The ABC of Diamond Painting
From A as in “accessories” to Z as in “zen-like artistry” – A short and at the same time informative guide for beginners and enthusiasts.
Diamond Painting is a fascinating and creative art form that has become a trendy hobby in recent years. It combines the relaxation of painting by numbers with the sparkle and brilliance of sparkling diamonds. However, as with any hobby, Diamond Painting is rife with technical terms that can be confusing for beginners at first.
In this blog post, we will present you with a Diamond Painting ABC, where for each letter of the alphabet, a term related to Diamond Painting will be explained or defined in more detail. From “workplace” to “DIY” and “rendering” to “accessories”, we will introduce you to all the important terms to help you get started with this wonderful art form, while still providing some valuable information for advanced enthusiasts. Dive with us into the glittering world of diamond painting and let’s explore this fascinating hobby together.
A – like accessories
No matter if you are a beginner or already a Diamond Painting pro, with practical and beautiful Diamond Painting accessories, Diamond Painting becomes even more fun. Whether it’s pens, bowls, storage boxes for your little drills or wax, they come in different designs, sizes and colours, so you can try out and test a lot to find your personal favourites. With the right tools, painting is much easier and every Diamond Painting break becomes a pleasure.
B – like Broderie Diamant
the French expression for Diamond Painting. In France, too, there are many lovers of this wonderful, relaxing activity and also many Carat Art fans. A hobby like diamond painting can inspire and connect people across countries and languages.
C – like Carat Art
our brand and our online shop. Carat Art has been around since March 2021. We came across Diamond Painting by chance, but what you could buy at that time in terms of motifs and quality didn’t convince us. So we came up with the idea of opening our own online shop where we offer high-quality Diamond Paintings with unique and different motifs. Since then, we have been developing and selling our diamond paintings, working together with talented artists and are happy when we can give Diamond Painters from all over the world pleasure with our exclusive Carat Art products. True to our motto: Let the pleasure begin!
D – as in DIY or “Do it yourself”
which describes the process of making something yourself rather than buying it or having it professionally made by others. In the context of Diamond Painting, DIY refers to creating the Diamond Painting artwork by attaching small diamond stones to the pre-printed and self-adhesive canvas. DIY Diamond Painting Kits contain everything needed to create the artwork, including the pre-printed canvas, diamonds, a tool kit and instructions. With these kits, people of all ages and experience levels can improve their craft skills, get artistic and create beautiful diamond paintings.
E – like escape
Indulging in a session of diamond painting offers a serene and relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. As you carefully pick up each sparkling gem and place it precisely on the canvas, a tranquil rhythm sets in. The repetitive yet purposeful motions create a meditative cadence that soothes the mind and eases tension. The beauty of diamond painting lies not only in the final result—a shimmering masterpiece—but also in the journey itself. It’s a mindful escape where time seems to stretch, allowing you to savor the present moment. Whether you’re seeking a brief respite or a prolonged retreat, diamond painting offers a therapeutic space for relaxation. It’s a canvas where stress dissipates, creativity flourishes, and a sense of tranquility prevails—an invitation to experience a calming escape through the simple act of creating something beautiful.
F – like the fascination that Diamond Painting
inspires in many people. Diamond painting has gained a steadily growing fan base in recent years and inspires people all over the world. The fascination that Diamond Painting triggers is probably due to the unique combination of creativity and relaxation that it unites. For the attraction of Diamond Painting lies not only in the activity itself, but also in the numerous benefits it offers. One of the most obvious is the meditative nature of the activity. By concentrating on setting the diamonds and enjoying the flow of the work, the mind can be quieted and the stress of everyday life is forgotten.
Furthermore, Diamond Painting is accessible to people of all ages and creative talents. Whether you are an experienced artist or holding a Diamond Painting pen for the first time, the end result is always impressive and fulfilling. It is an activity that can be done alone or in community, making it a great way to spend time with friends or family.
The completion of a Diamond Painting is a real triumph. The hours of work put into creating an artistic diamond painting is rewarded with a vibrant and glittering masterpiece. The feeling of satisfaction and pride when looking at the finished work is incomparable and simply fascinating.
G – like the incomparable glitter
of a Diamond Painting. The great glitter that makes up a Diamond Painting is created by the use of the many small, sparkling diamond drills that are placed on the canvas. The little drills with their many diamond facets, which are available in different colours, come together perfectly to form a work of art and create a stunning effect. When the diamond picture is finished, the light reflects on the facets of the little drills and makes the picture sparkle like magic. The sparkle of a Diamond Painting can be enhanced even further by using so-called AB drills in addition to the normal diamond drills. These are coated with a fine layer that makes them shimmer and glitter especially beautifully. Depending on the incidence of light, they sparkle in different iridescent colours, reminiscent of the glow of the polar lights. AB drills are used to add extra shimmering accents to Diamond Painting pictures, making the glitter almost unbelievable!
H – as in hobby
Diamond painting is a wonderful hobby that inspires more and more people. It is a perfect way to relax and forget the stress of everyday life. One reason why Diamond Painting is so great is that it is suitable for everyone. It doesn’t require any special skills or previous experience. One can start immediately and achieve a great result within a short time. Moreover, you can do the hobby of diamond painting anytime and anywhere – at home, in the park or while travelling. Another advantage is that there are endless motifs. From animals and nature to portraits and abstract artworks, there is a suitable motif for every taste. This keeps it exciting and you can always look for new challenges.
I – like ideas
what you can do with the many beautiful glitter drills that are left over at the end of a project. So that all the beautiful drills don’t get thrown away or go to waste in a drawer, there are lots of great ideas for what you can do with surplus Diamond Painting drills.
Idea no. 1
Buy simple greeting cards and spice them up with Diamond Painting drills to create very special cards with a 3D effect by applying Diamond Painting drills to lines, lettering or contours. Specially shaped special drills or AB drills are particularly suitable for this purpose.
Idea no. 2
Fill beautiful glass bottles with leftover drills and put them up as decoration. You can create coloured layers or fill them with a colourful mixture of drills. Both look beautiful and can be an eye-catcher on the shelf or in the cupboard.
Or make your own very individual Diamond Painting tool holder by filling a large storage jar with Diamond Painting drills and then putting Diamond Painting pens and tools in it.
Idea No. 3
Make lanterns by sticking a strip of double-sided tape on plain glasses and placing a pattern of Diamond Painting drills along the adhesive surface. You can then fill the glass with a tea light and use it as a lantern.
You can also apply double-sided tape to the outside of a tea light and then decorate it with Diamond Painting drills to create a pretty, individual table decoration.
J – as in journal
in which you can record and document your Diamond Painting projects. Many Diamond Painters have already created such a Diamond Painting Journal, which helps them not to lose track of their projects. In such a diary or notebook you can write down everything that is important to you about the respective painting, such as the motif, the size, the number of colours, which drills shape, where it was bought, when it was started and finished, the degree of difficulty and the satisfaction. It is nice to include a thumbnail and a photo of the completed project there as well. You can create a Diamond Painting Journal yourself from any empty notebook or you can buy ready-made sample journals where you only have to enter the respective data.
K – as in kids
because diamond painting is of course not just a hobby for adults. Especially for kids, diamond painting is a nice activity that is not only a lot of fun, but also offers lots of playful learning effects. Working with the little stones can improve hand-eye coordination as well as fine motor skills and can help children develop perseverance and patience. Activities in which children not only have fun in their free time, but also engage in crafts are particularly important for kids’s development, especially nowadays when many things only take place virtually.
With Diamond Painting, kids can hold their own sparkling diamond picture in their hands as a result of their work. This positive feeling, which rightly fills children with pride after they have completed something with their own hands, is incomparable! What’s more, the sparkling Diamond Painting can be hung on the wall of the children’s room for everyone to admire! Especially for children, there are therefore extra small and particularly cute Diamond Painting Mini Sets with which quick successes can be achieved. The cute motifs are a great gift idea for creative kids.
L – as in licensed art
With licensed artwork as Diamond Paintings, you get real artwork for your home. With licensed designs, Diamond Painting artists and enthusiasts can explore a rich selection of beloved characters, iconic images and famous artworks while honouring the visions of the original creators.
In addition, licensing ensures that the artists and creators behind the original works receive due recognition and compensation. This respect for intellectual property fosters a thriving ecosystem where creativity is celebrated, collaborations are encouraged and the artistic community flourishes.
M – for Multiple Tool
which speeds up the application of the pebbles to the canvas. With special multiple attachments, which can be easily attached to any Diamond Painting pen, several pebbles can be picked up and placed at the same time. Depending on the size of the attachment, different quantities of pebbles can be picked up. By the way, using a multiple tool is not as difficult as you might imagine. It’s best to start with a smaller 3 or 4 attachment to get used to the handling.
N – like the numbers
of the individual stone colours. A total of approximately 450 different colours are available for the creation of a diamond image, each of which has a name and its own individual number, the so-called DMC code. With the help of these DMC numbers, all the colours of the drills can be clearly identified.
O – for organisation
A well-organised and functionally equipped workplace makes for more ergonomic workflows that can simplify your creative process. Because if you have everything at hand and don’t have to spend a lot of time looking for it, it helps you to move forward faster. And with functional or simply beautiful accessories, creative work becomes even more fun.
P – for passionate fan
A passionate fan of Diamond Painting is a person whose heart and soul are intimately intertwined with this art form. For them, Diamond Painting is not just a pastime, but a way of life, a mode of expression and a source of unbridled enthusiasm.
The eyes of a passionate fan light up with excitement as they carefully place each gemstone. They know that the process is as meaningful as the finished artwork and settle into the meditative rhythm and focused attention it requires.
A true passionate fan eagerly shares their works-in-progress and completed masterpieces with a global community, forging connections and friendships across borders and languages. The social media feeds of passionate Diamond Painting fans serve as galleries of inspiration, inviting others to enjoy the beauty of their artistic devotion.
Q – like quality
Diamond Painting is only really fun if the quality of all materials is also right, because this influences both the creative process and the finished work of art. Diamond painting is not only a creative activity, but also a way to relieve stress and experience pleasure. However, if a set is of poor quality, this can significantly reduce the enjoyment of the process.
The quality of a diamond painting therefore has a huge impact on how much fun and enjoyment one gets from this hobby. High-quality diamonds and canvases enable an aesthetically pleasing end result, facilitate the work process and guarantee long-term satisfaction with the finished work of art. Only when the quality is right does this pastime become a captivating and enjoyable experience.
A set of high quality facilitates the entire working process, allowing one to fully concentrate on the creative experience without having to bother with inferior or insufficient materials.
Unevenly shaped diamonds or different sizes of diamonds can lead to problems and unattractive results. Adhesive surfaces that do not stick sufficiently so that the little stones cannot adhere or poorly legible prints lead to a lot of frustration and do not let joy arise. Excellent diamonds, high-quality adhesive surfaces and clear prints, on the other hand, are quality features that make for pleasant work that guarantees pleasure and fun.
R – as in rendering
Rendering is the process of converting an image into a diamond painting. In this process, an image is divided into individual pixels according to the size of the diamonds. This process is always carried out by a computer programme that calculates the colours of the individual pixels on the basis of the predominant colour in that field. The result is a purely computer-generated pixel image that is completed in a matter of seconds.
Inexpensive providers have their images converted automatically by computer only, without any time spent on post-processing. This does not incur any further labour costs, but these images then often look very blurry and out of focus because they do not have any clearly recognisable details. There is also a lot of unnecessary confetti because adjacent pixels are often all assigned a different colour by the computer. Often inappropriate colours are chosen or a colour that does not exist in the DMC system is tried to be generated by alternating 2 or 3 different colours.
Carat Art artist pictures are all reworked very elaborately and pixel by pixel by hand. We optimise the colours, work out details and remove unnecessary confetti. Even special stones, such as the special glittering AB diamonds with their “Aurora Borealis” effect, stones with a “glow in the dark” effect or rhinestones are set by hand. We do not simply replace entire colours with these special stones, but use them specifically for perfect accents. Depending on the size of the image, approximately 9-20 hours of manual work are required to develop and implement a Carat Art rendering. Our renderings are very important to us, which is why, unlike almost all other Diamond Painting Shops, we create them ourselves and do not have them done by external production partners. This gives our paintings their own style, which distinguishes and sets them apart from other providers.
S – like sealing the surface of a Diamond Painting
Sealing your diamond painting applies a kind of protective layer that is supposed to protect it from dust and dirt and make sure that all the little stones stay in place.
If you want to make sure that you will enjoy your self-created artwork for a long time or if you doubt the quality of the adhesive surface, you still have the option to seal your Diamond Painting after it is finished. For this purpose, an appropriate sealant is applied with a brush, sponge or roller, or distributed through a spray can, which can increase the durability and lifetime of the gloss. For Carat Art products, a sealer is not absolutely necessary, as both the adhesive surface and the stone quality are high quality and durable. If you still want to seal your Diamond Painting, you don’t need expensive specialty products to do so, because regular latex binder from the hardware store works just as well.
If a sealant is applied, one should clean its diamond painting absolutely before carefully, but thoroughly with a damp cloth, in order to avoid dirt
T – like test pictures
to try out Diamond Painting. If you have never tried Diamond Painting before or would like to test a diamond painting from Carat Art, you have the opportunity to choose one free of charge from a selection of small Diamond Painting pictures in our online shop to test this wonderful hobby or our shop. Trying out Diamond Painting for free is the ideal way to see whether you will enjoy this form of DIY art or not.
U – for Unboxing
which is the moment when a new Diamond Painting set is unpacked. This is an exciting moment, as the contents of the set are only revealed when the packaging is opened. A typical Diamond Painting Set usually contains a canvas on which the motif is printed and a number of colour-coordinated diamonds that are placed on the canvas. In addition, tools such as a pen, tweezers and a small bowl may be included to help with the placement of the diamonds. Unboxing can take place at your home after you receive your order, or you can also watch others open their Diamond Painting sets on many YouTube channels. In both cases, it is exciting to see how big the canvas is in reality, whether the rendering is convincing, which stone colours are included and what else is included. In any case, the unboxing is the first step towards the completion of a Diamond Painting and is always an exciting moment that is part of the creative project.
V – like videos about Diamond Painting
Diamond Painting videos on YouTube are a fascinating source of inspiration and creative exchange. These videos offer a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of Diamond Painting and learn from other enthusiasts.
In these videos, viewers can join professionals and amateur artists on their creative journey. From canvas preparation and diamond selection to precise placement, each step is shown in rich detail. This allows beginners to quickly learn the basics, while experienced Diamond Painters can discover new techniques and tips.
W – like wax
with which you can effortlessly pick up your drills with a pen and place them on the canvas. To do this, always remove the protective film from the wax first and then poke the pen firmly into the wax once. This way, a small amount of wax gets into the hollow space of the metal tip so that the drills can stick there. Now the drills are simply tapped with the tip of the pen so that it sticks there until they are placed in the right place on the canvas. When the drills no longer stick so well to the pen tip, the old wax can be carefully removed and then the pen tip is pressed into the wax platelet again. As the Diamond Painting wax is a consumable item that you use up gradually, it may be useful to keep a reserve supply of it.
X – as in XXL
An XXL Diamond Painting is a diamond painting that is produced in a larger format than usual. Generally, a standard Diamond Painting is about 30 x 40 cm, while an XXL Diamond Painting is usually at least 60 x 80 cm and can be up to 150 x 200 cm. An XXL Diamond Painting offers more space to place diamonds and can therefore contain a greater amount of detail. This creates an even more impressive work of art. In addition, a larger size can help the artwork stand out more, especially when hung on a large wall. However, creating an XXL Diamond Painting will take longer than creating a standard Diamond Painting, as many more diamond drills need to be placed. It is also slightly more expensive than a standard Diamond Painting as more materials are needed in the making.
Y – as in yoga
Although yoga and Diamond Painting seem to be very different activities at first glance, there are some striking similarities. Both activities can be perceived as meditative and relaxing and help to calm the mind and let go of negative thoughts. In addition, both methods can relieve stress and relax the body. Furthermore, both yoga and Diamond Painting promote concentration and mindfulness. In yoga, the mind focuses on the breath and the different postures, while in Diamond Painting the focus is on the placement of the diamonds on the canvas. In both cases, this increased concentration can lead to greater mental clarity. Ultimately, both yoga and Diamond Painting can be a way to unleash creativity and connect with one’s inner wisdom. While yoga allows you to create relaxation and thereby focus on the connection between body, mind and spirit, Diamond Painting is also a way to achieve a relaxed state through the activity and at the same time live out your creative side and create something beautiful and unique.
Z – for zen-like artistry
Diamond painting is a form of artistic expression that embodies a sense of zen-like calm. Rooted in the practice of mindfulness, this captivating craft merges creativity with mindfulness, offering a serene escape from the chaos of modern life. In a world defined by haste, diamond painting reminds us to savor the present moment. It teaches us the beauty of patience and dedication, as the final masterpiece slowly emerges, much like the gradual blossoming of a lotus in still water. The act of crafting each stroke, each gem, is an act of devotion to the craft itself. Diamond painting, as a zen-like art, gifts us not only with a stunning visual creation but also with a rejuvenated spirit. It beckons us to leave behind the rush and turmoil of everyday life, if only for a while, and find solace in the simple act of creation. With every gem placed, we inch closer to both a completed masterpiece and a tranquil state of mind—a testament to the harmonious blend of art and mindfulness.
