The detailed descriptions of round and square drill DPs. This also discusses the questions – “which DP is right for me?” and “what size is right for me?”.
Round Drill Diamond Painting
As the name suggests, this painting uses round drills. With round drills, the back canvas is visible partially. The finished DP is good to look at, but lacks in perfection when looked closely.
The shine is also lesser than the square drill counterpart.
Square Drill Diamond Paintings
As the name suggests, this diamond painting is done with Square drills. What this means is that the entire area is covered with drills and the base canvas is not visible. This gives the finished painting a better and complete look .
The below paintings are with square drills. I was thrilled with the end result!
Which Diamond Painting is right for me – Square Drill or Round Drill?
If you are just starting out, then, it might be worth to first try the round drill DP as they are much easier and almost no hassles with alignments of the round drills. With the first kit, you will get an idea how to handle the canvas, which areas to work first and how to progress.
Once you are comfortable with round drill DPs, then, it is time to try out the square drill DPs. These for sure take longer time than the round drill ones. In this one, the alignment of the drills are crucial to a good end result. Also, there are chances of the drills popping out. So, with the square drills, you will have some extra steps. One is to use a rolling pin or a similar item to push all the drills on the canvas firmly so that get glued to the canvas better. However, there is still a chance that the drills pops out. This can be solved by sealing the diamond painting with help of a sealant. I have tried currently with Mod-Podge-Gloss. Next time I plan to try out Fevicryl Modge-Podge Gloss.
The results with Mod-Podge Gloss sealant was good. the diamonds are properly glued to the canvas, and i don’t run the risk of losing the drills.
After trying out both, you will surely know your choice and preferrance. Now, I would any day prefer square diamond painting than the round:-)
What size of Diamond Painting to go for?
For the first try, try out a medium size – say 30X40cm (the actual drill area will be around 25X35 cms). This takes a couple of days to finish. so, this will give the idea of how long you would need to complete based on your available time.
Large canvas needs to be handled with greater care so as to ensure that the canvas does not get folded. Also, as you would need longer to work, you need to take more care of placing it safely between sessions and see to it that it doesn’t get dirty — especially the side canvas. — Even if it gets dirty, you can always paint it with an acrylic paint. This can work as a border for your painting and enhance the effect.
When chosing a small canvas, go for specific objects, like flower, butterfly, bird, etc.. and avoid the scenaries, as the details are visible only when seen from a distance. With DPs, yoiu usually get around 30 colours. The minor colour differences adds a good amount of detail and also gives shading effect.
When going for larger size, e.g. 40X50cms (drill area will be around 35 X 45 cms) scenaries with specific object in focus will be good. However, a scenary with mountains, lake, etc… might need a bigger size to be effective.
As can be seen from the DPs pictures above, the two scenaries with the round drills are not that good compared to the flower DP.
In the square DP, the one with 2 birds and flower looks good as it is of the right size – has the right amount of detail and with square drills, it adds extra glitter.