The history of the creation and development of diamond mosaic

Diamond mosaic is a modern type of needlework, which is embroidery with rhinestones. From the material of this article, you will briefly learn where and how it originated, how it developed, what it is today.

The technique of laying out drawings from small elements is quite ancient. The history of its origin goes back centuries. It originated in Ancient Greece, when the clothes of the nobility were embroidered with precious stones and pearls.

Some items of ancient embroidery have survived to this day. Lapis lazuli and baked clay beads were used as decoration. The decor was attached to clothing using wax or self-made glue.

With the creation of glass, mosaic art began to spread in Rome. From this moment, the technique itself begins. Its essence was to carefully lay out the elements with the creation of a certain pattern.

In addition to decorating clothes, the facades of buildings and interiors of rooms began to be decorated with glass square elements. Pictures were decorated with multi-colored glass objects, palaces and temples were transformed with them.

Decorative mosaics on the walls of houses were associated with wealth and special status. Its colored overflows gave the space a special splendor and volume.

The technology of diamond painting has improved over the years. In the Middle Ages, bugles appeared. It is today that he is considered the progenitor of modern rhinestones used in embroidery.

At that time, a textile canvas was used for work, which had markings for the correct location of the glass decor.The work used canvases from different materials.

In our country, this was handicraft for the nobility and court ladies. Glass beads were used to decorate not only clothes, paintings and icons. Accessories were designed for them: bracelets, wallets, hats.

Its active distribution began in the 19th century. However, over time, this type of needlework has lost its popularity. Interest in him appeared in the last century.

It was at this time that the technique began to be called diamond embroidery or the technique of drawing with rhinestones. Someone compared it to a sparkling painting.

Then the canvas did not have an adhesive base. However, the point was to cover the picture with colored elements, like creating a picture from a mosaic. In the 21st century, technology has been constantly improving.

Today, diamond mosaic is used to create panels, decorate interior items, and various accessories. It is sold as craft kits.

Modern kits for needlework are varied. In its standard form, this is a life-size patterned canvas coated with a special adhesive.

It can also be located at the edges of the canvas, where beads are not provided. At the beginning of work, the edges are covered with masking tape. This prevents dust and other small debris from entering the sticky layer.

In order to prevent damage to the adhesive layer, a protective film is used. It does not allow the glue to change its properties. For basic work, the kit includes a stylus wand (less often tweezers).

The tweezers included in the kits are made of plastic. They are not very convenient for laying out, which is why they try to use metal counterparts with narrow ends in their work.

Modern rhinestones are made from acrylic and glass, they are produced in sizes from 2 to 5 mm with a different number of edges (9 and 13). In addition, the elements differ in shape and method of laying out. Less commonly, Swarovski crystals are used.

The layout can be partial or full. The first type involves the fragmentary filling of the pattern with rhinestones of the same size and shape. They are easier to work with, as a result of which the decorative process does not take too much time.

This method differs from ordinary varieties in that a dense pattern is applied to the main part of the canvas without numbers or letters indicating the colors of the required rhinestones.

The accent part of the canvas is located mainly in the center, often complemented by a contrasting frame. In the second case, the entire area of ​​the picture is covered with rhinestones. It has no gaps, it looks more voluminous and more interesting.

The shape of the elements used in diamond embroidery is round or square. The texture is glossy, matte.

Difficulty of work can be low, medium, high. Canvases of the latter type recreate the most realistic images. As a rule, these are larger paintings with many shades.

The package may include instructions for assembling the panel. In addition to the key-scheme, a container for rhinestones is used in the work. The containers are more convenient in terms of work, they are supplied with small sides and corrugations.

Subframes are often included. In such sets, the canvas is already stretched over the frame. It is more convenient in terms of work, has a uniform tension, does not require the purchase of a frame, which is often made to order.

The theme of contemporary paintings takes into account the interests of various creative personalities. For children, these are paintings depicting characters from their favorite cartoons, animals, fairy-tale heroes.

Adults can purchase options with landscapes, still lifes, portraits, flowers, marine and other themes.