5 of 5

Write now Article Tools

Paper mache is a great way of creating a multitude of different textures and surfaces that can be easily painted to give other effects as well. Paper mache can be molded into pretty much any shape and is particularly effective when creating scenery for everything from children's toys to miniatures or even an inexpensive way of building scenery for train sets. Some people even create works of art from paper mache, although i have never been good enough to do this myself, and have limited myself to making scenery and things for kids to play with.

When painting something made from paper mache you should always make sure the item is thoroughly dried through before you begin to paint or otherwise the paper can start to soak through and the structure you have built can collapse or rip under the pressure of the brush. Another good idea is to use plain white paper for the last few layers, rather then printed newspaper, which will show up the paint better and wont obscure any of the color with the darker ink.

So long as you have the white surface to paint on rather then printed paper you can use water colors, although they do need to be mixed fairly thick and the colors wont be as strong as other types of paint. Enamel paint can also be used, and although it is the most expensive option it does give the brightest colors and are available in more shades and metallic tones if you are going for a particular look or need a specific color.

For example i recently made my younger cousin a garage for his model tank, and needed a metallic gray color. Another often overlooked option is to use spray paint so long as you only need simple colors and are in a well ventilated area of course. This can be the fastest method and will again give a bright range of colors that aren't available in some of the other paint types.

Most commonly acrylic is used when painting paper mache. It probably offers the best mix of range of colors as well as being the easiest to use (and to clean out of things if you're painting with your kids as well). It also doesn't ruin brushes as enamel paint commonly does and will give a fuller brighter color that using water based paints.

The easiest and quickest way of painting paper mache is with a thick brush for the base coats and then a smaller one for any details than need to be highlighted. You will usually need a couple of coats to get the best effect of the color, and you must make sure to let it dry between each coat as well. If you are creating the effect of say scenery or something that needs to have a mottled effect then a good thing to do is to lightly dab the mottled color on after you have painted the main coats on.

Depending on what kind of effect you're trying to create with your paper mache, adding things like glitter or modeling flock to the paint can be an effective way of adding different textures and surfaces to the mache, and can make your projects look more realistic as well.

When you have finished all of your painting and details another good idea is to seal the overall piece with either some clear varnish or some clear acrylic spray. This will ensure that the paint doesn't chip away as easily and that it doesn't rub away when you touch the painted surfaces of your project. After the sealing coat has dried your project is ready to display or to use.

Learn more about this author, Dambrath.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Tips for painting paper mache?
We want to hear your view. Write now!