Welcome to my gourd world
and my online tutorial to help you on your path to learning how to
paint and decorate gourds and other crafts. This tutorial will give you
some basics on using ink dyes, paints, glazes and finishes on gourds.
Please check out my
Gourd Pyrography & Safety tutorial.
Gourd Ink dyes
The
Memories Ink dyes are the latest rage
among gourd artisans and they are fast becoming the product of choice for
dying or coloring gourds. They can be used to cover the entire surface of your gourd or
you can use them for fine detail work. The
colors are highly concentrated so just a drop goes a very long way.
Ink dyes are transparent so if you use them right out of the bottle you
will have the markings on the gourd show through which creates a beautiful
design. If you wish to have color that is less transparent try
mixing it with a Clear Gel Glaze.
The ink dyes are mixable with each other
with and without varnish. Just mix a drop at a time and store in a buddy cup. Start
out light, a few pin drops of ink to varnish, look at my book for this.
Then you add more
drops of ink when you want it darker. To thin them out you should
use working time extender, not water.
I recommend working in small
areas and then heat drying the ink dyes with a
heat embossing tool before moving on
to another area to avoid getting ink on your hands and clothes.
Using a heat embossing tool is more effective than a hair dryer because it
is more concentrated.
Palette Metallic ink dyes
are water based and fade resistant like the regular gourd ink dyes but the
metallic's are thicker and not transparent. They really make your art
work pop!
Gourd ink dyes do not work
well on wood UNLESS you mix them with paint or some other medium such as
paint.
These dyes are perfect for gourd artists,
crafters as well
as rubber stamping enthusiasts. They are not intended to be used directly
on wood but can be mixed with paint or other mediums. I suggest you
experiment mixing the ink dyes and experiment on a scrap piece of wood. I
have had great results mixing it with Jo Sonja paints and Generation Green base
paints. Mixing with varnish will also give you a nice stained varnish.
So play, have fun, experiment!
Please check out our
heat
embossing tool to help speed the drying process of ink dyes. I also carry
a complete line of
ink dye applicators, cotton-tipped
applicators, brushes, buddy cups, needle applicator and spray bottles, etc. They can all be found on our
accessories
page.
Check out all the
ink dyes
and
metallic ink dyes also
by Stewart Superior, the leader in inks, metal leafing and rubber stamps and all
made in the USA.
Methods of application
The regular gourd ink dyes are a
very concentrated form of color, so you will be using very small amounts.
For small areas you can begin by
using one or two drops on a
Cotton-tipped applicator
or with a
Micro Taklon detail brush which are also useful for applying color to the very
smallest area of your design.
Applicator cubes are convenient for applying color
to larger areas. The
foam 1 inch
applicator cubes
are my favorite, because the foam easily conforms to any surface
irregularities, resulting in a smoother more complete coverage. Simply
apply several drops of dye to the foam surface, and apply to the gourd for
smooth streak free color. To blend and even out the color intensity, try
going over the dyed surface with the foam pad using a patting motion. When
you are through, cover the applicator cube, storing the remaining dye for
a future use. By storing the cube upside down the dye will remain at the
top of the pad, ready for the next use.
For curved areas such as the
neck of a bottle gourd I have found using a piece
felt cloth works best.
Foam brushes
provide another option for applying color to large areas. Just place
several drops of dye on the angled edge of the brush and spread across the
surface to be colored. Blend by patting with the sponge brush or a tissue.
A square of felt is another option for applying dye to larger surfaces.
Once you apply the ink dye
you can wipe off any excess with a tissue before using a heat embossing
tool to dry.
All the applicators, tools
and Maria Dellos' book on ink dyes listed here are available on our
book
page.
The metallic ink dyes should
be applied with a brush such as the Taklon Micro brush or for larger areas
you can use a regular paint brush. Do not mix the metallic ink dyes
with protecting wax or use the protecting wax over the metallic ink
dyes...it will remove them.
Drying, blending & color
intensity
Water based ink dyes require longer drying time than
alcohol based products such as leather dyes, (depending on the climate and
the condition of the gourd itself) so I highly recommend the use of a
heat tool
to speed up the drying time while heat
setting the dye. Although it is not essential to heat set the dyes, the
use of a heat tool allows you to go on more quickly to the next step
without smearing your work.
Ink dyes make color blending
a snap. Apply the first color, then the second color, slightly overlapping
the first. Use the dry end of a cotton-tipped applicator to blur the
color lines, creating a perfect blend. If working with the colors wet
doesn’t give you a satisfactory blend, try heat setting the first color
with a
heat embossing tool, then
overlapping with the second color and blending then set with the heat
embossing tool.
To achieve a deeper color, dry the first ink dye
application with a heat embossing tool
and then reapply. Repeat as needed until you have the desired
depth of color, drying in between each application.
To thin the colors you can
mix with protecting wax or use an extender.
Dried, porous gourd shells
Gourd shells can vary greatly in density and
porosity, so results with any product will vary as well. Giving your gourd
a light all over sanding with a fine grade of
sandpaper
(#240 is a good place to start) before
applying the ink dye helps create a more uniform surface that absorbs
color more evenly. Sanding also helps soften the natural water proof
barrier that is part of the makeup of the outer shell of the gourd, while
creating a very attractive, smooth surface. This can be especially helpful
with very dense, hard shelled gourds.
On gourds that are dried out
blending will be more difficult because they absorb color more quickly.
Mixing the ink dyes with protecting wax will allow the ink dyes to go on
easier and look better. Take a few scoops of protecting wax with a
plastic spatula and add several drops of ink dye and mix with the spatula.
If you are covering a large area it's best to use a piece of felt cloth to
apply. When you have finished you can apply protecting wax, such as
Minwax, over the
entire surface (do not do this if you have used other products), allow to
dry and buff to shine. Just as a note, Minwax natural/clear is just
as good as most "protective" waxes sold by gourd supply vendors only
cheaper.
Blending colors
To achieve the effects of
fall foliage for the ornaments pictured here I used gourd ink dyes blended
with cotton-tipped applicators. I
did not use any protecting wax because the surface of the gourd was smooth
and I was working on small areas.
The background was done with pine tree green applied with the flat end of
a
cotton-tipped applicator.
As I got closer to the
leaves I used the pointed tip side of the applicator.
When I started working on the leaves I applied the gourd
ink dye with the pointed end of a cotton-tipped applicator starting with
the dark colors and working
my way to the lighter colors blending in small circles as I neared the
areas I wanted to blend together and then set with a
heat embossing tool. I did not
wipe any of this with a tissue to remove the excess before drying. The fiery colors of the leaf were
done using a combination of Memories ink dyes and the Palette Hybrid ink
dyes. The colors used were a combination of Bordeaux and burnt umber
(Palette), Sepia or
Chestnut, canary, ochre and yellow (Memories). I used different
combinations for each leaf so they are not exactly alike. Once the ornaments
were completed I applied a glossy finish which made the colors pop!
For blending colors on
larger areas you might try applying protecting wax over the entire surface
and then add the colors with a felt cloth before the protecting wax dries.
As you get closer to the area you want to blend together work in small
circles to blend.
Color variations when
used on gourds
Because of the color of the
gourd shell some of the ink dyes may not appear as they do on the color
chart and may require some blending to achieve the results you are looking
for. As an example, if you are using teal, turquoise or aqua and
find that it has a greenish cast to it try adding a drop of blue to bring
it back to the correct color.
Test the colors on a scrap
piece of gourd before using it on your project to ensure you are getting
the color you want.
Adding weight and a base
to a gourd a gourd
I'm sure you've all had
gourds that don't have a flat bottom or you want to ensure it doesn't fall
over. There's lots of tciks out there and I've heard all kinds of
secrets to weighting a gourd so it doesn't fall over but the one I like to
use for gourds that are not going to be cut open is this:
1. Using wooden coins
available at Michaels, use this to stencil a hole in the bottom and cut it
out.
2. Stuff newspaper inside
the gourd and push it inside so it's very tight.
3. Add some pea gravel.
It will not move around if you have stuffed the paper tight.
4. put the wooden coin in
the hole and seal the edges using a glue gun.
5. Add the gourd piece that
you cut out and then seal with epoxy or thick (gel) CA Adhesive.
6. If the bottom is not
flat, wrap some raffia or sea grass around in a small circle several times
creating a flat circular base. Glue in place with epoxy or Thick
(gel) CA Adhesive.
7. When completely dry paint
the base to match the bottom of the gourd. This will create a flat
surface as a base.
Finishing the gourd
If you have mixed the ink
dyes with protecting wax I recommend you not apply varnish on top because
it might flake off. It's best to just apply a layer of protecting
wax over the entire surface of the gourd and allow it to dry and then buff
to a nice sheen.
EMBOSSING POWDERS
I just love using the
embossing powders on gourds. They are easy and fund to use.
Here's easy steps to follow:
1. lay a piece of
paper underneath the object you will be embossing.
2. Apply
adhesive
to the area where you want the embossing powder. If you are doing it
in a very small area or using the embossing powder I recommend the
Zing Twin
Tip pen. It will provide small, precise lines just
perfect for embossing signatures, etc.
3. Take a spoon or
spatula and get a small amount of embossing powder. Sprinkle over
the glued area.
4. Tap off excess
embossing powder onto the paper. You can then gently fold the paper
to allow the excess powder to accumulate in the folded area and let it run
back into the jar so you can save it for future use.
5. With a heat tool
(be sure to use one with a concentrated flow) apply heat to the powder
until it looks like enamel.
6. Allow it to cool
and apply varnish to the gourd and cured embossing powder to give it
lasting protection.
You can mix and blend
embossing powders to create your own color combination.
generation green products
Click on these links for:
Earth Safe Finishes
Generation Green Shimmers and
the
clearance center
for sale items
Jo Sonja Products
Click on this link to check
out the
Jo Sonja paints
and
medium
VARNISHES
When applying a brush on
varnish such as Jo Sonja's polyurethane to finished gourds I recommend
using a sponge applicator such as the sponge wedges found on our website.
Pour some in a small cup and dip the applicator in and dab on the gourd
using a "pouncing action". It will dry almost immediately.
Apply a second coat if necessary in the same manner.
Jo Sonja Polyurethane Varnish
Jo Sonja's
Polyurethane varnish is a
heavy duty varnish with great durability. It has a urethane resin that
gives strong resilience for protecting your projects. It works great on
countertops and objects that endure hard use such as gourd art, children's
rooms and furniture and so much more. Unlike other brands you only need 2
coats on most projects, dries clear, will not crack or turn yellow. Best stored
and used between 65-80 degrees. Water based and non-toxic, contains low
VOC's. Can be used with a sponge, brush or spray gun. I
recommend dabbing it on with a foam wedge. Clean up with soap and
water.
GENERATION GREEN COLORS AND OTHER
PRODUCTS
SHIMMER OPAQUE AND
SHIMMER TRANSLUCENT
The
lizard gourd on the right was done using Shimmer Translucent for the
background, ink dyes and Shimmer Opaque for the colors inside
each lizard.
Each
lizard has a different design and color scheme.
I was
inspired to try this background by Maria Dellos who also gave me some
guidance in doing the background. To achieve the background I used
several different colors of gel glaze: bronze, emerald, amethyst, sapphire,
ruby, sparkling gold and white. Using a foam cosmetic sponge I
gently dabbed the first layer of colors using just a little at a time.
Too much and it will not dry right away. When finished with the
first color I repeated the same thing with each color. If you use
too much color it will not dry right away. By the 3rd layer I use
the
heat embossing tool to dry all the
remaining layers. When Maria told me how to do this I thought she
was
crazy thinking for sure that each layer would cancel out the
previous but as you can see it doesn't.
The
lizards themselves were painted with black acrylic paint mixed with
extender. The inside colors were done with Shimmer Opaque.
Each lizard has a different design and color scheme but the colors I used
were: copper, magenta, and teal. They do not look like it but
they do have a wonderful "glazed" shimmer. This photo was taken
before the final finish was applied to prevent glare.
Shimmer Opaque
Shimmer Opaque is a thick
pearlized gel medium that gives an opaque shimmer, vibrancy and paint-like
opaqueness. Shimmer Opaque is a rich, vibrant and white
Pearlesent gel medium. Shimmer Opaque can be applied
with a foam brush, sponge, finger, or bristle brush and can hold its
texture when dry. Simply scoop out a small amount and spread to get the
desired effects. For a blended look apply 2 or more colors while wet.
Keep a wet wipe nearby to dab your brush in to keep the brush and opulence
moist while working.
Easy to
use on any surface including clothing and will not wash off. Add a little
glitter for more pizzazz. Sponge it lightly on a gourd or other material
for a faux raku effect or paint it on the backside of a glass plate so the
vibrancy shows through the glass. Suggested to use a Jo Sonja Varnish
to seal and protect your art. For more working time, add a little of Terra
Bella Working Time Extender. Non-toxic, contains no VOC's. Clean
with soap and water. The White, a very strong white Pearlesent, has been bottled to inspire individuals to create their own
Pearlesent Shimmer Opaque colors.
Directions for use: Apply with a brush, sponge, finger or any type of
utensil desired. Start out with a light coat until you achieve the look you
want. You may add 10% water to thin for a less textured look or may
just soften with a soft cloth or brush. Although there is adequate
time to “play” with
Shimmer
Opaque, it is best to work as quickly as possible. You
can also add extender to prolong the working time. Protect
this beautiful metallic look with one of Generation Green Varnishes.
Shimmer Translucent
Shimmer
Translucent is a glaze which
is defined as a transparent medium applied to a surface to give a texture,
color and depth to it. It is fun and exciting to use as you can create
fabulous pieces of art by “layering” the glazes over each other.
Versatile and easy to use for an Old World look or a modern metallic Deco
effect. Use one color or several colors for an
interesting shimmer effect. Make he surface “pop” or just highlight by
enhancing edges or raised parts or deep crevices. For a stronger look
gourd ink dyes can be added to the
glaze.
Shimmer
Translucent adds
texture to and keeps texture on the surface, even after drying. Shimmer
Translucent can be used as a clear glaze over an existing basecoat or
you may add paint or gourd ink dye to make your own color. Great on vertical surfaces as it does not run
or sag. Use with sponges, plastic bags, brushes, rags, paper, tissue paper,
stencils, kitchen utensils for different effects. Generation Green
Shimmer Translucent holds stamping imprints. If texture is not desired,
simply soften with a soft cloth
Directions for use: Apply with a brush, sponge, finger or any type of
utensil desired. Start out with a light coat until you
achieve the look
you want. May add 10% water to thin for a less textured look or may just
soften with a soft cloth or brush. Although there is
adequate time to “play” with the Shimmer Translucent, it is best to
work as quickly as possible. Protect this beautiful metallic look with one
of Generation Green Varnishes. The gourd in the photos here
were done using a foam wedge using a "pouncing" action on the gourd.
The
photo on the right is an example of six different colors of
shimmer translucent applied on top of each other. As you can see
from both photos that depending on the colors used you will get a different appearance.
The photo on the left I applied one layer of Shimmer opaque as a base
color and then added 2 layers of shimmer translucent. Experiment and have fun!
Extender
Adding a
few drops gives minutes of extender (such as an acrylic paint extender) to extend the drying time of your
paint, stain and/or glaze to get the results you want. Can be used in
sealers, varnishes, glazes and any other water based product Keeps
products from drying so quickly Non toxic, water based. Works great with
Opulence. Simply add a few drops to your medium as desired.
Combining Products
Memories
Gourd Ink Dyes
and
Generation Green shimmers (pigment)
allow you to customize your own products by combining water based ink dyes
or pure pigments
with our other water based products. You can make beautiful metallic dyes
by adding a drop of ink dye to any of the
Earth Safe Shimmers, mixing them in a
Plastic Storage Cups.
Add ink dye to Jo Sonja paint or
Varnish, a drop at a time, until
the desired intensity is achieved to create your own tinted varnish. This
is ideal for applying color to the very porous interior surface of the
gourd. You can also mix the opaque and translucent shimmers
together. Try mixing with Generation Green shimmers and layer
the translucent on top. Be creative!
Fixing a crack
If
the crack is in the middle of the gourd as happens when you drop one or a
stress line gives, I usually drill a hole on either end of the crack to
stop the crack....apply a
CA
Adhesive (medium or thick) on the inside and clamp slightly
if possible so it doesn't get out of alignment, then I fill from the
outside and/or inside with a wood filler.
Apply
the Wood Texture Smooth to the crack, sand lightly with
high grit (I use 400) sandpaper until smooth. Or,
you can drill holes on either sides of the crack and the ends and use some
lacing, sinew, waxed threads, etc. in the holes to incorporate as part of
the design.
Using a protecting
wax and varnishing
Mixing a protecting
wax with gourd ink dyes
If the
skin on the gourd is dry it's best to mix the ink dyes with protecting wax
so the color comes out even and doesn't sink into the skin. Simply
take some wax out with a small
spatula and place it on a
palette. Add some ink dye directly to the wax and mix together with
the spatula. Apply with a
felt cloth and polish.
You can apply a varnish over this if you wish.
Protecting wax and
varnish over other mediums
Before
applying a varnish over protecting wax it's important to test it on a
sample. Some mediums mixed with protecting wax will end up lifting
off.
I do not
recommend using wax over
Generation Green shimmers or the
Metallic gourd
ink dyes. They will lift from the gourd surface so
avoid using protecting wax with these products.
Protecting wax can be used over accent powders but be careful when buffing
so you do not scratch them off.
It is ok
to use a brush-on type varnish such as
Jo Sonja polyurethane when using the
Generation Green Colorant, Acrylic Paint, ink dyes (when set with
embossing tool) and of course the
Jo Sonja Paints.
I still
always recommend testing everything out to ensure compatibility.
Using Inlace Inlay on gourds
For
information on using Inlace Inlay please go to my new instruction sheet.
Click here:
step-by-step Inlace instructions
Pyrography Tutorial on
gourds
For more information on
burning gourds and safety please go to my
Gourd pyrography & safety tutorial
Happy Gourding©!
Nedra
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Updated 5/1/10
