My Favorite Products
Professional Dotting Tool Set
This is my go-to set of dotting tools. Each stylus graduates in size so you can easily create dot patterns with the confidence of selecting just the right tool for the next set of patterns. The set can be cleaned with dish soap (Dawn blue works best). It's a bit of an investment but will really improve your technique and consistency.
Dotting Rods
If you're not ready to invest in the professional dotting tool set, picking up this 8 pack of Dotting Rods is a cost effective way to expand the size of dots you can achieve. Combined with the basic stylus tool set, you can easily create a range of mandala patterns. You can purchase this set online or pick up a set in the Dot Fusion Studio.
Silicone Corrector Rods & Ball Stylus Set
To perfect your swoosh technique, you can use the oversized, double-sided ball stylus rods. This kit includes a set of silicone polymer tipped rods that are so useful in correcting mistakes as the rubber tips in different shapes can pinpoint the error and wipe it off without disturbing the rest of the art piece.
Silicone Stencil Set
I love these flexible stencils because they can easily bend to lightly curved shapes. Use with a watercolor pencil or soapstone pencil, and once your paint is dry you can use a q-tip and a little water to erase guidelines from your art pieces.
Watercolor Pencils Gridlines
I use watercolor pencils for gridlines because it is so simple and easy to remove them once paint is dry. Use stencils or a compass to create your gridlines with these pencils. Us a Qtip lightly dipped in water to gently remove the watercolor pencil from your piece and then seal it.
Lazy Susan
This was a game changer for me! Having the ability to rotate my art piece while painting improved my consistency and spacing. It also helps one avoid placing one's hand in the middle of the wet paint if you're reaching across your piece to place dots. Any lazy susan will work, this just happens to be the one I use as I like the size and it rotates well.
Magnifying Light
When painting such fine detail for a few hours, I find it very helpful to use a desktop magnifying light. This one can clamp onto your desk or has a base to sit freestanding on a table. It has 3 light settings so you can control how bright or soft you prefer the light to be when painting.
Liquitex Glass Medium
If you are not using multi-surface paint such as Deco Art Americana, and you wish to paint on glass surfaces, then you'll need to add Liquitex Glass Medium to your acrylic paint (10% paint to 90% glass medium). After painting the glass surface, allow the piece to fully dry and then cure in the oven. Place items on a sheet pan in a cold oven, then heat to 300°F / 150°C and bake for 30 minutes.
Recommended Basics
Basic Dot Stylus Tool Set
The Guided Dot Painting Workshop fee includes a set of the basic dot stylus tools. If you have not taken this class and wish to purchase a set, drop by the Dot Fusion Studio.
Pouring Medium
If you're using acrylic paint that is too thick (you can see meringue peaks when dipping into the paint), then you will want to thin it using a pouring medium. Politec Pouring Medium is available in SMA at El Pato art store in Col. Guadeloupe.
Krylon Spray Varnish
Finish your art pieces with a high gloss, satin or matte finish to protect the surface from dust and debris. In SMA, you can visit the Sherwin Williams store located near the Plaza La Luciernaga shopping center (Liverpool).