A Merry Art Night: Dot Art
Updated: Jun 10
A couple of years back, while casually scrolling through Instagram, I stumbled upon the mesmerizing world of Dot Art—and let me tell you, I fell down that rabbit hole hard! There's something utterly captivating about the sheer relaxation dot art offers. While there's structure in the form of a rhyme, reason, and my meticulously crafted grid to guide me, it's the act of bringing something into existence that truly soothes my soul.
What you need?
Paint - It's best to stick with a color theme instead of jumping all over the place. I suggest a good 6-7 colors to help guide your design.
1 Neutral Color, i.e. white, grey, cream
3-4 Colors in the same color, i.e. multiple red/pick colors
1-2 Complementary colors as your "pop" and the others can play off of it.
Dot tools – this is something you can easily get off Amazon or a local hobby store like Michaels. But you can also use household items. I've used chopsticks, bobby pins, pin caps! I also happened to have tools for scoring and folding paper and they work perfectly well!
Item to paint – Here's where you can get creative! You can use large smooth rocks, but I'd suggest starting with a nice circle. I have some precut and lines available on my site.
A nice lacquer (or UV resin for the end.)
Ready to get started?
Before diving into your masterpiece, let's hone those dotting skills with a little practice on paper. Here are a couple of common elements you can start with to get the hang of it. Get comfortable with the pressure and size of your dotting tool.
Tip: I find it helpful to hold my dotting tool straight up and down when making individual dots, and to the side (like holding a pencil) when creating swirls or fans.
Check Out Merry Art Night
One thing I always remind my fellow painters is, 'There's no such thing as messing up in dot art!' And then someone inevitably chimes in, 'Only happy accidents!' Exactly!
That's the beauty of it—the dots will always lead the way. Many of my attendees at Dot Night have shared that dotting is an incredible mindfulness activity, and I couldn't agree more! For me, it's a way to clear my mind and let the dots guide me. It's remarkable how after a night of dotting, whatever weighty issue has been on my mind seems to find a resolution. Give it a try and let the dots weave their magic!
Music You Can Dot To
I've included a Low Key playlist for your listening pleasure. Just sit back and relax.
Love this!