General Instructions and Tips to paint our beautiful 3D printed resin teapots.
 
TEAPOTS - USING WATERSLIDE DECALS

There will be a lot of information about painting and finishing the various teapots below.  This portion of the tutorial will address the application of the waterslide decals only.

Before applying decals, complete any painting you want to do on the teapot. (again, more painting instructions will follow)
Here is our teapot and the decals that were designed for it. 
Use a small pair of sharp scissors and carefully cut out the decal.  Cut around it closely.  It is fine to leave a small border around the design... as the decals are clear.
It is important to use lukewarm water.  If you use cold water, it will not activate the adhesive on the decal.

Carefully place your decal in the warm water.  If you have a really good pointed pair of tweezers, it is ok to grasp the decal by just the smallest amount on one edge and hang on to it while it is in the water.  This is easier than trying to fish it out later!  Because the decals are so small, 10-15 seconds in the water is all that is needed.

Remove the decal from the water.  Touch it on a piece of paper towel to pull away the excess water.
Its hard to see... but here the decal has been moved over just slightly off the paper backing.   I'm going to show you the same process but for a larger item so that you understand what this is about.
This decal is for a plate, so it is much larger, but you can see that I have nudged the decal just slightly to one side on the paper backing. 
Put the loose edge of the decal on the teapot and hold.  Slowly pull the paper backing out from underneath the decal, allowing it to fall into place.  Gently press down using a q-tip, to push out the excess water from underneath the decal.

Again, another photo below, of the larger decal so you can get the technique down.
Again, another photo, of the larger decal so you can get the technique down.
The exposed edge of the decal is positioned on the edge of the plate, and the paper backing is being removed.  The decal will fall into perfect position without a lot of unnecessary handling.

In addition to the q-tip, you can also use a soft brush to press down (no scrubbing!) the decal all over so that it is well adhered.  The decals tend to shrink as they dry onto the piece and this helps any small wrinkles disappear. 
When totally dry, an application of water based varnish will help conceal the edges of the decal and provide an even shine over the entire piece.
There is one addition to the general instructions, and that is for the blue Dresden teapot.  The lid is quite sculptural, so it can be tricky to get a decal to lie flat on the surface.  For this reason, I recommend that you cut out the center of the decal as indicated by the black curved line in this photo.  Take care to preserve the flowers, but remove a good bit of the center.  Then use the tip of your scissors to cut tiny slits at the edges of the center hole randomly as indicated by the red lines.

Proceed to apply in the normal manner, slipping the handle of the lid thru the center hole, matching edges and smoothing.  Remember the smallest wrinkles will flatten as the decal dries.
 

There are so many different teapot options in this project that it would make for a very excessive tutorial if I were to include step by step instructions to paint each one.  However... I have been compiling an ongoing tutorial about painting my 3d printed resin pieces.  I add to this tutorial each time I discover a new product, or develop a painting technique that I think works well.  So I am going to provide you with a link to that tutorial here.  I recommend you read thru the entire tutorial, as it will give you insight on how best to paint your teapots.  It will explain basic techniques like dry brushing, antiquing, blushing, painting features, etc that you may want to use on your teapots. 

PAINTING RESIN FIGURES - TIPS, TECHNIQUES, TOOLS AND MORE

I will also include below a close up photo showing the way that we painted each of the teapots.  Remember, this is your project, so please feel free to paint your pieces in any style or color you desire.   These are just our interpretation.  If any piece required a special technique, it will be noted underneath it's photo.  Many of the teapots require only a bit of outlining and then the application of a waterslide decal.  In those cases, please paint your base coat if desired, apply any gold trim or scrollwork, and then apply the decals. Most importantly, I will provide you with the order that the details of each piece were painted. This order is good to help minimize and messy edges where colors meet, etc. and is the order that I found gave the best results for each piece.

All teapots should be finished with a coat of gloss brush on varnish.  Not only will this protect your piece... it also makes the edges of the decals  disappear... and even better, it truly brings the dull lifeless acrylic paints to life.  You will be amazed at the difference with and without the varnish! Below is the varnish that we used, as well as a photo of the extender that you will find that I refer to a lot in the instructions.  The full tutorial gives information on these products and many more, but in case you do not want to take the time to review it, these two items are products you will find most helpful to paint your teapots.

 

     

 

1.  Apply a base coat of white paint.
2.  Paint hair, dry brushing a second lighter color for highlights.
3. Facial features - pan pastels for cheeks
4.  Dry brush light blue on wings
5.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1.  Apply a base coat of white paint.
2.  Paint desired gold scroll work with metallic acrylic paints.
3. Apply decals per instructions above. Be sure to note the special instructions for this piece the decal instructions.
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1.  Apply a base coat of white paint.
2.  Paint solid areas. Paint gold scroll work with metallic acrylic paints.
3. Apply decals per instructions above.
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.
1.  Apply a base coat of white paint.
2.  Paint solid areas. Paint gold scroll work with metallic acrylic paints.
3. Apply decals per instructions above.
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1.  Dry brush center areas of petals with light pink.
2.  Apply dark rose to outer edges of petals and blend in toward centers.
3.  Paint handle, spout and butterfly.
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish		 1.  Paint body with medium grey.
2.  Paint pants, vest and hat as desired.
3.  Paint eyes.  Blush cheeks and ears with pan pastels or acrylic paint and blending medium.
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.
1.  Apply a base coat of white paint.
2.  Paint solid areas. Paint gold scroll work with metallic acrylic paints.
3. Apply decals per instructions above.
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1.  Paint all brown areas first.  Use a light wash effect on body of house to preserve texture/details.  Paint windows white.
2.  Paint remaining colored areas.
3. Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1.  Paint all brown areas first.  Use a light wash effect on body of house to preserve texture/details.  Paint windows white.
2.  Paint remaining details as desired.
3. Brush on water base gloss varnish.
Extended instructions for this teapot in the tutorial linked above. 1.  Apply a base coat of white paint on body only.
2.  Detail paint branches, birds and flowers
3.  Light wash over handle, spout and lid.
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1.  Paint pumpkin with light orange.
2.  Dry brush in creases with darker shade of orange to bring out depth.
3. Paint leaves and vines.  Brown can be applied over the green leaves for more interest.  Paint handle and stem brown.
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.
1.  Apply a base coat of white paint to entire piece.
2.  Paint face, hands and feet.
3.  Paint blue areas of dress, then add pink ruffle and scarf.  Paint facial features.
4.  Blush cheeks and inner ears with pan pastel, or dry brush acrylic paint.
5.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1.  Apply a base coat of white paint to entire piece.
2.  Follow photo to paint flowers in colors of your choice.  Flowers painted with lighter shade, then centers are accented with darker shade of same color.  Yellow centers. Paint butterfly as desired.
3.  Paint leaves with medium green then add darker green accents around edges.
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.
 1.  Paint face area, leaving eyes white.
2.  Paint hair.  Then paint tie and hat.
3.  Paint spout and handle.
4.  Paint facial features.  Be sure to use extender to paint the fine lashes.  Blush cheeks with pastels, or dry brush with acrylic paint.
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.
1.  Paint face color first
2.  Paint light blue areas, then handle and spout.
3.  Paint facial details, pastels recommended for blushing. 
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.
 1.  Apply a base coat of white paint.
2.  Paint desired gold scroll work with metallic acrylic paints.
3. Apply decals per instructions above.
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1.  Body was painted with a dark blue as first coat.  A second coat was dry brushed using a lighter shade of blue.  Bright yellow centers for the flowers.
2. Paint handle with a coat of white, then paint spout and leaves on handle with green.
3. Brush on water base gloss varnish.
1.  Paint solid pink areas.  Paint gold accents, and if desired use a deep wine to freehand paint the small scrolls.
2. Apply decals per instructions above.
3.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.
 1. Use a light blue paint and fine brush to paint on a curved dividing line across the width of the teapot.  Paint everything above the line with the light blue. Paint everything below the line with white, and also spout and handle,
2.  At the bottom area of the blue section apply a slightly darker shade of blue and blend up into solid area.
see next photo
 3.  Use a dark blue, and a pink/violet to create five petal flowers across the line area.  You can use a very fine brush or sharp toothpick to paint the flowers.  Use a medium green to make little leaves and vines randomly between the flowers. To make a leaf, make a dot of paint with your toothpick and then drag the paint with the tip making a curved tail as shown in photo. 
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.
1.  Apply a base coat of white paint.
2.  Paint desired gold scroll work with metallic acrylic paints.
3. Apply decals per instructions above.
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1.  Paint the orange and the leaves.
2.  Paint the monkey and his clothing.
3. Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1.  Paint skin tone on face.
2.  Paint skirt, applying paint at hemline and softly blending up toward waist so that the paint is shaded from bottom to top.  Paint shawl in same manner.  Paint bonnet, ruffles, hair  spout and handle with white.  Add burgundy to parasol and bonnet ties.  Add dots to skirt as desired with toothpick.
3. Paint facial features
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.
1.  Paint all white areas first. 
2.  Paint flowers.  Do entire flower with a dark shade of your choice of color, then add a  layer radiating out from center in a lighter shad of that color.  Paint centers with shades of golden yellow.  Paint leaves.
3.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1.  Apply a base coat of white paint..
2.  Use a blending medium with rose paint.  Begin at bottom edge and apply full strength then blend up toward center, lightening as you move up. Paint center of lid with rose.
3. Apply gold scrolls and accents with metallic paint.
4. Brush on water base gloss varnish.
 1.  Paint all petals with a medium rose.  Paint leaves and spout with a medium green.  Use a soft white to paint the edges of the petals and the handle.
2.  Use a light brown with extender to antique the areas, starting at base of petals and brushing upward.  Apply antiquing heavier over leaves.  Apply to handle and then wipe back.  Paint the bird in soft shades of blue.  dry brush a bit of white on his chest and paint beak and eyes.
3. Brush on water base gloss varnish.
1.  Apply white paint to areas shown.  Apply med. rose to upper area of body.  Wipe paint back to allow the detailing to show. 
2.Paint details using darker rose, green, burgundy and yellow.   Paint lid, base and scrolls on handle with gold.
3. Brush on water base gloss varnish.
 1.  Apply a base coat of white paint.
2. Dry brush the fur using a light brown.  Dry brush pink in ears.
3. Paint the leaves, spout and handle with two shades of green, applying darker shade first, then dry brushing with lighter shade on  high spots.  Paint flowers and berries, darker shades in creases, and lighter on high spots, or using antiquing medium for a stained effect. Paint facial features.
4. Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1.  Paint rooster body with medium yellow.  2.  Be sure to use extender for the next part of painting for best results!  Use shades of darker yellow, and light orange to accent the tips of the feathers, darkening as you move toward bottom of wings.  Add a medium green to tips of wings.  Paint the tail with green as shown, applying 2 different shades to give depth.  Paint comb and wobble in deep wine, and beak and feet in light orange.
3. Brush on water base gloss varnish.
1.  Apply a base coat of white paint.
2.  Paint desired gold scroll work with metallic acrylic paints.
3. Apply decals per instructions above.
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1.  Paint main area of shoe first, roof, handle and spout.
2. paint the details as desired. 
3. Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1. Apply a base coat of white paint..
2.  Use a light grey mixed with extender or antiquing medium and apply to the feathered areas to bring out the details.  Wipe back the paint allowing it to remain in the crevices.
3. Paint the beaks, and eyes.
4. Brush on water base gloss varnish.
1.  Apply a base coat of white paint.
2.  Paint desired gold scroll work with metallic acrylic paints.
3. Apply decals per instructions above.
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1.Paint the flesh area of the face.  Paint all of the white areas, hair, beard, spout and handle.
2. Paint green areas. Two coats were needed to get good coverage.  The  hatband and pipe were painted in black.  A bit of red was added to the bowl of the pipe.  Be sure not to miss the tiny shamrock molded onto the bowl of the pipe. 
3. Paint the eyes and mouth, and use pastels to blush the cheeks and nose.  Use gold metallic paint to create the accents on the harp shaped handle and the top edge of the spout. Then use silver metallic paint to paint the horseshow on the front of the hat.
4.  Brush on water base gloss varnish.		 1.  Paint the grey body of the cottage. 
2.Paint the roof with a medium yellow, then dry brush a darker goldenrod color to roof.  3. Paint the handle and spout with white then paint all of the details, timbers, door, greenery etc. in your choice of colors.
4. Brush on water base gloss varnish.

 

 

  
IMPORTANT NOTICE: You may print out a copy of this lesson for your personal use only. It is not to be copied, duplicated, shared, or passed around in any form to anyone who has not purchased this class. The url for these web pages will be monitored for unauthorized traffic, so please do not share the link for these pages. Support the concept of online teaching and online instructors by not "sharing" our lessons and instructions. They are the copyrighted property of the author. Thank you.
If you would like to be notified via email when new products, classes and tutorials are available, please sign up for my mailing list on the home page of this site.  Your name will not be used for any purpose other than notification of site updates.

HOME