Painting Pumpkins for Halloween

If you've been to a big Farmer's Market this autumn, you might have seen festive painted pumpkins for sale. Maybe you've wondered how to paint them yourself. This article tells you how.

I've painted pumpkins for both fun and profit. Now you can, too. Take a look at the questions and answers below and soon you'll be painting pumpkins.

Pumpkin Selection?

Choose only firm, sound pumpkins without gashes or blemishes.

Should I Use Big Pumpkins?

Frankly, no -- unless you're selling pumpkins at a market. Then I'd have ONE big one as an attention-grabber. For the ones you make for decor and to give and sell, I would suggest using small piepumpkins -- cheaper, take less paint, take less time, are often in better shape, and they are cute and perfect for perching on a desk or shelf!

Prepare the Pumpkins -- How?

Here's where many people "go wrong." They get the blossom-end of the pumpkin wet while washing it. Then, the pumpkin rots and everyone is upset. Don't wash your pumpkin with water. Get a baby wipe or a paper towel, wet it with rubbing alcohol, and go over the pumpkin with it, avoiding the stem and blossom-end (the very bottom).

Now take a dry cloth and wipe over it again. Make sure it's dry before beginning to paint or draw on your pumpkin.

What Kind of Paints Are Used?

Inexpensive acrylic paints are used for pumpkin painting. It's best to use a nice brush, too, but it's also easy to paint them using only cotton swabs!
In fact, cotton swabs lend themselves to making cute dots on the pumpkins, which I use in all my designs -- and my designs sell.

I just buy one of the little "paint pot" variety packs from my local hobby store or discount super-store. They are often under $3.

Tip: Use a black Sharpie-brand permanent marker instead of black paint, for adding lines and lashes. It's really quick and easy to use. But make sure that all the painted areas are dry before using your Sharpie.

How Do I Make The Design?

I just always paint a little face -- Eyes that are mirror-images of each other in terms of shape, a little round or oval nose, and lips.
The eyes I often shape to look like ovals:
Paint the whole eye shape white.
Then once that's dry, paint in the pupils/irises in black.
Add black lines at the top and bottom.
Add a line of "eye shadow" along the top edge of eye (your choice of color, I often use lilac).
Once that's dry, add several "lashes" with black.

To paint the lips, I make a black line first, just a short black line, like a very slight smile. You could make it like a frown, too, and have a pouting pumpkin.
Then I add two small humps in red or pink, like an "m" above the line.
I add one long hump, like a long stretched out "U" on the bottom.
The lips are easy!

Then, I add a few flowers, leaves, and curvy lines to frame the face. The flowers are just 5 dots of the same color (light blue is my favorite for this), with a yellow dot in the center.
Sometimes I add a much bigger flower right above and to the side of an eye -- instead of dots, I use the swab to make a longer petal. It's easy! Once again, I use blue with a yellow dot.
Then I add quite a few white dots on the leaves and in groups, just here and there and like a little line of dots. It adds something!

Lastly, I add a white dot to highlight the eyes. Be sure to add the highlight dot in the same place in each eye and on the black part of the pupil/iris -- for example, at "two o'clock" on each pupil.
The eye highlight dot makes the pumpkin "come alive" and it's what makes my pumpkins sell well, I feel.

But I Can't Paint! How Do I Use the Swabs?

The swabs should be dipped in the paint. Just dip that tip in there. You may have to thin the paint a little bit before using (add a drop or two of water and mix it around with a broom straw or toothpick or old swab), but often, it can be used just straight from the little paint pot. It's easy, trust me. You don't have to have "painting talent" to do these pumpkins. Most of the shapes you'll be "painting" are just dots and "smears" of paint, frankly!

How Do I Seal the Pumpkin?

This bit of knowledge separates us professional pumpkin painters from the rank amateurs -- from your super-store or hobby shop or hardware store, get clear shiny (gloss) spray sealer. It's with the spray paints, usually. Take your pumpkin outside. Once the paint is completely dry, just lightly spray over the part you painted. It doesn't matter if the gloss sealer gets on the stem.

Tip: Sprinkle some glitteraround the stem, at the top of the pumpkin, while the sealer is still wet. I use clear glitter for this (any size). It really makes a difference and looks great. Sometimes I add a little wisp of raffia around the stem, too.

Take a look at the picture to see a typical pumpkin design. The pumpkin was painted in less than 10 minutes.

Tip: For some reason, people love to have a name painted on the pumpkin. I add a name, in fancy script, with my trusty Sharpie marker, and the year under it. Many couples want both their names on the back. Have some examples with names on them prominently displayed.

My neighbors and friends look forward to the pumpkins I give them every year. The added name gives it a very personal and special feeling.