Diamond painting is very similar to painting by number. The only difference is that painting by number is colored with pigments, while diamond painting is colored with rhinestones, crystals, or diamonds with small particles and a flat back. You can buy a complete set of diamond painting materials online or at well-stocked craft supply stores. Some people think that making diamond paintings is very difficult, but it is not. As long as you are familiar with the method and process, you will be able to produce commendable work while enjoying your leisure time.
1. Purchase a complete set of diamond painting materials
Diamond painting materials can be purchased online or at well-stocked craft stores. While each brand is slightly different, most kit materials contain a patterned canvas, flat-backed diamonds, a point drill box, a point drill pen, and a piece of wax glue.
- Some small cells may display letters or symbols; just treat them as numbers.
- This handwork is time-consuming, so it's best to stick the canvas to the wood for easy movement.
Do not tear off the plastic sheet completely, it is enough to tear it 3 to 5 cm wide. Use your fingers to create a crease along the plastic to prevent the plastic from rolling back.
- Some kits come with plastic sheets already cut into strips. Just peel off the first strip of plastic and start applying diamond grains.
- Some sets come with more than one spot drill box. You can use excess point diamonds to box other color diamonds.
6. Dip the glue from the set with a drill pen. Open the glue pack and poke a small amount of glue with the tip of a pen. The nib with glue is more likely to stick to the diamond grains.
- Some sets come with a special crayon that must be sharpened before use. A normal pencil sharpener can be used to sharpen this pen.
- Some point drill pens have wider tips and can hold up to three diamond grains at a time.
7. Use a pen to pick up the diamond grains. Lightly touch the angular side of the diamond grain with the tip of the pen. When the pen was removed from the point drill box, the diamond grains also stuck to the nib.
- In order to facilitate access to the diamond grains, the point diamond box is best placed under the canvas.
8. Gently press the tip of the pen on the corresponding grid of the canvas
Remove the pen tip and the diamond grains stick to the canvas. It's best not to press too hard at first, because if the diamond sticks are crooked, you can still straighten it, and then press hard, and the diamond sticks firmly.
- The process is exactly the same as painting a digital oil painting, except that the diamond painting is painted with diamond particles instead of pigments.
9. Fill in the remaining squares in the area
One color is full and then the other is glued. When needed, re-dip the stylus in the glue. When all the squares represented by the same number are filled, move on to the next color. So sticky faster and more organized.
- Don't put your hands on the canvas; the more your hands touch the canvas, the less sticky the canvas will be
10. Tear off more plastic paper and fill larger squares with diamond grains
Continue to cover the small squares in the same way as before. Tear 3 to 5 cm wide areas at a time and stick one color before sticking another color. When the area is full of diamond grains, move on to the next area.
- Do not tear off the entire sheet of plastic paper, as this will stain the glue on the canvas and make it lose its stickiness
11. Recover the canvas with the original plastic sheet
If you've thrown away the plastic wrap, use regular or baking paper instead; don't use waxed paper.
12. Use a rolling pin to roll back and forth across the canvas. This step is to compress those loose diamond grains in place. If you don't have a rolling pin, you can use a can or glass jar instead. You can also lightly press the canvas with your hands
13. Find a few heavy books and press them on the canvas overnight
The weight of the book allows the diamond grains to stick to the canvas even more tightly. If you can't find a book that covers the entire canvas, you can also use a flat, heavy object like a box or cutting board.
14. Tear off the tape
Take the book away first, then peel off the plastic wrap, and finally tear off the tape from the four corners. Do not cut off the excess canvas at this time, as doing so may cause the canvas to wear out.
Framed
First remove the glass from the frame, then put the canvas in. Fold the excess over to hide the back of the canvas, then straighten the canvas. The glass will wear off the surface of the diamond grains and affect the gloss of the picture, so there is no need to put the glass plate back.
- If you want to be more beautiful, put a layer of pad under the canvas first, so that the diamond painting has an extra circle of padding. Choose a cushion that matches your diamond paint color.
