Diamond painting is the art of turning any normal artwork or photograph into a beautiful mosaic using sparkling small rhinestones on a prepared canvas. The art is usually compared to number painting, which is also another emerging craft, but diamonds are usually less messy and generally don't require a very high level of skill to create something beautiful.
Figure 1: A simple art of matching sparkling diamonds to the correct symbol, not far from a puzzle
Because diamondcraft does not yet have a large following like other crafts, companies in this field usually assume buyers are novices and propose a basic kit that includes everything needed to complete the work. Of course, the more experience you gain, the better you know what's best for you. In this blog we aim to give you a very basic guide of what each beginner kit contains and hopefully help you get your feet wet with diamond art.
Figure 2: The basic kits contain everything you need for diamond painting: tweezers, wax, sorting tray, diamond painting pen, some ziplock bags and of course canvas and diamonds.
Each Diamond Art Kit includes the following tools: the canvas, any colored rhinestones needed for the artwork, a sorting tray, a diamond painting pen, a small piece of pink wax, tweezers and some clear ziplock bags to store the diamonds.
Figure 3: Icons are clearly printed on the canvas background to show you where to place the correct colored diamonds.
Let's first talk about the canvas, which is the backbone of your diamond painting and usually consists of 2 parts: the background and the adhesive layer. The background lets you know which colored rhinestones go where, while also serving as a "creative safety" to verify you're using the correct color for each piece. This backdrop can be made from a variety of materials and here at Diamond Art Love we have chosen an extra thick, soft and durable canvas that will last to ensure your art stays on your walls longer.
Figure 4: Example of an adhesive layer instead of double-sided tape. Notice how the diamonds lay flat thanks to the homogeneity of the glue.
Next there is the adhesive layer, to which we applied a homogeneous, high-quality adhesive and then covered this layer with a layer of clear film. Please note that not all layers of glue are the same! Many manufacturers use double-sided tape instead of glue, which you can easily tell by the fact that the canvas is covered with an opaque film layer instead of a clear film. Double-sided tape usually comes with air gaps between the tape and the canvas, which can create bumps in your work and ruin the homogeneity and sparkling effect.
Figure 5: Colored diamonds should come in color coded bags with the important number after the "/", like the color 318 shown here.
Next on the list should be the colored rhinestones, sorted into color coded bags. The appropriate color codes are used on your canvas to help you identify which color should go with which icon.
Figure 6: On the side of the canvas there should be instructions on how to map these colors to a specific symbol.
Be careful though, these pockets shouldn't be the permanent abode of your rhinestones unless you want a messy disaster. Instead, you should at least use the supplied clear ziplock bags with appropriate lettering to store the diamonds, or if you're serious about the art, invest in a quality diamond storage box, also labeled correctly of course.
Figure 7: Proper storage and labeling of your diamonds is important. However, using ziplock bags is the bare minimum, and aspiring developers should invest in a proper storage box.
Next on the agenda should be the diamond crayon and pink wax, an iconic image of the diamond art world. The pink wax applied to the tip of the diamond painting pen will help you pick up the rhinestones and place them on the canvas.
Figure 8: Diamond crayon, bowls and wax are essential for working with diamond art. Of course, these are basic tools too, and serious crafters will need to upgrade in the future.
Each pin has 2 ends, one suitable for a single diamond and the other for multiple diamonds (up to 4 stones in a row in our set). This means that individual diamonds can be easily managed as large blocks of color and you will never have a dull moment while doing your work!
Figure 9: You can apply a single diamond or multiple diamonds at once.
Finally, when mistakes happen, like dropping a stray rhinestone onto the sticky canvas or placing your diamonds just outside the confines, the tweezers come to the rescue. Use it to pick up the naughty stray diamond or fix your little happy accident and be on your happy journey to the creative ending.
Figure 10: Tweezers can fix a crooked diamond or nullify such accidents.
That's it for this very simple introductory blog. We hope this gives you an idea of what the art is about. Of course, this is by no means a full blown tutorial on becoming a diamond art expert. So stay tuned to