Tips (English)
You’ve purchased/downloaded a 3D design from Keep In Mind… Now what?
First of all: awesome that you’ve picked up a design! Below you’ll find tips on how to paint your project. And don’t worry; it doesn’t have to be expensive!
Painting Tips
- Use brushes in different sizes. We recommend soft, round tips. They can paint in various widths, so three sizes will get you far!
- Looking for a super-fine brush? Art supply stores are great, but if you don’t have one nearby, try nail art brushes. Even a skewer can work in a pinch.
- For your workspace, we recommend a silicone baking mat or craft mat. Craft mats often have paint wells; baking mats are completely flat.
- Planning to use spray paint or spray lacquer? Grab some silicone sponges to prevent your piece from sticking.
The Base Layer
- Start with a layer of Gesso. It makes your project beautifully white and helps paint stick better, meaning you’ll use less paint.
- Is Gesso expensive? Doesn’t have to be! Action sells a great one for under €3. They’ve even had black Gesso before — maybe it’ll return (September 2025?).
The Paint
- Choose paint with good opacity: fewer streaks, less frustration.
- If your paint set is under €3 and sold in the kids’ section… odds are it’s not great. Often comes with a low-quality brush — but don’t toss it! It’s handy for glue, splatter effects, etc.
- Action has decent paints, but you’ll need to experiment. Van Bleiswijck (September 2025) has good coverage but dries darker — mix with white to adjust.
- Bad paint? Mix it with good paint to make it usable. Don’t throw it out!
- Glow-in-the-dark, UV, metallic, and glitter paints often have poor coverage. Use a base layer in a similar color first — grey for silver, yellow for gold — so you’ll need less of the specialty paint.
- Storing paint? Use small jars with plastic lids. Metal lids can stick due to temperature changes. Action sells mini Nutella jars (September 2025) and they seal well! Remove the cardboard insert from the lid to prevent mold. And yes, eat the Nutella first!
- Mixing paint? Reuse stirrers — popsicle sticks, chopsticks, coffee stirrers…
- Tired of mixing? Try a mini milk frother! Great for blending paint. Just be careful — it can splatter. Wear an apron and keep your work clear. To clean, run it in a jar of water. And don’t use it for milk afterward!
Finishing Touches
Your print is nearly done… but maybe it still looks a bit plain. Here’s how to jazz it up:
- Nail polish. Yep, really! A thin layer of (glitter) polish can make your design pop.
- Eyeshadow. Also yes! Works great as a pastel alternative. Finding good brushes can be tricky.
- Eyeshadow has an expiration date, so don’t use old ones on your skin… but for crafting, go wild! Bright kids’ palettes are fun too.
- Note: Eyeshadow doesn’t always stick well to smooth acrylic. Test and experiment.
- You can also mix eyeshadow powder with resin for color.
- Glitter, but beware: it gets everywhere! Mix it with clear varnish to make your own glitter glue.
- Not all glitter is biodegradable. Avoid rinsing it down the drain.
- Rhinestones, pearls, beads…You name it! Don’t like glue marks? Use a thin layer of clear varnish to stick them down.
Final Details
- Raised lines are easier to paint with a fine brush or acrylic marker (available at Action – September 2025). Colored lines soften the look; black lines give a comic/cartoon vibe.
- Tip: Sometimes irises are level with eyelids. Paint the eyelids first, then the irises.
- Finish with a layer of clear varnish. Action sells both gloss and matte (Van Bleiswijck – September 2025). Matte still has a slight shine, just less than gloss. It goes on white but dries transparent.
- You can also use spray varnish from the DIY section. Handy if you’re sealing multiple pieces.
- Tip: Always test your varnish first on paper or cardboard. You don’t want to accidentally grab the black spray paint (they all look the same…).
Done! What Now?
Now that it’s finished, you can do even more with it:
- Make a keychain or pendant! Drill a small hole and add a ring. Even better if you do this at the start. It’s made of PLA, so a hot needle or soldering tip works well (practice first!).
- Make a magnet! Wibra sells magnets in various sizes (September 2025) — just stick one on the back.
- Decorate a box, frame, or other object.
- You can gently bend the print by warming it with a hairdryer or heat gun. Be careful — PLA melts around 160°C!
- Make a brooch or pin. Pin backs are easy to find online. For larger pins, you’ll need 2–3 backs.
- Make a standee! A cute standing figure looks great on your shelf or desk.
– Tip: Use UV resin to attach it to a base.
– Tip: Don’t use UV resin to fill your piece. It’s unpredictable for large areas. Regular resin is better, but takes days to cure. Read the label, ventilate, wear gloves, and protect your surface. Let it cure on a silicone mat (like the one you painted on?).
Also suitable for clay!
Our 3D designs aren’t just suitable for painting. You can also use them for clay embossing. Embossing means pressing a raised design into the clay without cutting all the way through. Please note: we have only tested this with air‑dry clay.
Things to keep in mind
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- The impression will be mirrored. For most designs this isn’t an issue, but for some it is. If you have the 3D print file yourself, you can mirror it in your slicer.
- Whatever is raised on the 3D print will be pressed into the clay. This creates a negative embossing effect.
Tips:
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- Work on baking paper or a silicone mat so you can lift the clay easily.
- Want a clean border around your design? Use a sharp, clean blade and keep the 3D print in place while cutting to prevent distortion. (Note: clay can dull your blade faster.)
- Let your piece dry on corrugated cardboard. It helps absorb moisture from the clay.
- Don’t let the clay dry too quickly. Patience is key for the best result.
- Large or thick pieces may curl while drying. Turn your piece over twice a day and place a sheet of baking paper with something light on top. Start doing this only after the first 6–8 hours, once the clay has begun to set.
- Worried about sticking? Dust your 3D print with a thin layer of baby powder or cornstarch. With hollow cutters you can wait for the clay to shrink, but this won’t give you a clean edge.
Note: clay shrinks! The amount of shrinkage depends on:
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- The brand of clay
- The thickness
- The drying environment
Keep this in mind when choosing your cutter or border size.
One Last Thing…
Our designs are for personal use only. You may not sell them or use the designs in your own work. These are copyrighted creations.
Want to share your finished piece online? Use the hashtag #3DbyKittyOcean or tag the artist!
Find KittyOcean on social media: https://linktr.ee/Kittyocean
Allereerst, leuk dat je een ontwerp hebt gekocht/ gedownload! Hieronder vindt je veel tips over hoe je het beste jouw ontwerp kunt schilderen. En geen zorgen, dat hoeft echt niet duur te zijn!