Our Top 5 Tips & Tricks

If you are new to the world of diamond painting, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed and not quite be sure how to get started on this new hobby. Diamond painting can be extremely rewarding, but can also appear slightly intimidating to those new to the practice. Read on to learn some of the most effective tips and tricks when it comes to diamond painting, as well as how to recover from diamond painting mistakes – and trust us, mistakes happen to everyone, no matter what their diamond painting experience level!

Tip #1 – Start Out Small

You may excited to get going on the biggest, most beautiful diamond painting you can find – but that probably is not the best choice for a beginner diamond painter. There are plenty of smaller, less complicated designs that are still stunning and will still leave you feeling incredibly accomplished after you finish them, but have a lot less potential for frustration along the way. If you are new to this hobby, the last thing you want is to embark on a painting that’s a little out of your league and become so overwhelmed that you give up on diamond painting entirely. It is going to be better in the long run for you and your paintings if you start out small and work your way up, so have some patience and trust in the process as you begin your hobby as a diamond painter.

Tip #2 – Work in Similarly Colored Sections

When you first take a look on your canvas, it can be tempting to adopt a kind of “all over the place” attitude when it comes to placing your diamonds. You want to see the finished picture as soon as you can, so you may instinctively want to start filling in the blue section, then move to the red, then the green, placing only a few gems into each section at a time before hurriedly moving on to the next. But the thing is, that method actually does not create the picture faster, it creates it at a slower pace. Think about it – if you focus on just one section at a time, you are only dealing with the diamond gems of that particular color, so it is easy to set them in faster. If you are bouncing around all over the place, trying to fill in as much of the picture as possible, you will see a slower and potentially sloppier result. So take your time and fill out one section of color at a time – it will ultimately pay off in the end when you are looking at your beautiful finished picture.

Tip #3 – Go Slowly and Gently

Again, it is difficult to resist the urge to get your painting done as fast as possible so you can admire your finished work. This urge is particularly common in our go-go-go society, where we want to get everything done quickly so we can start on the next task. But that is not really the point of diamond painting – the idea behind the practice is to take some time to become really focused and creative. Plus, speed and a harsh touch can be detrimental to the physical process of diamond painting, as gems are much more likely to scatter and pop out if they are hastily placed. Make sure that you are not only moving at a slower pace when diamond painting, but you are using a light touch when it comes to actually setting the gems. This will guarantee your diamonds stay in place and you will have a better painting experience, as well as a nicer-looking painting in the end.

Tip #4 – Be Gentle on Yourself if You Make Mistakes

That gentle attitude should not just be applied to your gems – it should also be applied to you as the artist. Diamond painting requires a high amount of fine-motor skills and patience, and it is easy to make mistakes, even for a veteran painter. Many mistakes can be quickly and easily fixed. For example, if you get to the end of a row and discover that your diamonds you have just laid are crooked or otherwise a little wonky, it is a simple task to take a pair of tweezers and gently nudge them back into place. Making a mistake does not mean you are a bad artist or you will never get the hang of diamond painting. It just means that you are human, and it is important to always keep that thought in mind.

Tip #5 – Check Your Work Often, and Promptly Adjust

Although, as mentioned above, many mistakes are easily fixed, many can only be fixed if they are caught before the diamond painting adhesive dries. Make sure you are taking time to check each row of gems after you complete them. If your gems are crooked or you accidentally put down the wrong color in a section (which happens more often than you would think!), you can adjust or remove the gems if the adhesive has not yet dried. It also never hurts to have a backup kit or two if you end up losing some diamonds, which can be pretty difficult to find if they end up spilled all over the floor. Thinking ahead and checking your work as you go will prevent many of the most common diamond painting disasters new artists experience.

Diamond painting is a fun, relaxing activity that is ultimately rewarding when you are hanging up your finished piece for you and your family to admire. It can seem like a somewhat daunting process at first, but through utilizing our tips and tricks, you will be a whiz at diamond painting in no time! Just remember to give yourself plenty of time, check your work, and do not be too hard on yourself – this activity can take some getting used to, but has a wonderful payoff in the end.