Now that we’ve passed the month of crazy costumes and PSLs known as October, the holiday season has officially arrived. Although December holidays are technically still a few weeks away, it is never too early to start rounding up gifts for your friends and family. This week, I’ll show you how to paint Lilly Pulitzer inspired prints step-by-step on wooden letters (but the technique works equally well on other wood objects and canvases). My dorm is covered in colorful prints that I’ve painted, and I’m excited to make a few paintings for friends this season.
Step 1: Sketch Your Print
Planning is KEY. For this tutorial I’ll be painting my rendition of the popular print You Gotta Regatta. I start by sketching the sailboats that make up the majority of the print so I can train myself to get the print looking uniform.
Step 2: Prime The Surface
I usually like to spray my wood crafts with a 2-in-1 spray paint/primer to create a smooth surface, but because this craft won’t see weather or any rough handling, I just painted the entire surface with white acrylic paint. If you’re painting on a canvas, skip this step.
Step 3: Sketch Print On Surface
Use pencil. Go slowly. Stay focused. Whenever I do this, I have to sketch the entire print in one sitting. If I try to leave the project and come back to it, it ends up not looking uniform.
Step 4: Add Main Colors
Now the fun begins! Feel free to match your favorite dress shade by shade, or create your own individual color story! Any acrylic paints will do, you can usually find them pretty inexpensive at a craft store. Paint one color at a time, and make sure the colors dry completely so they don’t end up smudging together (unless you’re into that, you do you).
Step 5: Add Detail
This step is like putting a bow on top of a present, or a cherry on top of a sundae. The detail color (navy on this print) is what really makes your art pop!
Once all the colored paint is fully dry, seal the entire letter with a clear spray paint. I like using a glossy finish on my crafts to give them a hint of shine!
Happy crafting, collegiettes!