Well, I have been thinking to write this article for a while! Actually, we always think first about what we should do and we never think about what we shouldn’t do.
Therefore, in this new article about Decorative Painting, I would like to tell you what are the 5 mistakes you need to avoid, especially if you’re a Beginner.
I wish I had such a “treasure” when I began painting! I actually found out many things by practicing along the path… but I want to save you some time, and some stress, because, we know that… mistakes are stressful, right? 😉

Let’s start!

1. You read the Pattern too fast

The pattern packet is really important to achieve a good result. Not only because it contains the line drawing of the design, but also because there is the list of the colors and the other things you need and above all because there are the instructions you will need to follow. (Have a look here)
Have you ever tried to prepare a dessert without following the recipe? I did, and the result was a complete disaster! So, when you’re about to paint a new project, always take a couple of minutes to read ALL the instructions carefully. By doing this, you will find out immediately if you have everything you need and what are the instructions to paint the project, and this is important for point number 2…

2. You don’t understand the sequence of the steps

When we paint, understanding what’s better to do first and what later is very important, especially to avoid to touch up everything too frequently or paint something twice. For example, in my pattern packets I never write to basecoat everything first and then shade/highlight. Except if I’m writing the prepping instruction for a class of course. The reason is because when we shade, we might get other areas dirty, especially if there’s an element with a light basecoat next to what we are shading. So, we might need to basecoat that light element again. This happened to me many times when I was a beginner, only because I didn’t want to spend 5 minutes to read all the instructions before painting to understand what was better to do first and what later.

3. You think you have to draw on your own

Here we are! One of the questions, or observations I should say, that I receive more often! “I won’t be able to do it! I can’t draw!” Well, with Decorative Painting you actually don’t need to draw. As I mentioned in the article Decorative Painting for everyone, this is a painting technique where you start from a drawing that someone else did for you. Do you know the cross-stitching patterns? Like in that case you start from something that has already been done and you follow the instructions. And trust me, I can’t even attach a button, however, I succeded in stitching a couple of times!!! The result was not so good, but just because I didn’t practice again! 😊

4. You don’t prep the surface properly

With Decorative Painting we can really paint on almost anything: wood, tin, fabric, plastic…
As I mentioned in the article about How to prep the surface, every material needs its own preparation. This is very important to paint on that specific material in an easier way and also to achieve a better result. (Watch the Tutorial here)

5. You don’t take any classes

As I always mention, practicing is one of the most important things. However, it is also important to take at least a Beginner Class, just to learn the basics. If you want, just by watching the tutorials on my YouTube channel you can get an idea about different techniques, but I really recommend to take at least a Beginner Class where you can learn how to paint a specific project from start to end. There are many different techniques and every project has its own difficulties, or tricks I should say!
I am teaching online with different US Chapters, but I also teach classes with the Society of Decorative Painters and their Painting Academy. So, you might want to check their calendar from time to time and see if there’s something you like!

Ok, in this new article about Decorative Painting, I hope I have been able to give you some good suggestions and to explain what are the 5 mistakes you need to avoid, both if you are at the beginning of your creative journey and if you have already “walked” for a while.
Happy painting!
Marika