DIY Chrysnbon

Preparation

1. If items are attached to a plastic runner (sprue), they can be painted while still attached or they can be removed to paint them. I prefer to paint them while they are attached to the sprue, as they are easier for me to manipulate. If you want to remove them from the sprue first, continue to steps 2 and 3 below. If you would prefer to paint them while still attached, skip the following two steps and go on to Brushes.

2. For rounded items, like plates and saucers, I use rounded fingernail clippers to remove them from the sprue, and then lightly sand them with a very fine emery board. I prefer the emery boards that have a thick, foam core. You can also use 400 or finer sandpaper, but don't use the black paper, as it can leave black marks on your dish.

3. For items that are not rounded where they attach to the sprue (cups and flatware, for instance), carefully use a craft knife to detach them. You may also have to trim the lip of the cup. Then, if needed, lightly sand them, using the fine emery board with the thick form core. Place the emery board on a flat surface and gently rub the cup across the board, being careful to keep it level while sanding.

Brushes

1. The size of the brush does not matter a lot to me, as long as it is a good quality artist's brush and it comes to a fine tip. I use round, spotter, and liner brushes for detailing, but you can get by with just the round brush if it has a fine enough tip.

2. For the wider band of the dinnerware, I use a small shader brush or filbert. Again, if you do not want to invest in too many brushes, you can use a round brush for this also.

3. I use a synthetic brush or sable (but that is just my preference). Acrylic paint is very hard on brushes.

4. Each time before I add more paint to my brush, I dip it in water , draw it across a paper towel a few times, and then dip it in the paint. It takes a little practice to do this without having too much water in your brush, but it seems to keep my brush in better shape longer and makes the paint flow out easier.

Paint

1. I use both acrylic paint for painting the flat band of the plate and for the detail work. To paint the entire plate, I spray it using model paint for polystyrene (used for model cars, planes, etc.). I have not tried the new spray paint made for plastic that comes in the big spray cans. The propellant used for some spray paints can "eat" your dishes (sad voice of experience)!

2. For painting details, I use acrylic craft paint. I avoid the cheaper acrylic craft paint, as it often is thin and does not contain enough pigment to cover well. I also do not use artist's acrylics, as they have a tendency to be too thick. If you are painting a large area, two or three thin coats works better than a thick one.

3. I use a powdered paint that contains gold leaf to paint the gold detailing on my plates. It is mixed with an acrylic gloss sealer. You can also use the gold paint pens found in scrapbooking or craft stores. If you use either of the gold paints mentioned, be sure to seal the dish BEFORE applying the gold, as it will be dulled by the sealer. Both the powdered gold paint and the paint pens do not need sealing.

4. If an item is not attached to the sprue, you can attach it temporarily to the top of a bottle of paint or on the end of a chopstick with a piece of poster putty so that you can handle it easily to paint it.

5. If you have not already removed the dinnerware from the sprue, do so now and follow steps 2 and 3 under Preparation before sealing the item. If you have painted the edge of the item, you may have to touch up the paint where it was attached to the sprue.

Sealing

1. I use a spray clear lacquer overcoat made for polystyrene models to seal the pieces and give them a fired appearance. Again, spray the sealer BEFORE you apply the gold paints mentioned above. I use a large scrap piece of cardboard underneath the items so that I can turn them to get the spray on evenly. To prevent the spray from "blowing" the dishes off the cardboard, use a VERY small piece of poster putty. Move the can back and forth in a sweeping motion, beyond the edge of the item you are spraying. Do not apply it too thickly, as it will take a long time to dry, increasing your chance of dust landing on it while it is still tacky. It can also take on a yellow hue if sprayed too thickly.

2. Leave enough room between the cups and stagger their placement to assure spray sealer gets around the entire outside and inside.

Mistakes

1. Mistakes are easily remedied if they are made with acrylic paint. Simply remove the unwanted paint with the edge of a damp tissue if it is still wet. If it has dried, gently scrape the unwanted paint away.

2. Mistakes made with the gold paint will have to somehow be incorporated into your design...there is no going back.

3. If something lands in the sealer (dust, cat hair, tiny gnat) before it is dry, it is probably best to just let it dry totally before trying to remove it. Then carefully scrape the foreign object off the dish, scraping as little area as possible, Re-spray lightly.