Design Dot Painting Tools For Paint

The dot painting technique is blowing up all over Pinterest and Instagram and its only growing more and more popular. With the abundance of beautiful images and videos online it's difficult to know where to really begin when you want to learn how to dot paint from the ground up.

Look no further, here are 6 pro tips for anyone wanting to learn how to dot paint. If you are an absolute beginner and looking for the best way to get started you have come to the right place.

As you scroll through the countless stunning dot painted rocks and canvases it's difficult not to try and jump right into complicated designs and intricate dotting techniques. Or spend $$$ on many different tools and stencils that are available, but believe me, that will all come with time and experience as you continue your artistic journey! Baby steps. We are going to start with the basics first. I promise you won't regret it.

Tools – Chances are if you haven't really tried dot painting before you may not have the dotting tools you so often see on dot artist videos and pics. I didn't have them either when I got started and I didn't want to invest until I knew I loved it.

You can easily find tools at home to create beautiful dots. I still use many of the tools that I started with even after purchasing the dotting styluses and dowels. A tack stuck in an eraser at the end of a pencil is still hands down my favorite.

It's time for you to go on a scavenger hunt! Search out anything that will create a dot, toothpicks, the ends of makeup brushes, pens, take the fluff off a cotton swab, paintbrushes, nails, sewing pin heads, the possibilities are endless.

Once you have gathered a few items in various sizes it's time to make your legend. Take some of your paint and dip each tool and create a dot on your paper in ascending or descending order by size, write beside the dot the description of the tool so you remember which tool made which size dot. Or you can take a picture for reference. Here is an example:

Canvas – Honestly? Anything! The possibilities are literally endless with what you can paint on. I can't go anywhere without discovering something new to paint on, my studio shelves are filled with blank 'canvases' just waiting for their beauty treatment. Rocks, wood, bowls, glasses, mugs, coasters, pendants, shall I go on? There is no doubt in my mind that you have something tucked away at home that could use a little mandala makeover 😉

Design – Creating a design can be a daunting task to say the least. Some people are able to pick up the tools and just go with it and others find value and comfort in using a pre-made stencil or visual. Both are just as fabulous and it's what makes the world of artists so beautifully unique.

I start out any project with finding my center. It is essential as it is the core of the entire piece, if that's not right then it will be very challenging to get the rest of it to look right. If I am using a regular canvas it's pretty easy to find center by measuring vertical and horizontal. Other items such as stones or bowls can get a bit more tricky so often I eyeball it, this comes with time and experience, and many (and I mean many) trial and error attempts. Thank goodness for baby wipes!

Once I have found my center then the next step is creating the stencil rings. This is a very important step to keeping your artwork balanced. It's very easy to get off track and have a lop-sided mandala. The rings help guide you along the way to keep each ring of dots even. I have two methods that I use regularly.

If I am using a small canvas (less than 12 inches) then I use a good ol' school drawing compass. It works perfectly and I don't know where I would be without it. If you don't have one, I highly recommend investing in one, it will save you hours of time and heartache on projects gone wrong.

If I am working a project larger than 12 inches (of which the compass won't reach) then I use a tool I created. I went to the dollarstore and got a sheet of foam poster board but you can easily use cardboard if you have it.

I then stick a tack or nail in the first hole on the 'ruler' and place the tack at the center of my mandala this keeps it in place (it doesn't matter if there is a small hole after as it will be covered with paint) and then I use a pencil and place it in the hole at the distance I want to create a circle from. I then hold the pencil in place and turn the ruler and it creates the circle! Here is a video where I was using this tool on a large patio bar custom piece…

Paint – There is a lot to be said about paint, the consistency of the paint is of key importance to your project. There is so much info about painting tips and tricks to offer so I am going to refer you to my previous blog post called What You Need to Know About Dot Paint Before You Buy

Basic Techniques – There are many techniques to learn as you go along but a few basic ones to start out with are …

When using a flat edge tool such as a dowel, only touch the top of the paint with the end of the dowel, if you dip it all the way in you will get paint on the edges and it will not create a clean dot. You only need paint on the very end surface (be sure to cover the whole surface) and when you dot it on your canvas be careful to not touch the canvas with your tool, the lighter the touch the better.
When you want to keep your dots consistent in size in a ring, use the dip and dot dip and dot technique, wiping your tool regularly
When you want to create descending dots, dip once and dot dot dot until you run out of paint.
Here is a basic design to follow that I use when I am teaching workshops for beginners…

Tips and Tricks for Clean Up and Mistakes –

I use baby wipes or damp cloths for quick clean up and to wipe away unruly dots to redo
For dried on paint spots I use rubbing alcohol and a cotton swap, it cleans up quick and easy!
Often I get so caught up in my painting that my paintbrushes harden with paint and let's be honest, I paint until the absolute last minute I have to get up and go, and often don't have time to clean my brushes right away. If you are in the same boat I have a fabulous tip for you! I have thrown away many brushes that I thought were doomed until I found this tip that has saved me tons of money and trips to the craft store.