Pursuing arts and crafts is the best way to release stress and melt away anxiety. It can also turn into a valuable hobby that gives you a sense of achievement and boosts your self esteem. If you’ve been searching for an appropriate craft for a while now, we might have just found the right one for you. Have you heard of diamond painting? It’s a mosaic art form that uses rhinestone crystals to create various types of subject paintings such as pattern compositions, animals, landscapes, fruits, and several others. It’s an amazing DIY hobby and a perfect way to improve your concentration and create mind-blowing pieces of art at the same time.
If you’re already engaged and want to know more about this colorful craft, follow this guide to know everything about diamond painting.
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Contents
Necessary Tools
A diamond painting kit will contain the following tools:
1. Printed Canvas
Available in various sizes, a printed canvas will form the base of your painting. You can choose your favorite print of any subject from the innumerable options available. You can get this canvas in either a thin and roll-able form or a thick board that needs no framing. The picture on the canvas will be in the form of pixels and numbers, with the legend provided on a side panel.
2. Resin Diamonds
The chosen subject and painting will have a certain color scheme that will follow the legend provided on the canvas. Your kit will include resin diamonds or rhinestones in those colors, with extra beads to compensate upon losing a few. Two types of diamonds are available- square drills and round drills. Artists at Pretty Neat Creative recommend round drills for beginners and to check and see if a painting is full or partial. Full drills mean that the whole painting is done using diamonds, while a partial drill only needs certain highlighted areas covered in diamonds.
3. Painting Pen
A painting pen is provided in the kit to pick up the diamonds while placing them on the canvas. The most common type is a wax pen that has a coat of wax. It helps the diamonds stick easily to the pen, making painting easier. It just requires sharpening when the stickiness of the wax seems to wear off. Another common pen is a traditional diamond painting drill pen. It simply requires dipping the tip in wax or glue to pick a diamond.
4. Glue or Wax
As suggested above, if you get a traditional diamond drilling pen in your kit, you will also receive glue or wax to dip it inside for a smoother process.
5. Plastic Tray
For ease of positioning the diamonds on the canvas, you will get a plastic tray in the kit that holds the diamonds while working. It’s a helpful tool for dividing the diamonds by colors and sorting them with ease.
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How to Diamond Paint?
Even though it’s extremely easy to follow, diamond painting will surely require some concentration and lots of patience, making the end result worth all the hard work. Follow these steps to enjoy a smooth diamond painting process.
Step 1: Prepare Your Canvas
If you have received a foldable canvas, unroll it and place it on a smooth surface. It might have a few creases or curves that need to be flattened by placing a heavy load on top of it. Tape all four corners. If you have a canvas board, you are ready to start painting.
Step 2: Get Your Tools Ready
Sort the diamonds according to their colors and place a few of them in the plastic tray provided. Make sure that they aren’t sticking to each other and have their flat sides on the bottom. You’ll also have a wax pad or a glue pad in your kit. Remove the protected film from the pad.
Step 3: Position Your Diamonds
Dip the tip of the pen in the wax or glue and pick a diamond of the preferred color. Start from one corner of the canvas for ease. Position the diamond in the appropriate number box. Continue for all colors. Follow the legend representing the appropriate colors and numbers to complete the picture.
Step 4: Let It Dry
Once you’ve finished the entire canvas, let it dry for a while and place a heavy load to allow all diamonds to stick properly. After a few hours, pick it up and turn it upside down to check if all diamonds are stuck. Once the check is complete, frame your painting to give it the finishing touch.
Diamond painting is a newly founded hobby by DIY enthusiasts that has a long way to go. You can try it yourself to know the pleasure it can offer. It’s also an amazing present for your friends and family to test out their artistic skills.
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