There are numerous ways to paint miniature projects. The most common methods of painting miniatures are with a brush, an air brush, a spray can or a sponge brush. The following instructions and suggestions will help you get started.
Note: Whenever possible, assemble the shell of your dollhouse kit before painting. There is less chance of warping. Paint all trim, windows, doors, shutters, railings, etc. before gluing them onto the house.
General Basics
Priming and Sealing To prime and seal your dollhouse, first remove all the windows and doors. Then paint or spray all surfaces of the shell with a wood sealer. This will prevent finishing, paints, varnishes and wallpaper paste from being absorbed into the wood surface, as well as preventing warpage of the plywood later. If the windows and doors cannot be removed, be sure to cover them when using a spray sealer.
On die-cut houses, seal all pieces by painting each side with a mixture of 1/2 denatured alcohol and 1/2 shellac. This should be done before you start gluing the house together. In addition, it will help to keep the pieces from warping and will still allow you to stain, varnish or paint. These items are available at your local hardware store.
It is not necessary to use a wood sealer or primer on houses built of top-quality plywood or MDF. If you are not applying clapboard, start painting the main section of the house. Because the first coat tends to soak into the wood, it will probably take three applications before you are finished.
Paint the inside of the dollhouse with a flat white paint (some you may already have around the house). Flat white paint gives a better surface color for wallpaper, and sets off the true color of the background. This paint makes an excellent substitute for wood sealer and also provides a good surface for applying the tape wire when wiring the dollhouse.
Types of Paint Use a semi-gloss latex or acrylic base paint for all painted surfaces in a dollhouse. These paints allow easier cleaning of all surfaces of the dollhouse. When dust accumulates or fingerprints appear, simply wipe clean with a damp cloth. And since latex paint is water base, brushes and paint containers will clean up with water. In addition, latex paint goes on smooth, dries fast and the second coat can be applied within a short period of time. Acrylic or latex paint are denser paints and tend to build thickness as you add coats. You will need at least two coats to cover properly, sometimes three.
Builder's Choice is a good example of a superior latex paint and is available at most miniature shops in a variety of colors and sizes. If this paint is not available, you can substitute with any good quality interior latex paint found in a paint store. You may also use an oil base semi-gloss paint, if you do not mind cleaning up with turpentine. This paint does not build thickness when using more than one coat. Oil base paints provide a beautiful finish with one coat, but take longer to dry.
Because the trim does not require much paint, you can use the acrylic paints found in most Country paint kits. Since acrylic paints have a flat finish, use a water base varnish as the last coat to give your dollhouse a semi-gloss finish. It may take two coats for a smooth finish. This water base varnish is found in the Country painting supplies.
Choosing The Colors Color schemes and combinations are a dilemma for many people. You can research paint colors in many ways:
Look at "life size" houses for color combinations, architectural trim, roof shingle designs, etc. whenever you drive through residential communities. It is amazing how many ideas you can get. You might even take pictures of the house(s) that pique your interest.
Look in design magazines as well as architectural magazines for ideas for both the interior and exterior of your dollhouse.
If the style of your dollhouse reflects a historical period, research the colors used during that time. You will find many books on the architecture and design of homes. Two such books are Painted Ladies and Daughters of Painted Ladies. These books show many of the famous Victorian homes in California with several color combinations.
Brushes To achieve a fine finish to the exterior of your dollhouse, the brushes you use are as important as the paint. Therefore, always work with good quality brushes that won't leave bristles in your finish. Flat cut artist's brushes with the white or synthetic bristles are superb. Note: To determine what size brush(es) you should use, choose one about the width of the wood or a little smaller. This prevents you from getting paint everywhere.
Some people prefer to use the foam brushes to paint the large flat areas. Since foam brushes pick up small particles of the wood, use a different brush for each coat of paint.
Staining Oil base stains are preferred over the water base variety, because the water base stains do not penetrate as deep. They also tend to pull out the grain of the wood. Then, during the sanding process, some of the stain is removed.
Techniques of Painting
Clapboard While there is no right or wrong way to paint clapboard, the most common procedure is to glue the clapboard onto the house first, and then paint it.
The method outlined above will also work for dollhouses that have grooved plywood to resemble clapboard. If you want to save time in the workshop, you may paint the clapboard before attaching it to the house. Usually this is not recommended, as the clapboard is thin and may warp in the process of painting. However, it is often easier to sand and paint the individual pieces before they are attached to the house. Follow the procedure outlined below to minimize any complications (such as warping).
Windows & Doors If the acrylic is removable, follow the procedure outlined in the General Basics Section for Painting and Staining . If the acrylic pane cannot be removed from the wood frame of the windows and doors, follow the procedure outlined below.
Remember: PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE when working with miniatures. NEVER HURRY!, because "HASTE MAKES WASTE."
Working Windows Because you can open and close them, working windows add to the overall "look" of your dollhouse. They create a sense of genuiness to the dollhouse. Be careful not to paint them shut!
Individual Pieces of a Dollhouse When it is necessary to paint an individual piece (wall, roof, floor, etc.) of a dollhouse before assembly, follow the instructions in the Clapboard Painting section (above) of this chapter. It is important to paint both sides of piece at the same time. Painting a piece of wood under 1/2" thick on one side will cause it to warp. This is especially true of plywood pieces, because they are constructed of thin pieces of wood stacked with a filler and do not have the density of solid wood.
Porch & Stair Accessories It is easier to paint small parts such as spindles, railings and post, with an aerosol paint can or an air brush. However, you can also hand paint them with a brush.