Painting Gourds: If you wish to do hand painting or designs on your gourd , it is best to have a real smooth surface. A gourd will absorb many different types of paint. Including Oil Paint, Water colors, Acrylic paints, Permament markers, Stamp Pad Ink, and Milk Paint.
It is best to test a small area on the gourd that will not show or an area that can be covered later. We use Natural Milk Paint on all our gourds that will be used as Bird Houses, Pet containers for treats, Candy Dishes, or anything that would need a Non-toxic paint.
You can also stamp designs on the gourd with rubber stamps and stamp pad ink.
Filling in tiny areas that have been carved first work better with fine tip markers.
Large carved background areas can be dyed or painted.
Our Ginger Jar gourd background was carved in a cross-hatch pattern first with all the hard shell removed from that area and then dyed. The raised design of flowers and leaves was painted with 24 K Gold Leaf paint.
I have also used old fabric ball point paints for some gourds but the ball point slides a little on the slick surface so I opened the tube and squeezed a little on my pallet, added a little thinner and brushed it on the gourd. Fun way to use up old fabric markers. You can also use spray paints either to seal the surface with a clear coat, or make it look like bisque with a flat coat, or try some of the more 3 dimentional spray paints such as stone or pebble or snow. Hope this gives you some ideas.
The fun for me is trying different types and wondering about the results.
A gourd is somewhat forgiving in that you can scrape off some paint or paint over it If it has not penetrated the surface.
More Information on Milk Paint here:
http://www.realmilkpaint.com/

Next post will be about Woodburning Gourds.

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