This lampshade signifies the completion of the lighting for my creating room.
I’ve had this IKEA 17-inch KRUSNING floating around my room for nearly a year just waiting for me to decorate it. I knew I wanted to paint it with watercolors. I just hadn’t taken the time to buy paints.
Before painting, disassemble the lampshade. The plastic ring in the middle snaps apart. You may need a tiny flat-head screwdriver to help pop open the clips. This way, you don’t need to worry about getting paint on the wrong paper.
I received an artist kit at Christmastime and it contained a selection of watercolor pans. I realise they probably aren’t the best quality, but they suited my purpose. In the event I start properly painting with watercolors, I’ll invest in paint and brushes.
I did a little research and talked with my school’s art teacher about how to go about creating a wash over the entire paper. I tried a couple methods. For my first attempt, I first painted the paper with just water, then brushed on the paint. I think because of the way I mixed the paint and water, it ended up being way too thin. I gave the paper a few minutes to dry before finishing the red wash.
For the following papers, I watered my paint and started painting. I think by the time I got to the third or fourth paper, I was finally mixing just right. This is a medium that requires patience and testing.
Once the papers are dry, you can finish the project. My papers were dry in about 30 minutes, though I gave them about an hour to dry. Stack the papers in the order you want them. I put mine in rainbow order (Roy G Biv – minus the indigo). I stacked them paint side up since it would be hanging from the ceiling. If I do another lampshade, I’ll probably paint both sides of the bottom to papers since both sides show.
Snap the plastic center back in. I don’t think it matters which way it goes. Attach the clear plastic guard and hang the shade.
I also shared this project on my blog 64 Color Box
