The eye is very "Series of Unfortunate Events" like. Apparantly the people who lived there before you were members of the VFD...

That eye is so VERY creepy. Do you get the sense that even if you painted over it it will still be there, watching you? Can't you scrubb it off a little and then paint over it? Or maybe you feel the eye as a benevolent spirit and who am I to suggest otherwise...

Everything was drawn with some sort of grease crayon-- when we scrubbed it just smeared...and it mixed with the primer. I think we're going to just have to put a million coats of paint over it...

My daughter's friends wrote on her wall with nail polish, lipstick and permanent marker. It took at least four coats of Kilz to obliterate Cameron's infatuation with Reid Gilbert - and then it was only the final paint coat that did it.

They make a paint called KILZ that will cover over that stuff and then you can prime and paint whatever you want.
Good luck
Tom

That's an interesting upside down cross the previous tenants left on the wall there. Were the blood stains from their ritualistic sacrifices hard to remove too?

That is actually the eye AFTER one coat of KILZ.

A visitor to the apt offered to give us holy water b/c of the upside down cross...

I think you should try to change the context of the eye by girling it up with some drawn on mascara, lipstick and perhaps even a colorful scarf. oh...and turn the upside down cross into a kite.

It might be too late now, but Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser advertises that it can erase crayon on walls.
http://www.startsampling.com/sm/7443/product.iphtml?item=7443&source=%20
I've never actually tried it on crayon, but have found it to be magically effective on everything I've used it on.

i LOVE the mr. clean eraser. unfortunately, the ceiling was so high that it would have been hard to scrub with. plus, the crayon was the oil-based kind...in the end we just primed it and will give it a few more coats over the next day or so.

I kind of like the eye and the infinity symbol. It seems like an Old Time Religion house blessing.

I just screamed. Out loud. At work. While I was supposed to be working on my dissertation defense presentation. I just shouted "AAAHHH! What the Hell is THAT?" and I got busted. I blame the eye.

Maybe you paint, then prime, then paint again...

If primer fails - try Artist Gesso for Acrylic Paints (avail at Utrecht or Pearl etc)

Also... having been through a big clean up when I moved into my current apartment. I found that that stuff called OXY clean - does wonders on crayon on walls, black grout betweeen tiles, funky stuff in the fridge vegetable drawer. Not sure if you do, but just taking a guess based on the apartments previous decorating scheme.

Didn't I see this on an X-Files episode?

Can't you cut it out--or scrape it off and then fill it in with that stuff you fill in holes from old hanging photos? You know, and then sand it down smooth and paint over it? Sounds drastic, but is it not a possibility? And what's with the "ceilings so high" bit? Get a big ladder.

um, have you ever stood on an 8' ladder that rests on an uneven floor while scrubbing on the ceiling over your head? it's a little frightening.

i think a few coats of paint will do the trick.

get a bigger ladder NOW