Painting Tips

I know many of you have some great and useful painting tips and helpful hints. This page is for you to share your knowledge. If you have something you would like to contribute please submit here.

Heather Broderick

I have discovered a new way of sanding projects and it really works.

One day I had run out of sandpaper and I had to have the item finished that day, so couldn’t spend time at the shops. At the time I had some files for porcelain nails so decided to try them. Much to my surprise they worked perfectly, so now I always use the rectangle foam filled ones for all my flat surfaces and the curved or straight files for edges etc. You will be surprised at how easy the edges are smoothed out and all the flat surfaces have a perfect finish.

Robyn Shearer

Crackle iridescent or metallic paints – First apply Jo Sonja Décor crackle over the background paint. Allow this to dry. Next mix the iridescent or metallic paint with an equal amount of the crackle medium used to create fine porcelain cracks. Apply a thick layer of this over the décor crackle. Great for butterfly wings or fantasy finishes.

Robyn Shearer

Try mixing very fine glass balls (available at Riot Art) with All Purpose Sealer. Apply to the edges of a box or wherever it is required. When dry, paint black and then dry brush over the top with metallic or iridescent paints for a beaded look.

Mickey Lee

Ferrero Roche boxes make the most excellent wet palette. Just find a tile to fit and a damp kitchen sponge wrapped with greaseproof paper. Paints will last well over a week (much longer in the fridge).

Mickey Lee

Sanitizing Hand gel makes a great brush cleaner.

Paula Hales

When painting an edge on something e.g. plate or box, simply use your finger instead of a brush to stop over lapping the paint and you get an even line too!   

        Jane

When painting glass balls for Christmas, I hang them from paper clips on a clothes airer to dry. This way I can work on several at a time and they don’t roll while drying.

      Glad Bake paper is a cheap tracing paper which can be carried easily (on the roll) in your painting bag.

Remove dried paint from a brush using ‘De-Solve-It’. Spray on brush and leave for 15 minutes. When the paint has softened, wash brush with soap.

When working on difficult facial features, put several coats of glaze medium over the face before doing the facial features. This allows for any mistakes to be easily wiped off without losing the shading or highlighting already done.

Painting awkward items like large milk cans can be made easier by cradling the can in a canvas campstool.

    Use toothpicks or the end of your stylus for painting fine details or tiny dots.

     Ever been in doubt how a particular colour will look on your painting? Place a clear acetate over the painting then apply the stroke or colour to the acetate.....magic, like having a crystal ball.

      Ever masked of an area or strip on a project, only to have the colour bleed under the tape? Next time, first paint the masked off area with the background colour. Any paint that sneaks under the tape will seal the gap. Then when you apply the stripe colour you get clean even lines.

      To save money on palette paper, simply use a tile as a palette. When finished painting let the paint dry and scrape off with a blade.

Need to fill a nail hole in your project but don’t have wood filler? Apply decorating paste with your palette knife, let dry then sand smooth.

When basecoating use the largest brush that will fit in the area. Fewer strokes make for a smoother finish.

When using a hairdryer to dry between coats, wait until the surface cools before applying the next coat of paint. Painting on a warm surface will dry the paint in your brush and cause it to drag.

    If you see a dent in your project just when you are going to paint it, try lifting the dent with a steam iron held close (but not touching) the dent. The steam will swell the cells in the wood and your dent should disappear.

In cold weather, try not to wear woolen (real or acrylic) clothing when varnishing. Bits of fiber tend to find their way onto your project.

         A ballpoint pen that runs out of ink makes a great stylus for transferring patterns.

Those tiny breakfast jam bottles or baby food jars are handy for keeping unfinished paint mixtures. Also handy for carrying small amounts of medium for class or workshops.

    When painting the outside of boxes, turn a wine or champagne glass upside down and place the wet box over it and leave to dry.

         Keep a container of Baby wipes in your kit for quick clean ups of spills or paint on your hands.

When using an eraser to remove tracing lines from your finished project, first rub the eraser over a piece of cloth to remove any hard spots or dark smudges on the eraser.

When painting a project gold or silver, undercoat using red for the gold or bright blue (like Pthalo Blue) for the silver. It makes your gold and silver vibrant and also give you better coverage.

When using a bristle or stencil brush for the first time, wash it well under the tap and tug at the hairs so that you can remove any loose hairs. Otherwise, hair may drop from the brush as you are painting and harden on your surface.

Preparing metal ware for painting: Sand down with a wire brush to get rid of surface rust and if it is old, wash in a solution of warm water and vinegar. If it is new just wash in the water and vinegar solution. Dry thoroughly. Prime with a good rust proof and preventative product regardless of its age and condition. Seal the metal with Jo Sonja All Purpose Sealer.

To prepare a candle for painting, wipe it over with vinegar or alcohol wipes before you begin.