what materials to use?

Melanie2003

I'd love to make family handprints, but I would like us to use paint so it's a nicer finish and I can frame and hang it.

This is my inspiration:

What type of paint would you suggest using? Do I use a paper (what paper?) or a canvas? I want it to be smooth and wonder if canvas will have too much texture.

No clue where to start with this, but I really want to get it done ASAP before my girls' little hands are too big! hehe!

Justinlove

If you want to paint it, use acrylic paint (darkest colored hands should be on the top to try to have the best coverage) and a canvas.  You can also buy canvas board instead of a traditional stretched canvas.

ETA:  Don't be disappointed if it doesn't come out as you envision.  Paint is more transparent than paper and getting your littlest one to have a flat handprint is going to be challenging (they like to "grab" and move their hands).

Melanie2003

do you think i should trace instead- and maybe use interesting scrapbook paper and then mount it all together and frame it?

i could coordinate colors for where i think i'm hanging this. 

i guess i need to try a few things. making this a bigger project than it looks- lol!

emoflamingo

Justinlove:

If you want to paint it, use acrylic paint (darkest colored hands should be on the top to try to have the best coverage) and a canvas.  You can also buy canvas board instead of a traditional stretched canvas.

ETA:  Don't be disappointed if it doesn't come out as you envision.  Paint is more transparent than paper and getting your littlest one to have a flat handprint is going to be challenging (they like to "grab" and move their hands).

All this. Paint hand prints aren't as easy to get, even for adults (to me at least). But acrylic is the way to go if you want to test it. Stretched canvas might give too much for a clear print, so definitely use the board. They sell it at Michael's in a 3 pack (if you buy it small enough, I bought some that were paper sized once) so you'll have plenty for testing out.