking as good as the Air Force Ones. I like the Nike Air Force Ones because they are so simple and everyone (especially me) loves Nike. It seems like they were made to be customized because they have good sized proportions to be painted. To me, Nike Air Force Ones seem to be the most clean and original shoes to ever hit the shoe market.  I have an awesome shoe connect too, who I met on Ebay.  I bought my first case of 16 shoes from him, one of the biggest purchases at that time, and was nervous of a scam but then two days later; sure enough a huge box was waiting on my front porch when I got home from school.  Ever since that first case, I would just call and tell him when I needed more and he would ship them out.   Now he ships me 3-4 cases of shoes at a time, at an amazing price!

Do you know every word to Air Force Ones by Nelly? Haha No. I do not.  I like the song a lot but I’m more of a Kanye West and Lil’ Wayne fan.

What kind of Sharpie markers do you use on OPC Kicks? Favorite Sharpie? I use the original fine point Sharpie.  My favorite Sharpie color is RED, but I defiantly use BLACK the most.   Each pair I do has Sharpie on it somewhere, whether it is outlining, detailed designs, or putting someone’s name or a number on the shoe.

Why Sharpies? Why do you like them? Sharpie markers are the bomb, they never come of the shoes, and I can add more detail that can’t really be done with a paint brush!

What goes into designing a shoe? How long does it take? Usually I like to free hand my shoes, especially the ones sold on Ebay. But I also get a lot of orders from people wanting specific designs or colors.  On an order like that, I draw it up to show what the shoe will look like and make sure it is exactly what the person wants.  After that I have to rub down the shoes with a special chemical to take of the factory gloss finish from the leather.   After mixing paint with the right chemicals, [making his own paint cuts costs by 10-15 dollars] I GO TO WORK! 

Time really depends on how complex the paint job is.  I can finish some, complete and ready to wear, in 3 hours.  Others, I could spend up to 10 hours on.   I try to work on 3 to 4 shoes at a time which saves time while paint is drying.

How do you cover up/correct a mistake? If you ever do you ever mess up, that is! Not perfect yet…but if I mess up I can rub it right off before the paint dries. I try to keep the steadiest hand I possible.  Messing up with Sharpie isn’t too noticeable but if it is either I try to make it into a whole new free hand design or start all over on a new pair!  And that big of a mess has only ever happened twice!

Do you have any funny stories using Sharpie markers that you could share? The really funny ones are just drawing on somebody with Sharpie when they fall asleep!  One time, my friend fell asleep really early at a family graduation party and the parents were not too happy about that.  He had his shirt off already so, four friends and I got as many Sharpies together as we could find and went crazy on him!   Drawing full-body Sharpie art all over him – including drawing a TUXEDO and whatever else we could think of, all over him.

*Note*  Sharpie does not support or promote the drawing/writing on your own or others’ skin with Sharpie permanent ink.

Who are your main buyers? A lot are from school, as well as people who have heard about me and have personal orders.  I’ve been getting a lot of calls from moms wanting custom shoes to give to their sons or daughters as birthday or graduation presents.  The bulk of my shoes, I would say, are definately sold through Ebay.

If you could design a shoe for any one person (athlete, celebrity, musician, politician, singer, etc.) who would it be? That’s a pretty hard question…but if I were to choose one it would probably be Kanye West.  He is always wearing some of the craziest shoes, plus I really like his older music.

Does every shoe have a different design or do you make several of each? A lot of my shoes are one-of-a-kind, especially personal orders.  If they’re just a certain color scheme that sold high, I’ll make more.  BUT if the listing says “One-of-a-Kind,” there will never be another pair made like it.

Aside from painting some really cool sneakers, what else do you enjoying doing on your down time? I really enjoy hanging out with my friends. I spend a good amount of time with my friends, but when I’m not with them, I love playing lacrosse, the original Halo 2 every once in a while, playing roller hockey, and just chilling and enjoying the free time.

Look into your crystal-Air Force One OPC Kicks- ball, now, what do you see for the future OPC Kicks?  I love the creative questions!   I would really like to start designing more and more shoes.  After a couple vacations this summer, I am going do be working on shoes like none other.  Once I start planning more time to work, I think OPC Kicks is going to start blowing up a lot more!   If things go really well during the school year, I would love to open up my own boutique, or maybe start a website throughout college then open the store…  I’d love to just do shoes all day but I like keeping my good grades and am getting very excited to go to college

Where can we find OPC Kicks? You can find me on Ebay!  I have 3 accounts right now and in about a week, I’m going to have a ton of new customs shoes up! 

Most Used:  opckicks

Second Used: opc_kicks

Third Used: opc_kicks09

Anything else you’d like to add?  Staying in contact with you [Sharpie] has made me want to work harder and harder!  So I would just like to thank you for keeping in touch!   [what a nice guy! Sharpie loves OPC Kicks!]

***Be sure to satisfy your OPC Kicks craving by checking out Peter’s custom designed sneakers on Ebay and ‘Friend’ OPC Kicks on Facebook!  

UNCAP WHAT’S INSIDE!

“A lot of people didn’t believe me that the dress and suit were done in Sharpie, I guess the idea sounded a little crazy to some people. Others thought we bought them, but little did they know both the dress and the suit started out completely white.”

HEY guys and girls! With the new school season about to start… who says it’s too early to start planning PROM!?? You only have one right? Well, see how Amy decked out her prom outfit… and she probably saved a fortune doing it.

Q: How did you come up with the idea to make outfits for prom?

Ekbom: It was actually my boyfriend who made me think of it. He wanted to wear a suit that looked absolutely ridiculous, and we already owned a white suit and a white dress, so I figured we could save some money and look extra unique by having matching outfits. 

Q: How big is your Sharpie collection?

Ekbom: I have a good sized box full of Sharpie markers, and Sharpie products only. During the process of making the dress & suit I was constantly running out of black markers, so over the period of time that I was making them, I probably bought a pack of black markers every other week.  Sharpie was the only product I would trust with a project like this. The colors are bold and vibrant, and from my experience of using them they never run.  I wanted to use something that I knew I could trust to look good, and last long. There was really no second guessing myself with what I was going to use.

Q: What specific Sharpie tools do you use? Markers, pens, etc.
Ekbom: I use the standard fine point permanent markers, ultra-fine point markers, retractable markers, water based (and a few oil based) paint markers, and my personal favorite Sharpie Accent highlighter liquid pens. 

Before and After

What a date!

Q:How long does it take you to make an outfit (on average)?
Ekbom: For this particular project, I worked on and off from the time I found out the date of prom. Overall it took about 2 or 3 months to complete. Although it could have been a shorter amount of time if I wasn’t also busy with school work.

Q: What’s your favorite outfit/piece of the outfit?
Ekbom: My favorite piece out of the whole set was the dress, not only because I got to wear it but it was a bigger canvas and the material was a lot easier to draw on.

Q: What were people’s reactions after seeing your Sharpie prom outfits? 
Ekbom: A lot of people didn’t believe me that the dress and suit were done in Sharpie, I guess the idea of that sounded a little crazy to some people. Others thought we bought them, but little did they know both the dress and the suit started out completely white.

Q: Have you had any requests from friends or family to make their prom outfits?
Ekbom: I have actually had no requests for another prom outfit, but people ask me all the time if I will draw on other articles of clothing, or just draw them a picture.

Q: Do you draw on other “everyday clothing” or was this a one time thing?
Ekbom: I suppose this all started when I drew on a hat (worn in the picture) for my boyfriend. Since then I’ve used Sharpie to draw on 4 different hats, the prom outfits, and pair of pants and 2 shirts. I’m hoping to get a pair of white Converse and draw on them as well.

Learn more about Amy! www.myspace.com/cool_kid_with_amyspace 

Amy’s Contact: xoamyox38@yahoo.com

This is no ordinary 17-year-old. This man's got skills...

Garcia: I’ve been drawing since I was 13. I was influenced by a graffiti drawing my sister brought home from school one of her friends did for her. Since then I’ve taught myself new techniques and forms of art there was to be learned. I would really like to explore the different types of art and things there are to be offered, but then again…money isn’t always around to help out. 

Dragon Ball Z

Q: What are the main types of shoes you draw on?

Garcia: Plain white canvas Vans and High top Converse are the shoes I focus on the most for their material. High top converse and Vans are very useful for all the space they provide me with to draw. It’s so easy to draw on and works great with the sharpies. No smears or smudges except for water. That’s a big problem I have right now. Protecting the art. It would be nice if I could experiment with the different types of paints and art supplies to better my designs though. Other colored shoes aren’t great with multi colored sharpie art which is why I stick with white.

Q: Why are Sharpie products a good fit for this?

Garcia: Well I have tried pens and other plain school markers, map colors and pencils. No other writing utensils match up to the great sharpie. If only there were a greater variety of colors to choose from. I’m sure there is or maybe I just haven’t heard of them. But I love the easy glide sharpie gives when drawing on the shoe. It makes it so much easier than having to constantly go over the same spots again and again. Thin sharpies don’t bleed as much as thick sharpies do on the canvas that’s why I prefer them most. And sharpie also keeps its thick bold color on any surface.

Q: What specific Sharpie tools do you use? Markers, pens, etc.

Garcia: Since I discovered my talent for drawing on shoes from the beginning I’ve only been using thin sharpies. Once in a while I’ll use thick

Got my vans on but they look like sneakers...

 sharpies to save time for bigger spaces to be filled on the shoes. Everything I do is done free hand. I don’t use any stencils. As for measurements and shape placements, I just wing it and hope it comes out as I plan.

Q: How long does it take for you to complete a design on a pair of shoes?

Garcia: My last design took me three hours. And I believe that was the longest time than I took on any pair before. FYI my last pair was the pair with the Looney Toons and Cars on separate shoes that I just posted on the sharpie website. I have so many ideas and people’s opinions to help me out all I need is a great supply of materials to get the job done. Not only do I get to spend days and possibly my lifetime doing something I love but I also get paid for it.

Q: What’s your favorite design you have made? Why?

Garcia's favorite... I think it's mine too!

Garcia:The Looney tunes design is my favorite. Since I came up with that idea I knew it was gonna be a seller. I loved the challenge and the different characters it involved. So unique. That shoe itself took me about an hour and a half. The first day I advertised them I got so many compliments, requests and phone numbers. It was amazing to me and flattering at how many people admired my shoes. It was definitely worth the time and always will be.

Q: Do you wear the shoes? Sell them?

Garcia: I wear the shoes every day. I only have a pair for myself but I wish I had the money to have a different pair everyday. I do sell them as well. Right now for very cheap as a matter of fact. 40 dollars isn’t much in my pocket. Especially when I have to keep providing myself with more supplies. I’ve been told by so many people though that I’m under-charging and that I could be charging near the hundreds and possibly more.

Q: Have friends or family asked you to draw designs for them?

Garcia: Everyday. I do do my family’s shoes for free

Q: Anything else you’d like to share that I didn’t ask?

Garcia: Yes. Well, I’ve recently been offered a job in Corpus Christi for an underground clothing line. I don’t really trust the owners and my family knows how long I’ve been waiting for my time to be noticed. I’ve looked around so much and as far as this interview, this seems the closest I’ve gotten to being in that limelight. And even if this doesn’t go as I planned I’d like to thank you for requesting this interview and helping me out any way you can. Thank you.

See more of Aj’s Work  http://www.myspace.com/ajgarcia19

Hit him up for shoes!  snbntaurelio@hotmail.com

Visit www.sharpieuncapped.com for more ideas on how to get creative with Sharpie.

 

Rad Rider posted this on pinkbike.com.  Here, in the words of the artist himself…

After being inspired by a Lamborghini with a Sharpie paint job, I decided to take apart my BLK MRKT Riot and start to work. When I first started I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into and wasn’t sure what people would think of it.  After posting my first picture to Pinkbike and getting a bunch of positive feed back I kept at it and this is the final product.

Although there seem to have been attempts by bike manufacturers to apply art to their products, they never seem to go all out, and when you hear of a unique or custom bike you think of maybe a mono color painted frame with matching colored components. Even before I saw the Sharpie’d Lambo I was thinking about different ways of making my bike truly unique and artistic.

At first I was set on an 80′s theme that I was going to airbrush onto the bike, although this may have seemed like a good idea I have never worked with an air brush gun and also do not own one. So when I got the influenced idea of Sharpie graffiti I started right away. At first I started with a bullet and casing since it seemed to go well with the BLK MRKT theme and from there on I pretty much just “went with the flow” and incorporated some textures and idea’s from friends at school and on the Pinkbike forums.

At first I was using a normal Sharpie and it seemed to work great, and then for some reason I switch to what I thought was an old sharpie because of its red logo. It wasn’t till 3 days after I started that I realized it was an industrial strength Sharpie and once I realized this and looked at my frame I could see almost all of the area’s I used the normal Sharpie wearing off. If it wasn’t for this industrial strength Sharpie I doubt this project would have turned out as well as it did.  So since all I have been using is a sharpie you can tell this was an extremely cost effective project and surprisingly The Sharpie lasted the entire bike.

Although it may seem something like this might only take a few hours on a piece of paper, and I also thought this when I started. It actually turned out to be very tricky and difficult to get a steady and consistent line on the curved surface. So, what started out as a relatively quick project turned out to take me close to 50 hours in total, but it was definitely worth every hour.