The Ultimate Diamond Art FAQ with Links
(A continuing series of excerpts from my Amazon Kindle Book)
Yesterday's Question Answered: Diamond Painting Lingo
Next Question to be Answered: Drill Trays or Boats
How do I choose a canvas that will look like the image they are selling?
When purchasing a canvas, look for a picture that shows it with the drills attached. Many do not show you the completed version, so check the drill chart carefully if one is provided (which, again, they often are not) and see if the drill placement in the detailed areas is to your liking, or if there are any drills in the detailed areas at all. Often there is no chart presented or finished image to view, so you will have to learn by experience how to choose what size canvas a particular image might look best on.
Rule of thumb when you have no chart or final view: Simple images with very little detail, or those with large blocks of color, such as a cartoon, abstract, mandala, minimalistic or boho style, can look good on small 20 cm x 20 cm canvases, coasters and keychains. But when you start getting more details, or there are words in the design, start looking for the 30 cm canvas size, and when they get truly complex, or with long phrases, even a 50 cm canvas may not be large enough to satisfy your desire for the details. Eventually you will gain an eye for the good stuff and be pleased with every canvas you choose. But ideally, you should view a chart or finished version before purchase.
Here is a tip when looking at the charts: Notice that there is no such thing as a two-toned drill so do not be fooled by charts that appear to show two or more colors within the same charted square or circle. (This is most often more noticeable in square drill charts). This means you will need to choose which color may look best in that spot, and it may not be the manufacturer’s chosen color in the symbol key, or legend, along the edge.
The larger the canvas, the more colors there will likely be in the image, and this is a good thing because they help with gradient shading to make the final project look good from a distance. It may feel more tedious to kit up a large number of colors, but it will be well worth it in the end.
Before I get started, and lock myself into something, which drill shape is best? Square or Round?
The choice really depends on your own visual preference as well as the availability of a desired image, which may only be available in either round or square. I don’t consider myself to be “locked into” any one style, but most of the projects that appeal to me have only been available in round drills. I do have some projects in square drill, as well as a complete set of the square drill colors in case of color shortage.
Round Drills are 2.8 mm in diameter and have 26 facets which allows them to catch the light from more angles so that they twinkle with more sparkling. They are ideal for beginners because they are quicker and easier to place, due to not needing to be oriented in any particular direction before placement, and they can create smoother curves due to their roundness, but they leave visible gaps that show more of the painted image underneath, which may or may not be a good thing. The finished paintings look better from a distance. If a round drill is not placed correctly on the chart, the grid circle may be visible and this can give a less than professional appearance, especially if the other drills are not lined up properly. See Alignment Techniques. Please note that the Diamond Dotz line of Mini Dotz diamond painting kits use a smaller, 2 mm mini drill size, so be sure to store them separately. There are also some 2.5 mm rounds out there being sold as 2.8 mm for diamond art, so read reviews carefully. You can also use these smaller ones as embellishments on a square canvas if you accidentally end up with some.
Square Drills are 2.5 mm and have only 9 facets to catch the light. Because they fit together perfectly this gives them a cleaner, more brilliant and refined shine or glossy look. They are a little trickier to place because not only are they a tad smaller to grab, but they need to be oriented “squarely” onto the canvas. This does require precision and can be frustrating for beginners. You know you have placed a square drill correctly within a group of them when you hear a satisfying “crunch”. This sound also appears when you are rolling over the drills to tighten them to the canvas before moving on or sealing the project. There are tools available to help with lining them up if needed. See Alignment Techniques. Curves on small canvases may look jagged, so larger canvases are best when using square drills in a project that has a lot of curved lines. But they do provide enhanced sharpness and high-resolution imagery by covering the entire canvas so that the image below is no longer seen. This makes them particularly suitable for projects requiring intricate detail or more complex designs. But again, detailed and complex images should be done on large canvases anyway, whether square or round. Because the square drills are smaller, 2.5 mm rather than 2.8 mm, the same image may be a full centimeter, or more, smaller than the round drill version of the same project, but at the same time, the smaller size provides a higher resolution image. Think in terms of “pixels” per square inch and you’ll get the connection.
There are many YouTube videos regarding the differences between the round and square drills, but here are a couple to get you started. This one is a comparison of the drills and processes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmaJhzrIyvc&t=155s
This one compares the same project in both square drill and round drill so you can see the end results of both styles within the same image: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoZRsM0jNA&t=230s
What is the difference between 3D and 5D drills?
These designations refer to the number of facets, or faces, on one side of a diamond drill. The D stands for “dimensions”. When diamond art first came on the scene, they were of the 3D variety. Now, 3D is rarely seen, other than in beginner kits, lower priced kits, or kits for kids. 3D drills have a total of 9 facets, 3 faces on each side. They appear rounder with not as much sparkle. 5D drills have 5 faces on a side, or a total of 15 facets. Because there are more facets, 5D drills have more light refraction from different directions and that results in more sparkle, deeper color, and depth. You can see a comparison picture of round drills here: https://fabercastell.com/blogs/creativity-for-life/5d-diamond-painting-vs-3d-diamond-painting?srsltid=AfmBOorYfGv6qp_4oPBjwnSB5wF_poezN100Dh3Zql9LLmm3sFeYxEHE
There is no difference in the difficulty level between the two “dimensions”, they simply provide a different visual effect. If you have been doing diamond painting for many years, or buy lower priced kits, or get your kits from various suppliers and haven’t been paying attention to the D number, you might want to make sure you don’t mix the two types of drills in the same jar. It could have an interestingly uneven effect if both are used on the same canvas, unless you are intending to create a special shapes effect.
You may also run across a 7D designation as well. These are typically flat-bottomed gems in special shapes and so far are not used in standard square or round drills. You can see 7D gems here along with a square vs round comparison, and a canvas size guide: https://tonysourcing.com/diamond-painting/
Yesterday's Question Answered: Diamond Painting Lingo
Next Question to be Answered: Drill Trays or Boats
I have been doing diamond art for over 10 years. My book was published under my pen name. You can contact me through my blog here at https://ei-kan.blogspot.com if you have any additional questions to add to this section or to notify me of any dead links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualified purchases. This book is available in its entirety on Amazon Kindle (visible link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZKGSVKS) and there are some discount coupon codes for up to 15% off your purchases at select websites near the end of it And yes, I earn a few
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