Basic Terminology

First, the difference between the words "full," and "partial," which you will hear thrown around a lot. These words are associated with the types of canvases you will be using when diamond painting. Canvases are the background image of your painting, which come covered in strong adhesive to hold your gems and also have a multitude of numbers and sections which spell out exactly which color gem should go where. Canvases can range in size and complexity, and also in the amount of gems they require. In essence, that is what makes the difference between a full and partial canvas: a full canvas means that every single inch of the background image will be covered in sparkly diamonds. This method means that if you take a step back or look at the painting slightly out of focus, it will resemble a mosaic.

Full vs. Partial

It can make for an even more striking image to leave the rest of the canvas blank, which is to say not covered in gems, and then emboss the single red rose with beautiful red and green gems. The rose will pop even more than it already did as the center piece of the garden if it is a center piece that is also glowing with sparkly jewels. Additionally, partial canvases are fantastic for personalized images, which can then be converted into background canvases for diamond paintings. Let's say you have an image you want to be memorialized forever in a diamond painting, whether that is a picture from your wedding day or your daughter's graduation from college. You can take a beautiful image and use a partial diamond painting canvas highlight the most striking component of the image, whether that is you and your partner's entwined hands wearing wedding rings for the first time, or your daughter's graduation cap that reads "Thanks, Mom and Dad!" Partial canvases can be an excellent way to draw a viewer's eye right to the heart of your masterpiece.

What is a Drill?

So now that you are familiar with the different gem levels on full and partial canvases, let's talk about the gems themselves. You have probably heard diamond painters talking about "round" and "square" drills. First of all, what even is a "drill"?? Drill is simply another word for the diamond gemstones you will be affixing to your canvas. "Round" and "square" refers to the two different styles of drills, and they are referred to in this manner because it is exactly spot on: round drills are round diamonds, and square drills are square diamonds.

So why are there two different types of drills? Round drills are easier to manipulate as they do not exactly line up with each other, so round drills work better for beginners or those who are completely new to diamond painting. Round drills also allow pieces of the canvas background to show through, which may or may not be beneficial to the overall look of your painting - if you are creating a more abstract image, it may be an added plus to have a fuzzier look, but if you want specificity and exact angles, round drills may not be your best choice. Square drills, on the other hand, line up exactly with each other and do not allow any gaps in the painting to show the canvas underneath. Square drills are great for paintings of precise images that you want replicated almost exactly, although they are more complicated to use and allow for less error.