By the way, can you really paint on a lampshade ?
In short, the answer to that question is a resounding YES.
Art is always a great way to express one self and to give outlet to ones creative drive. At Woodooz, we think of our lampshades as a work of art and that helps us understand the joy of creating and nurturing it. While art or painting or sketch on a lampshade has been here for quite a while, we as lampshade makers want to hightlight and encourage artists to explore this medium on an extensive basis for giving wings to there artistic talent. A lampshade is no different from the other media that you may have been used to work on – A canvas or fabric or a wooden surface or MPF or bottles or any other surface for that matter.
Most lampshades are made with fabric which makes them a perfect surface for painting.
Who would want to paint on a lampshade ?
You actually do not need a specific reason to paint on a lampshade. It is art much like what you would indulge on a piece of canvas which eventually hangs and adorns a wall in your home. So if you love exploring art, Lampshades can be a unique and different medium to try your artistic hands at and that piece of art can be a sure shot conversation starter at your home. Laying in one corner of your room, lighting up and speaking a story that is yours and told through your art. Art for art sake. To revel in the joy that comes out of that art. For no reasons other than these two.
Remember. These can be a great gift to your loved ones.
Painting on a lampshade can also exist for commercial reasons. Small businesses whose foundations are laid on art and products based on art can use lampshades to offer a new, unique and customized range of products to their customers. The piece of art can be standard and generic and can appeal to a larger audience or can be specific and personalized to cater to individual requirements and need. Either way, the lampshades become a unique product offering, their uniqueness stemming out of the artistic feat that is truly and completely exclusive to the artist.
What kind of paint can be used on fabric lampshade ?
A whole lot of different kinds of paints can be used on fabric lampshades. If we leave out the fact that they are lampshades, they are essentially fabric or paper on which people have been known to paint on for ages. The below list is based on our own experience working on painted lampshades and also based on inputs from artists who use our lampshades for their commercial products or for their personal use. While we do have photos to support the claim, we are not at liberty to post other people’s work and so shall limit the images to our own experiments.
Acrylic and fabric paint
- They work really well with fabrics as you would already know. Just one word of caution here : Soft lampshades are made of fabric and hard ones have a layer of plastic inside the fabric. In the latter case, they may be a layer of glue beneath and adding too much of sogginess might weaken the glue structure which you will want to avoid.
PVC paints
- These are typically used for screen printing. But also are great set of paints to use on your fabric lampshades.
Acrylic Spray paints
- If you are into stenciling, acrylic spray paints are a really quick way to get your work of art done. They allow for faster drying and an even distribution of paint that makes the finish look so seamless and printlike.
One quick tip on using spray paints (Maybe will cover this as a separate detailed post also) : Make sure you place the stencil to lay as much as possible on the lampshade surface. Given that it may be curved, it becomes important to keep it flat. Use painter’s tape / masking tape to stick the stencil onto the shade. STRICTLY AVOID PACKING TAPE. Also, cover a a considerable amount of the shade outside of the stencil with painter’s tape. Remeber, spray paint needs to be sprayed evenly at about 8-10 inches away and so the paint is likely to stray outside the stencil. To be on the safer side, cover 6 inches of the shade with painter’s tape on all sides of the stencil.
Sharpies and sketch pens
- Not the painting type ? Love doodling and sketching. That goes well with shades too. If you have not tried it, it is about time that you do a mandala art or warli or just about any of the things that you always doodle on paper. You can have it by your bedside and take pride in it everyday.
What is the ideal lampshade to paint on ?
What is ideal is based on what you have and not have. You can paint on lampshades that are already at home. If you have a lampbase and looking to crown it with your work of art, you can go for a suitable lampshade that fits your base. Drum or conical ? You can look it up here. You can also go for standalone table lamps or hanging lamps in case you do not have any base.
Have you ever painted on a lampshade ? Do tell us more about it. What kind of paint did you use. What type of material did you work on. We would love to hear your side of the story too and would love to feature them on the blog here.
Need a lampshade for painting ? Ask us
If you need a particular type of lampshade for exploring your art on it, give us a shout out at +919884070470 and we will be happy to work things along with you. Any color. Any shape. Any material. We would be glad to assist. If you are a small business owner, and may need it for reselling purpose with your own value add, let us know. We do have a great discount pack for repeat businesses.
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