Kudos to Flickr user Obajoo, who went and did what none of us are brave enough to do: despite having no previous experience, she added this classy design of two silhouetted birds to her Metallic Rose DS. Writing about the process on her blog, Obajoo makes it sound reasonably straightforward -- so much so that we're even beginning to think about contemplating whether or not to maybe consider customizing our DS. Hit up Obajoo's Flickr for more photos.
As folks who love the DS to be all kinds of different colors and modded inall mannerof amazing ways, we often stare at our boring white DS Lite and wish we could punch it up with some color. But, alas, we are far too afraid that even an attempt at taking out the screws would result in the handheld's failure to work any longer. Seriously, you should have seen the spice rack we tried to make back in wood shop. The thing was fugly.
Yet, we have found hope through a flickr photostream. One soul, who describes this ambitious project as their "first time to paint such a demanding job," really managed to set the bar for first attempts. Just looking at this thing, we can hardly believe that this person has never taken apart and painted a DS before. It's quality.
Does this give you a yearning to try and paint your own DS? Still too scared to give it a go?
Painting specialists ColorWare want to add some spice to your life by giving your DS a stylish new paint job, or by providing you with a brand-new custom unit.
The only thing that comes to mind, for us, is creating a DS themed after our favorite sports team and slapping a sticker on the top of the clamshell. And considering that we don't partake of the DS line-up of sports titles available, as we often favor the console variety, we can't really see that much appeal in giving the DS a splash of color.
But then we start thinking about what people with actual artistic ability could do with a professional paint job like this on their DS. True, most folks who mod their consoles and handhelds might prefer to do the painting themselves, as it all ties into the whole I made this part of it, but perhaps the time saved or price are the factors that could weigh heavily on someone's decision. Then again, we don't really know how much it would cost to paint something like a DS. Our skills lack.
Or maybe this can be a really expensive prank. Snatch a friend's DS, send it in and have them paint it puke green on top of puke green, that kind of thing? Actually, that might not be a bad way to get your own DS, because if our friend did that to us, we'd tell them to keep it.
It has been almost a year since we heard anything new about Fatbits Pocket Painter, and we were beginning to worry that the project had been abandoned. While homebrewers already have Colors! to satisfy their DS-digital-painting needs, we really wanted to see what Bob Sabiston, the programmer behind Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly's Rotoshop software, had come up with.
Dismissing concerns of its halted development, the painting and animation application has appeared at GDC, this time under the name Inchworm. Along with its reintroduction comes a new site packed with tutorial videos and user-uploaded samples/flipbooks. Artists can easily create and share their work online, all with a robust selection of drawing and editing tools.
One unique feature we spotted in Inchworm is the ability to draw under a painting without having to create and move around new layers. Very useful for animation, we hear!
We're not sure if Inchworm has found a publisher yet, but we hope someone helps this program hit the mainstream market. Bob Sabiston definitely sees potential in the software: "If people can make money selling math and brain teasers to kids, imagine how popular a program that lets you draw and make cartoons [would be]!"
Does this count as a furry pinup? Is "fur" a requirement for these sort of dealings? And if you're the kind of person who is really intodragons, wouldn't these anthropomorphised features (e.g. blonde hair, humanoid limbs, and dragon breasts all up in your grill) turn you off?
Apparently not! Upon seeing the above piece, deviantART member RajginKisaragi commented, "Very beautiful job! I'm glad to be a dragon looking at this ... *Boing*" There you have it, straight from the dragon's maw! A real-life dragon, at that!
Natasha "Dark Natasha" Mleynek painted the lid of this Black GBA SP back in 2004 for a friend. While the subject doesn't fit our tastes in either women or dragons, we recognize that Natasha is very skilled in her craft; there are few, if any, technical flaws with this customization. Believe us, she could have done a lot worse. Also, she added a layer of clear coat paint to protect her artwork from any man-handling.
eBay seller and DSdecorator viper640_0 is back, this time with an Onyx Lite worked over with a Zelda motif. We're digging the color scheme and the general approach, but the triforce seems like a bit much. Disagree? Well, the whole spiffy package can be yours for a mere $200, and it comes straight from POWER SELLER VILLAGE. That's how you know it's quality.
In order to achieve that smooth shine, the system was disassembled, sanded, primed, spray painted, then finished with a high gloss clear coat. Shawn chose the metallic sparkling purple, the color of royalty, because it's his girlfriend's favorite color. You can follow the project's progress and see more photos of the painted DS on Shawn's Flickr set.
A custom-painted Halo-themed DS Lite, that is. What, did you think we meant the game? Nope, it's just a chance for you to meld your fandoms -- and mention the game that might have been at every opportunity. Or you can just talk about Halo 3. We hear that one is pretty popular.
Hit the break for more pictures! Or, if this tickles your fancy, head on over to eBay and get your bid on.
eBay seller viper640_0 (who hails from POWER SELLER VILLAGE, apparently, which is near A+++ town), has posted two custom DS Lite paint jobs featuring those wily Pokémon. Rather than going on at length about these hot little numbers, we'll let viper640_0 tell you all about them:
Dont pay 350.00 or more for Pokémon Diamond & Pearl DS-Lite when you can have this one and save 100.00 or more. (Well, tell us more!)
Note: there are some small imperfections in the clear coat. but this is still an awsome work of art!!! (Hmm, the number of exclamation points raise suspicion.)
I took a Crimson Red & Black ds -lite and made it 200% better (Well, it's certainly de-seniored, at least.)
This DS-Lite is awsome in every way. (But will it wash the car? That would be pretty awesome.)
There's another custom job up for auction as well -- another retooled Crimson and Black Lite -- that is Poké-free. At least, we think so. It's hard to tell exactly what that is. We are, however, sure that it would be just perfect for that "birthday Girl or Boy."
Read - Diamond & Pearl Lite
Read - Pink Pikachu Lite
Still on the fence about homebrew? This demonstration of what is possible with the homebrew drawing program Colors! will boot you off the fence and send you shopping for an R4. All you need to create gorgeous watercolor-looking portraits like this one is homebrew capability, the Colors! program, and to be Joe Quinones. Which, unfortunately, you aren't. Unless you are, in which case you've already seen these. In addition to this portrait, he painted a lovely Princess Leia portrait that we think would be quite an achievement even if it hadn't been made with a DS. It proves that Star Wars fan works don't necessarily have to be embarrassing for everyone involved or watching. [Thanks, Jason!]
However hilariously fitting Elyssa's initials might seem, this personalized DS Phat looks leagues better than the previous project we featured. Nintendo actually threatened a recall after seeing that deformed system.
Working under her deviantArt alias, Fruitsexual (lol), Elyssa spent three hours decorating her handheld with plastic paint, immortalizing her favorite video game character and Fire Emblem hero Marth. She must have been really happy to hear that Fire Emblem DS would be a remake of the first game in the series, Marth's debut.
But probably not as happy as Kitanara, who commented on the customized Nintendo DS, "Uuuhh ... *moans and shivers* Marth is the best ... I luff him." Having a name like Fruitsexual must attract strange company, we suppose.
Picross not enough to fulfill your painting obsession? Fear not, for Paint by DS is on the way. But this is not your math-friendly grid environment; this is a full-fledged painting sim that challenges you to recreate the works of the masters.
What seems like a simple title -- there are fifteen different paintings, as well as a few minigames that offer players a break from the painting grind -- shows some surprising depth when we take a closer look. Before undertaking a project, you're challenged with a choice of materials, from paint to canvas or paper, just as you would be with a real painting. You can also mix your own colors and save them for later ... and if you mess up, that's just too bad. There's no neat, clean "undo" function, but you can utilize realistic techniques to clean up your work as you go.
For hardcore artists, Paint by DS may be too simple, but for those just embarking on an artistic hobby, or those who like to play around with paint without the mess, this one sounds like it might be worth looking into. Between this, Picross, and Drawn to Life, it looks like DS developers are finally utilizing the stylus in a very obvious way -- and we can only hope for more!
No amount of failed modding experiments or roadsideaccidents could've prepared us for the "personalized" DS Lite we saw in Marion Hemming's deviantART gallery, a homemade project so terrible in its realization, we winced and turned to the side as it loaded on our screens, unable to look at it straight on.
To be safe, we've sealed its frightful visage past the post break, away from the casual reader's view. If you believe that Marion's "paint job" is something you'd like to see, then by all means, head past the jump. We stongly advise, however, that you keep your mouse pointer near, if not directly on, your browser's back button; you might find its mutilated face to be much more than what you bargained for.
Who needs a real canvas and messy paints when you have your DS! You have to love the technological age. And, while some of us aren't as capable to discuss the homebrew scene as others, we feel the two painting applications featured are something anyone could use.
The first is Colors!, a program drawing heavy inspiration from the Wacom cowboys who rock Photoshop and Painter. This program even allows users to save up to 9 different paintings, plus other neat stuff like picture mirroring and instant replays. You can even transfer images created to your PC.
Phidias also allows you to bring out your creative side on the DS. Users can utilize such effects as smudging or blurring, as well as name the paintings they save. As evidenced in the image embedded in this post, you can create some smooth skies and choppy water.
Any of you Picassos out there thinking about giving these a whirl?
Remember Núshio's DS? When last we checked it out, it was a work in progress that needed a fresh coat, and we got to see the paint job every step of the way. Well, with the help of friends Kiwii and Kenryu, it's now finished, and Núshio is free to silently shout his fandom to the heavens every time he picks up his DS.
Above is a shot of the finished project; below, we've attached the gallery from before, for comparison purposes. We also notice that he has a couple of guardians looking out for his machine when he's not around. Clever ploy -- you knew we were considering taking it, didn't you? Shenanigans.
Got something you want to show off? Crafts, cakes, collections from modest to extreme, t-shirts ... whatever you've got, if it has a little Nintendo flavor, we want to see it. Just take some pictures (or copy your web album links) and send them to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest.
Not all custom paint jobs end up looking quite as nice as Obajoo's. Take, for example, Elyssa's Marth tribute, viper640_0's misguided Triforce design, or this frankly frightening custom GBA. On second thoughts, we might leave ours as it is.
It has been almost a year since we heard anything new about 
Picross not enough to fulfill your painting obsession? Fear not, for 
Who needs a real canvas and messy paints when you have your DS! You have to love the technological age. And, while some of us aren't as capable to discuss the homebrew scene as 
