Delving Deeper into Dungeon Diamond Painting

By Matt Molandes

Navigating dungeons to find our shine

Hi everyone, Matt here! First, I want to thank you all for the incredible support you’ve shown for Brotherwise Games. This community motivates us to develop new ideas, such as Pixel Paintings, and I’m excited to share more about the creative process and my passion for promoting mental health through cozy hobbies. Whether it's diamond painting, knitting, scrapbooking, making sourdough bread, or playing board games, taking time for ourselves offers a wonderful opportunity for gentle healing. In our busy, chaotic world, pausing to appreciate these small moments can provide a soothing respite and remind us of the simple joys that surround us. Of course, life involves hard work too, and while diamond painting is fun, it also requires dedication. But it’s in those moments when you step back and see the finished piece that this hobby becomes truly rewarding. So with that introduction, let’s drill deeper!

Just like any great product, its significance in our society often starts with curiosity. As a kid, I was always fascinated by hobbies. Growing up in the 90s, when technology wasn't as advanced, my hobbies included the fun of Rock Tumbling, K’nex, and Model Cars (although I never actually assembled them). Once I was trusted with a hot glue gun or iron, I moved on to Grandma’s Hobby Camp. There, I learned to cut stained glass, paint, and even make Shrinky Dinks in the oven. I can still smell that burning plastic! Sometimes, while it might seem tempting to wish us back to a simpler era, I’m excited to keep moving forward and see what innovations we can create with the time we have. During this journey, taking care of my mental health in a world that’s always changing has become a top priority for me. I find a lot of peace in hobbies and crafts. The idea of taking simple components and turning them into something special is the foundation of our entire industry—and, in a bigger sense, the foundation of our existence. But that’s a diary entry for another time. Now, let’s get to the diamonds!

Let go of being perfect

However, if you're someone who thrives on organization, coloring within the lines, and being 100% precise with every placement, then you’ve just found your forever hobby as well. There’s no more satisfying feeling than shaking your diamond tray until the diamonds align and are ready to place. I mean, c’mon... look at those columns of diamonds!

Diamond painting can be for everyone. It's my newfound passion in this hobby, and I wanted to create a cozy craft that celebrates a game’s legacy and industry I love dearly. With this diamond painting kit, I hope everyone can take a moment to find peace, place some diamonds, and simply enjoy the moment. And just know that when you frustratingly drop your first tray of diamonds, millions of hobbyists around the world share your pain. That means you’ve officially been inducted into the diamond painting community.

 Welcome!

Diamond painting toolkit

Included in this Pixel Painting kit are all the tools necessary for placing the drills and storing them. 

• 62 bags of drills - Officially, if you're joining the community, you should know that two types of “diamonds” are used: square and round. The choice of drill affects the design's outcome. For this kit, I selected round drills because I find them more accessible and easier to place. 

• 1 diamond pen - A compact pen featuring a distinctive tip. You dip this tip (haha, that rhymes) into a small heart-shaped wax tab, which acts as an adhesive. Then, you carefully touch the tip of the drill onto the wax and place it onto your prepared, flat canvas. Speaking of, 

• 1 Canvas - This is the core of your product. The canvas will arrive rolled and will have a protective film on one side. DO NOT REMOVE THIS UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO START. I’ll provide more details further down.

• 1 Tray - This tray helps align your drills after gently shaking them into place. It looks absolutely stunning when all the drills align perfectly in the tray!

• 3 heart-shaped wax tabs - You can use these wax tabs to gently dip your diamond pen occasionally, helping it grip better before you bring the tip to the drills. This little step will make your crafting experience smoother and more enjoyable!

Getting started in 3…2…1

Get some snacks, put on some comfy clothes, grab a big glass of water, and unfold your canvas. 

Carefully open the bag and pour some drills onto your tray. Then, gently shake the tray just enough so the drills fall into the guided rows. It's okay if not every drill is perfectly aligned; sometimes it's best to let that go unless it matters to you. If you prefer, try to get them to line up, but either way, take your time. I’ll see you at the next step.

Grab your diamond pen. Grab your heart-shaped wax. Pull off one side of the protective film from the wax, and dip the tip of the diamond pen into it, making sure it is firm enough for your pen to go through the wax. When you lift your pen, you should notice the wax inside the tip of your diamond pen and a small, perfectly(or not perfectly) round hole in the wax.

Alright, with all of these steps completed, we’re ready to tackle our first-ever painting session! Here comes the fun part! Note that the symbols on the canvas match those on the card and the bag, much like a paint-by-numbers kit. Focus only on the matching symbol, peel back the canvas film, dip your pen into the tray of drills, and gently place it onto the canvas. The canvas has an adhesive surface that helps the drill stick easily to your pen. This adhesive also makes corrections simple later on, making this a project that rarely fails at any stage. As you place more drills around each other, even your misaligned drills will fall into place, like a perfectly (or not perfectly) cut jigsaw puzzle. 

And just like that, you’ve placed your first drill and are officially a diamond painter!