The Diamond Painting Craze and How to Get Started
Diamond Painting is the new and highly popular hobby that is taking the craft world by storm. It is said to be an amazing and effective stress relief technique for adults and is a fun and inventive way to maintain your emotional and mental health. Diamond painting is in fact very similar to the childhood craze “paint by numbers” although in this adult version you use “diamonds” which are actually little gemstones. The best part about this cross-stitch inspired innovation is that anyone and everyone can do it.
Still wondering what diamond painting actually is? Basically, it is an artwork based around a very sticky, adhesive layer, which is on a previously patterned and designed canvas. Each design is different, featuring a unique set of very small squares that contain numbers, letters or symbols. There will be a strip like key to follow, which will usually be situated somewhere on the canvas and this key will reveal which coloured crystals will go where. This idea is much like cross-stitch and if you are a cross-stitch enthusiast, this is a new, funky way in which to incorporate it into your life.
The interesting draw card to diamond paintings is the tiny diamonds or gemstones that make up the overall picture. It takes a lot of tiles to make up an overall paining. The amount of diamonds can sometimes seem daunting, as it takes as much as twenty thousand tiles to make up a 40cm x 40cm diamond painting but when a rhythm and system is distinguished it is easy to fall into the hang of things. These little gems are much like pixels and when standing alone do not look like much but amazingly make up an incredible artwork when fused together. The bigger the number of tiles used, the more detailed and expansive the diamond painting will be.
Life as an adult can be stressful and seems to only become harder and more difficult as each day passes with the pressures of work responsibilities and family expectations constantly on the rise. Diamond painting works in much the same way as meditation. It helps the brain to focus intently on the present activity without much room for reckless wandering or aimless movement. This type of meditation activity relaxes the amygdala, which is the fear center of the brain. Meditation delivers the brain into a safe place, free from free-floating anxiousness.
To get started, the first thing that you have to do is purchase a diamond painting kit. These kits come with everything you need and are available from purchase online from safe websites such as Amazon.com , PaintWithDiamonds.com, or Ebay.com ranging from $12 for more simple designs, to $25 for a more detailed end product. EasyWhim.com is also a good one, but more on that later..
The kit you purchase will usually come with:
– Pre-printed canvas that will be covered in a pre-applied adhesive
– Design chart
– Tweezers and/or diamond applicator tool
– A tub of wax if only tweezers are supplied
– Colored “diamonds” which will come in separately labelled bags and a diamond tray
What you will need:
– A steady hand
– A clean and clear surface so you can spread out with all of your tools
– A creative mind and time
To help you to create the perfect diamond painting first time and every time, follow the steps below:
1. Unpack your kit and lay all of your supplies, including the canvas, on a clean and flat surface. If your canvas refuses to lie flat, place
it under heavy books or even under your mattress for the night. The flatter the canvas, the easier it will be to complete. Familiarize yourself with the tools you will be using to create the painting.
2. Assess the chart on your canvas. You will begin to understand how the system works and you will see how you will need to match the correct
diamonds to the symbols and numbers on the canvas. Each color will be a three or four digit code and you will be able to match each code
with the code on the correct bag of diamonds.
3. Pour a small amount of the same colored diamonds onto your diamond tray and shake them around a little bit so that the flat side of the
diamond settles onto the tray, putting the diamonds into the perfect place to be picked up. This will also help you to get a feel for how
delicate and light the diamonds actually are.
4. Gradually peel back the adhesive from the canvas as you work. To preserve the stickiness of the canvas DO NOT peel back the plastic film all
at once. This is essential in making sure your diamond painting will result in the highest quality. The stickiness of the canvas can be lost
very easily and if this happens your diamonds could fall out over time.
5. Start at the bottom of the canvas and work your way up. This is the easiest and most effective way to complete your painting.
6. Starting with the same color and working with a small section at a time, use the diamond applicator or the tweezers and wax to begin
creating your diamond painting. If using the applicator, dip the tip into the wax creating a sticky surface that the diamonds will easily
stick to. If using the tweezers, pick up the diamond and dip the flat surface into the wax.
7. Carefully press the diamond into the correct matching symbol on the canvas.
8. This is the process you will follow until you are finished.
Diamond painting is an addictive and artistic hobby that revolves around patience, dedication, patterns and concentration. It can be challenging but the results are well worth the work and with a bit of practice, you will find the hobby to be therapeutic in no time. The community of diamond painting is growing rapidly and it is no question as to why; a deeply relaxing artistic form of expression that will only benefit your mental health.