Day of the Dead Pumpkin painting is a creative and exciting part of Dia de los Muertos celebrations. The tradition is now also spreading through the UK and USA as well as parts of Mexico and South America. To complete the festive look for day of the dead, you need to follow these pumpkin painting techniques and tricks.
Day of the Dead Pumpkin Painting 10 Step Guide
- Start by selecting a pumpkin that you want to use for your day of the dead pumpkin painting project. Try out different sizes so that you can see what looks best and what size is most convenient for your space or table where your pumpkin will be displayed. If you’re unsure about which will work best, just remember that the bigger pumpkins can often make it easier if you want more detail or color on them because of their texture and surface area than smaller pumpkins can offer.
- With the pumpkin, you may want to check out and make sure that it is solid, and that the outside isn’t cracked or damaged in any way. If it’s not solid on the outside, then you may not have a good base to work off of for your day of the dead pumpkin painting project. Be sure to make sure that you remove any stickers or price tags off of your pumpkin as well. You can cover them with dark or black paint so that they are less noticeable later on in your day of the dead pumpkin painting project.
- For your day of the dead pumpkin painting project, you want to start off with a white base coat on it. This can help to make the other colors stand out, and it also covers up imperfections on the outside of the pumpkin so that when you’re done with your day of the dead pumpkin painting project, they won’t really be noticeable.
- You can use a mixture of light and dark grey paint on your day of the dead pumpkin painting project if you want to add some difference in shade and depth to it. It can enhance other colors that you may add later on, and it can also make your day of the dead pumpkin painting more interesting.
- Be sure to remove any unwanted eyes from the pumpkin before you take any of the following steps that involve coloring it with paint. If there are small gouges, nicks or holes, use a toothpick to fill in those areas with black paint. You don’t have to worry about putting on a thick layer of paint for this because it’s meant to be used as a base coat for your day of the dead pumpkin painting project.
- Be sure to use a paintbrush with hairs on it that are longer in length so that you can get into the crevices better without getting your brush stuck or breaking. Also, be sure that you remove any unwanted hairs from your brush before doing any mixing or applying any paint to keep your day of the dead pumpkin looking neat and clean all throughout the process.
- Divide the darker areas of your day of the dead pumpkin painting project into sections, and color them in with various shades and values. You can use a mixture of light and dark shades of grey paint on your day of the dead pumpkin painting project if you want to add some depth to it.
- You can use a mixture of multiple colors on your day of the dead pumpkin if you want to add some variety or contrast to it, depending on what you’re going for. Use paint or pencil crayons for this step as they are completely erasable and can be cleaned up easily later on in your day of the dead pumpkin painting project.
- After this step, you can erase any unwanted pencil markings on your day of the dead pumpkin with a soft cloth or white erasing material if you like. This will make it look even smoother and the other colors on it will also stand out even more as a result.
- If you want to add any further details to your day of the dead pumpkin, such as eyeballs or mouths, do so at this time. Remember that when using paint, it’s best if you can use acrylic or water based paints for their drying speed and durability.