Dot Painting: in the footsteps of the native Australians .

Supplies

  • A gourd tile, cleaned and sanded.
  • Acrylic paint of different colors
  • Brushes
  • Stylus (variety of sizes)
  • Container with water
  • Plastic plate (paint palette)
  • Paper towels
  • Hair Dryer

Steps

  1. Choose a background color and paint the gourd tile using a large flat brush.
  2. Two coats will do.
  3. Let it dry, you can use the hair dryer to hasten the process.
  4. Transfer an easy symbolic pattern onto your gourd.
  5. Dot painting is done using the end of the brush (yes, the other end), or the tip of a stylus. Put a very small amount of paint on the palette and dip the tip of the stylus.
  6. The paint is used as-is, not thinned, otherwise the design might bleed
  7. Form a dot on the gourd. Start by following the lines of your design, and work on the filling later.
  8. Always dip the brush again in paint after each dot, this will insure a better consistency in your dots.
  9. Do not crowd the dots, otherwise the design will not show.
  10. Play with stylus sizes to create a textural effect.