Okay, so I know there's all this stuff out there about modge-podging Lilly Pulitzer prints to letters and plaques instead of going through the pain of painting out often complicated designs, but I kind of have a soft spot for the old fashioned way. And, I know this is going to sound completely crazy, but I like the feel of a painted letter rather than a modge-podged one. I know, I'm weird.
Anyhow, after painting a few Lilly-inspired prints, I think I've got how to paint a Lilly print down to a pretty simple science. For the most part. I stay far away from more complicated designs and stick to the patterns more than the scenery.
Here are some quick things to keep in mind:
- It's okay if it's not perfect. Seriously, coming from a perfectionist, you don't need to copy it detail for detail. Only the original artist is capable of doing that, and even then they might not be able to.
- Keep it simple! I got better at them the more I painted prints, so stick to the simpler ones first before venturing to more detailed, complicated designs.
- If all else fails, use a lot of white paint to cover it up and start over or come up with a new design!
H O W T O P A I N T A L I L L Y P R I N T:
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| Cherry Picker Print |
1. Pick a Lilly print! You can choose it for whatever your reason. In this case, these were the colors I happened to have on hand!
2. Paint the whole surface in the background color. Of course, I forgot to photograph this! I painted my S in a navy blue.
3. Roughly sketch the outline of the print with pencil. As you can see my sketching is far from perfect and veryyyyyy simple. I stuck with the pattern, but I didn't try to do a carbon copy.
4. Fill the outlines in with white paint. Again, doesn't really have to be perfect, but follow the lines with more detail. I used both a little bitter brush for the bigger spots and then went over it again with a small, finer brush to get the curves and such. Make sure you can cover the pencil lines so it's not sticking out in the end.
5. Fill it in with paint! So, for this print I actually used a turqoise-y color, a darker pink, and I mixed it with white to create a lighter pink. Then using the print for basis, I began filling it in. You'll notice my print isn't perfect, but it still gives the general feel. For really fine details, like the dark pink outlines for the flowers, I actually used a mechanical pencil and dipped it into paint.
6. Make sure you put a covering over top after it dries! Modge-Podge gives a nice finish, but I'm cheap, so I've only used Elmer's glue mixed with water. That's another tutorial I'll get to in the future!
There you have it! A quick little tutorial about how to paint a Lilly print. If you have any you'd like to share, let me know!
