Hardware · build

A TikTok-famous Etch A Sketch clone built from electronics

Overtinker built a device modeled on the Etch A Sketch, meant to make you more creative instead of less. The source shows only a short video and a caption.

Can I build this?Intermediate · AI 3/5 · $30–60

Difficulty: Intermediate
AI-buildability: 3/5
Time: A weekend
Cost: $30–60

Tools

soldering iron3D printer

Starter prompt

Based on "A TikTok-famous Etch A Sketch clone built from electronics" on Afterware: https://afterware.xyz/p/a-tiktok-famous-etch-a-sketch-clone-built-from-electronics

Write firmware for an ESP32-S3 with a small color LCD and two rotary encoders. Turning the left encoder moves a pen horizontally and the right one vertically, drawing a continuous line on the screen. Add a button that clears the canvas, and keep the last drawing in memory.

Estimates based on the original write-up. How AI-buildability is scored. Building with an AI assistant? Connect it to Afterware (free MCP server).

Story

Overtinker built a drawing device modeled after the Etch A Sketch, pitched as a gadget that makes you more creative instead of less. The maker says the project took a long time and that they learned a lot along the way.

The video is the only source material, so the electronics, controls and display aren't documented here. If you want to try a similar build, the Etch A Sketch concept is the core: two rotary controls drive a pen on a screen, and a shake clears the canvas.