How to Paint Nesting Dolls
Matryoshkas, or nesting dolls, can be painted using premade wood nesting doll forms. When painting your own doll, be creative with the design. You can paint members of your family nesting into one another, or use animals for the dolls. The dolls are all different sizes in order for them to nest well, but keep similar proportions on each doll for the head and body. This will create a more cohesive set of nesting dolls.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Fine tip paintbrush
- Fine grade sandpaper
- Acrylic paint
- Pencil
- Acrylic clear glaze
- Paper
Instructions
-
-
1
Sketch the shapes of the nesting dolls on paper. Draw your images onto the paper that you will use for the nesting dolls. It is important to figure out the design on paper before transferring it to the doll. Erasing a drawing on wood is very difficult.
-
2
Keep the proportions of each doll similar to each other. The proportion of the head should be the same as the proportion of the body in each doll.
-
-
3
For a family of nesting dolls, begin with drawing the father on the largest doll, then the mother and three children. An animal can also be substituted for the youngest child if needed. Make sure to include a personal item as a reference for each doll such as a special stuffed animal, pieces of jewelry or article of clothing.
-
4
Sand the wood dolls with a fine grade sandpaper to ensure a smooth surface for painting. Wipe away any dust.
-
5
Transfer the sketches onto the wood dolls by drawing the images onto the dolls with a pencil. Small mistakes can be corrected when you begin painting the dolls.
-
6
Separate the dolls before painting. Begin painting the dolls with acrylic paint. Make sure the features of the doll will line up once the top and bottom of the doll are back together. Carefully use the sketched lines as a guide. Fill in all the areas of the dolls and let the paint dry. Outline the features of the dolls with black acrylic paint. Let the dolls dry for 24 hours.
-
7
Paint an acrylic clear coat over the entire doll. Let the clear coat dry for 48 hours before putting the dolls back together again. Once the dolls have dried, put the dolls together and have them nest within one another.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Instead of a family of nesting dolls consider using characters from a fairy tale or favorite play. These are great gifts for a baby shower along with the referenced book.
Children can paint their own nesting dolls but will need help making sure the paint is not too thick.
If the weather is humid you may need to wait longer between painting and a clear coat and before nesting the dolls together. The paint needs to be completely dry to prevent the dolls from sticking together.
Thick paint will prevent the dolls from nesting. Make sure thin layers of paint are applied.
