Black Lives Matter: Paint by Line Tutorial

Black Lives Matter is a movement that brings attention to the fact that black lives are not treated with equal respect in our world. We want to be part of spreading the message, so we created this Black Lives Matter wreath rail. Today, I am showing you how to paint by line!

The Black Lives Matter movement is all about equality for black lives. We will never be able to understand what our black friends endure everyday but, our family firmly believes in equality and we want to be part of the change. Designing this wreath rail is one way that we can use our talents and privilege to help others.

Black Lives Matter Wreath Rail

Those of you who have been with me for a while know that I strive to be a safe place and have a positive vibe for everyone. I really want to be sure that we are being inclusive of our black friends and fellow crafters. We are allies and supporters and want to help ensure that our friends are heard and that they get what they need.

I will admit that I misunderstood the Black Lives Matter movement at first. But, in an effort to be part of the solution and not the problem, I have been doing a lot of research, reading, and praying. Part of what I learned is that the movement is about making sure that black lives are viewed and treated equally. I still have a lot to learn and will continue to make mistakes, but I am trying every day to do better and to be better.

This Black Lives Matter wreath rail is a fairly simple one to paint. You only need three paint colors and two paint markers. I mostly use a filbert paint brush for my sign, but you can use whatever artist brushes you are most comfortable with. There is quite a bit of outlining in this rail so make sure you use the brush that will give you the most confidence for that. Don’t stress too much about it though! Just use an acrylic paint marker at the end to even up the outlines and make it look crisp. Watch the video to see exactly how I did it.

SUPPLIES

• Black acrylic paint
• White acrylic paint
• Gray acrylic paint
• Black thin tipped paint marker
• Black acrylic paint marker
• Filbert paint brush
• #4 flat paint brush
• Liner paint brush

PAINT BY LINE INSTRUCTIONS

1. Outline the letters and fist with white paint. Also fill in the background between letters.
2. Use the thin tipped black paint marker to outline inside of the white paint on the fist. Do this on the inside and outside of the fist. This will provide a barrier so you don’t paint over the white outline.
3. Use a filbert or flat brush to fill in the letters and fist with black paint.
4. Outline the inside of the letters with black acrylic paint markers to even up the outlines and make them look crisp.
5. Use a liner brush to outline the fist with gray paint, staying inside of the white outline. Do this on the inside and the outside of the fist.

Using our voices (and our front doors) is one small way that we can support our black friends and neighbors. I really love the way this wreath rail turned out! With a little bit of extra outlining, the images and the message really stand out. And making the message stand out is exactly our intention because: Black… Lives… Matter.

If you need any help with painting your own wood signs or wreath rails and decorating your custom wreath rails, be sure to check out more of our tutorials on Hot Mesh Mom Blog.

We would love to see your amazing wreath rail designs! Please share with us over at the Hot Mesh Mom Facebook.

Just pin this project name tutorial to save the instructions for later!