I am so excited to share this project with you. We’re working on a 10-inch wood round to create a super cute Cupid Angel sitting on a cloud. I’m actually going to use this finished piece as the centerpiece for a wreath later this week, so it’s a perfect project if you love decorating for Valentine’s Day!

If you’re new to dot painting, don’t feel intimidated. We aren’t aiming for perfection here – we’re just here to relax, have a little “me-time,” and enjoy the process. You don’t need to be a professional artist to do this. If I can do it, you can too!

What You’ll Need

I love keeping things cost-efficient by using materials from places like Dollarama or the dollar store. Here’s my “recipe” for this Cupid:

• 10-inch Wood Round: Look for one that’s nice and smooth.
• Acrylic Paints: I used Tutti Frutti (light pink) mixed with white chalk paint for the base. For the dots, I used Burnt Umber (dark brown), Cashmere Tan, Tropical Blue, Red, White, and a tiny drop of Black.
• Matte Varnish: I use Liquitex Matte Varnish as my “secret weapon” for fixing mistakes.
• Tracing Supplies: A printout of the Cupid design and a regular pencil.
• Dotting Tools: You can use a standard set or household items like a shish kebab skewer, the top of a pencil eraser, or even a toothpick.
• Q-tips: These are essential for the “twist and pull” method to fix any mistakes.

Step 1: Prepping Your Base

I’ve found that a smooth base makes all the difference. I mixed a pale pink using Tutti Frutti and white chalk paint to give us a soft background that makes the white clouds really pop. I recommend doing two thin coats.

Once your base is dry, apply a layer of matte varnish before you start dotting. This is so important because if you make a mistake later, you can wipe it away without ruining your pretty pink background.

Step 2: The Stress-Free Tracing Hack

I’m the first to admit that I’m not great at freehand drawing. To get Cupid onto the wood, I use a simple pencil trick. Just scribble a regular pencil all over the back of your printed image. Tape it to your wood round and trace the lines with a dotting tool or pen. The pressure transfers the pencil lead right onto the wood.

Step 3: Dotting the Outline

Once your lines are traced, it’s time to bring Cupid to life! I like to start with the hair using a dark brown like Burnt Umber. I used a 2mm dotting tool for this, but a toothppick or the end of a paintbrush works great too.

Where to Start: I always try to start in an “inconspicuous” spot somewhere that isn’t the first thing your eye jumps to. This gives you a second to establish your dot size and pressure before you get to the important features like the face.

Keep Your Distance: When you’re dotting an outline, try to leave a little gap between each dot. We want to avoid “blob dots” where the paint runs together into one big blobby dot. If you’re nervous about a tight spot, just leave it! You can always watch the full tutorial here to see how I leave those gaps and come back to them once the first layer is dry.

Mind Your Angle: A lot of people hold their tools straight up and down, but I like to hold mine at an angle like a pencil. It’s more comfortable for my hand, even if the dots aren’t “perfectly” round. Remember, I enjoy a little character in my work.

IHC Quick Tip: If you’re a beginner, take a deep breath between every single dot. There’s no rush. Enjoy the process

Step 4: Walking the Dots and Adding Character

Now that the outline is established, we get to add the movement. In this project, I used a technique called “Walking the Dots” for Cupid’s wings, the hair curls, and the bow. It is one of my favourite tricks because the paint does the work for you.

The Technique: Instead of dipping back into your paint for every single dot, you dip once and then keep dotting in a line. Because the paint is running off your tool, the dots naturally get smaller and smaller as you go. It creates a beautiful tapered look that makes the wings look soft and the bow look delicate.

The “Face Pivot”: Some things just don’t translate well from a drawing into dots. The tiny, thin lines for the eyes and mouth on the original image would get lost and look “muddy” if we tried to dot them exactly as they were. Instead, I decided to use full, dark brown dots for the eyes and a tiny dot for the nose. For the mouth, I ended up using a sweet pink dot to make it stand out against the skin.

The Quiver and Arrow: For the smaller details like the quiver (the arrow holder) and the arrow sticks, I switched to my smallest tools. If you are using household items, a toothpick is your best friend here. I used a subtle “Dove Gray” for the quiver to make sure it looked distinct from the wings and clouds.

Step 5: Filling in the Real Estate

Once the outlines are dry, we can start filling in the larger areas like the face, the dress, and the clouds. I like to think of this as “filling in the real estate.” It’s the part of the project where you can really see the colours start to blend together.

The Two-Tone Hair: To make the hair look full and pretty, I didn’t just use one colour. I used a lighter brown for the inside to contrast against that dark Burnt Umber outline. I mixed a bit of white into my brown to get a lovely caramel mocha shade. This makes the curls look like they have highlights & adds depth.

The Triangle Formation: When I am filling in a larger space, I don’t just dot in straight rows. I like to place my larger dots (like the 4.5mm rod or a pencil eraser) in a bit of a triangle pattern. This leaves nice little natural gaps where we can go back in later with smaller dots to make the colour look more solid.

Mixing Sizes: For the hair and the clouds, I started with my biggest dots first. Once those were in place, I switched to smaller tools like a toothpick to fill in the tiny nooks and crannies. This is what gives the image its depth. You can see the difference it makes to fill those gaps. It turns a scattered group of dots into a solid, beautiful shape.

Colour Choices: I used a lighter version of the Cashmere Tan for the face so it would have a nice highlight. For the dress, I mixed a lot of white with a tiny bit of Tropical Blue to get a very soft, airy colour. For the clouds, I stuck with white. Since we chose that pale pink background, the white dots and the light blue dress really stand out and look so whimsical.

Step 6: Fixing Mistakes and Finishing

Before we call this done, we have to talk about the “oopsie” moments. I had a few splatters of brown paint on my pink background, things like that happen to me all the time. No big deal!

The Twist and Pull Fix: This is why that first layer of varnish is so important. If you get paint where it doesn’t belong, just grab a damp Q-tip. Don’t rub it back and forth or you’ll just smear the mess. Instead, use a “twist and pull” motion to lift the wet paint right off the surface. It works like magic!

The 24-Hour Rule: I know it’s hard to wait when you’re excited to see the final result, but please let your painting dry for at least 24 hours. If you try to erase your pencil guidelines too soon, you’ll smear your beautiful dots and be so sad. I’ve done it myself, and it’s a total heartbreak!

Let’s Keep Getting Crafty!

I am so incredibly pleased with how this little Cupid Angel turned out. Once you erase those pencil lines, you might notice a few little gaps that the lines were hiding. Don’t worry! Just keep your paints and dotting tools handy so you can pop in a few extra dots to fill things out. It is such a cool moment when the guidelines disappear and you’re left with just a stunning, textured piece of art.

This Cupid is going to look so sweet as the centerpiece for the Valentine’s Day wreath we’re making this Thursday. I can’t wait to see how it all comes together! Dot painting is such a beautiful way to drop that blood pressure and find a little bit of calm in a busy day. Whether your dots are perfectly round or a little bit quirky, remember that it’s the joy of making something with your own hands that matters most.

I’d love to see your version of this Cupid, so make sure to share it with me! Thank you so much for hanging out in the IHC Craft Room with me tonight. Don’t forget to subscribe so that we can continue to get crafty together. Toodaloo!

Ready to dot along?

I hope this project brings a little calm to your evening. If you want to see the real-time pacing and hear more of my “yapping” while I work, you can the full tutorial below.

Don’t forget to join me every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. EST for more DIY projects in the IHC Craft Room. I’d love to see you there!