Stainless steel wire ball cleaning brush: you can buy it in any commodity store. Used to scrape mildew spots or skins on gourds. If the gourd skin is not clean, you can dip it in water with a stainless steel wire ball brush and wipe the residue with a wet towel. If the skin remains on the gourd shell, it will cause your pigment to wrinkle, at least it will make your work look good, but it has actually left hidden dangers for preservation.
Vines: Don't forget to clean up the mildew and dirt on the vines and joints of the gourd. A toothbrush with bristles can clean this detail well. Knife is also an effective tool to deal with difficult-to-clean positions.
Rinsing: Prepare 10% bleach solution for these gourds to bathe. Bleaching water can kill mold spores attached to gourd. I sometimes use more bleaching powder in the vine area to kill spores hidden in tiny cracks in the vine. I usually soak and rinse the gourd with a mixture of soap and bleach. After gargling, the smell of bleaching powder will stay in your mouth and nose for several hours. After thorough cleaning, clean the bleaching powder on the gourd.
Drying: dry the gourd with a towel and put it in a cool and ventilated place to continue drying. You must wait at least 24 hours before you can draw a gourd.
Wooden pin hole: find a drill bit slightly smaller than the wooden pin. If the hole is too small, it can be enlarged. Note that the size of the hole should match the diameter of the wooden nail. After drilling, use a cotton swab to touch the wood glue on the edge of the hole, and then insert the wood pin. According to the situation, wood glue can be used to further fix the wood pin.
Drainage hole: drill three or four holes under the bird's nest with a hand drill to ensure smooth drainage and quick drying even in rainy days.
Entrance and exit: the location of the entrance and exit should ensure that young birds are not easy to fall out. Hand drills and hole saws are very suitable for cutting round holes. If necessary, sand the edges of the mouth with sandpaper.
Smooth the surface of the gourd: during the cleaning process, you have cleaned the skin and dirt on the gourd with a wire brush. Now, the surface of the gourd can be sanded more smoothly. Wormholes or uneven places on the gourd can be filled with putty, which can be powdery or ready-to-use water. I like ready-to-use water, which saves time and is too lazy to consider the concentration ratio. Wipe off excess putty with a wet tissue. Don't use too much putty, only use it where necessary, and I don't think you want to spend a lot of time polishing these things on the gourd.
Gypsum: Gypsum is a white and unsmooth base material commonly used in oil painting or acrylic painting. Gypsum will not turn yellow and break after drying, and it can also be waterproof. It provides a white painting surface, which is very beautiful when painted with colored pigments or paints. Note: I haven't been using plaster all the time, and I haven't found anything wrong with not using plaster. Brush gypsum with sponge brush or 1 "paint brush. Be thin and even. Gypsum can be diluted with water for easy use. In order to speed up the drying process, a hair dryer can be used. Let the hair dryer blow 6 inches from the surface of the gourd, and I will use the high gear of the hair dryer. The gourd is not finished until the wet reflection on the gypsum disappears completely. After each layer of plaster, gently polish the gourd with a kraft paper bag. The reason why I like kraft paper bag is that it won't bring scratches and wear to the gypsum bottom. Gypsum backing can be made into multiple layers as needed until the surface of the gourd becomes a beautiful and smooth white canvas.
Acrylic pigment: It depends on your personal hobby. I often spray primer with propylene. The choice of coating depends entirely on your technical requirements. When painting, the pen should be thin and even, and several layers can be added to gradually achieve the effect, so as to avoid the gel impression of acrylic paint caused by the heavy disposable materials. This requires you to spend some time and energy to practice and perfect your skills.
Signature: forget to sign and time every part of your work!
Apply protective paint: Let your gourd dry for at least 24 hours before applying the last protective paint. Spray acrylic varnish on interior/exterior walls. Transparent topcoat can be divided into two effects: unsmooth and smooth. Pay attention when choosing. If you use ink pigments on gourd works, spray them with matte acrylic paint twice before you finish painting. Otherwise, the finish on the smooth surface will lead to discoloration and smearing of ink pigments. Similarly, a few thin paints can be much better than the last thick paint. Thick paint may drip down and even ruin the work you have spent hours on.