My Candy Decay Art Process: How I Create Bright, Glossy, Weird Paintings

One of the questions I get asked most often is how I create the bright colors, deep shadows, and glossy finish that define my Candy Decay artwork.

The answer is that my process combines several different materials, each bringing something unique to the final piece. Over time, I've developed a workflow that allows me to create the vibrant, strange, bittersweet world that has become my artistic home.

Why I Paint on Wooden Panels

Almost all of my original paintings are created on wooden panels rather than canvas.

I love working on wood because it's sturdy, smooth, and allows my markers to glide effortlessly across the surface. Unlike canvas, there is no texture interrupting the clean lines and bold colors that are such an important part of my style.

The smooth surface also makes layering different materials much easier and helps me achieve the crisp, graphic look that appears throughout my work.

Step 1: Creating a Bright Foundation

Every Candy Decay painting starts with color.

Before I begin drawing, I usually cover the entire wooden panel with one or two layers of bright acrylic paint.

🎨 Acrylic Neon Paint
https://amzn.to/3QcFu2v

I often choose colors like neon pink, bright yellow, orange, or turquoise. Even when these colors are mostly covered later, they continue to influence the finished piece by glowing through tiny gaps and creating a subtle vibrancy underneath the artwork.

Starting with a colorful base instantly gives the painting more energy than working on a plain white surface.

Step 2: Building the Main Illustration

Once the background is dry, I start creating the main illustration using acrylic markers.

🎨 Milano Acrylic Markers
https://amzn.to/4eu12AG

✨ Arrtx Jumbo Acrylic Markers
https://amzn.to/4eXVkGD

These markers are responsible for most of the bright, candy-like colors in my paintings.

I use them to create the main shapes, characters, animals, food, and objects that make up my strange little worlds. The colors are bold, opaque, and incredibly vibrant.

The Arrtx Jumbo markers are fantastic for larger areas and backgrounds, while the Milano markers help me create cleaner edges and smaller details.

At this stage, the artwork often looks quite flat—but that's intentional. The depth comes later.

Step 3: Adding Shadows, Depth, and Color Variety

After the acrylic layers have completely dried, I move on to alcohol markers.

🖍️ Ohuhu Brush Markers
https://amzn.to/4xhD8Qs

🖍️ Melifluo Acrylic Markers
https://amzn.to/43LVuvy

This is where the artwork begins to come alive.

Alcohol markers have a completely different character than acrylic markers. They create rich shadows, deep colors, smooth blends, and subtle transitions that help transform flat shapes into dimensional objects.

I primarily use Ohuhu markers for larger gradients and shading, but I also love the Touchfive markers because they offer a huge color selection and slightly finer tips. They help me add unique color variations and details that I might not have available in my Ohuhu collection.

For me, the magic happens when the bright acrylic colors meet the darker, richer alcohol marker shadows.

That contrast is a huge part of the Candy Decay aesthetic.

Step 4: Adding Highlights and Tiny Details

Once the colors and shadows are finished, it's time for my favorite part: highlights.

✨ Sakura Gelly Roll White Gel Pens
https://amzn.to/4vmvRgK

I use these pens to add reflections, sparkles, glossy effects, tiny highlights, and little details that bring the artwork to life.

The shiny strawberries.

The sparkling eyes.

The glossy candy wrappers.

The tiny reflections that make objects feel juicy, sticky, or alive.

These small details often take the longest, but they are also what gives the artwork its personality.

Step 5: Sealing Everything with Gloss

The final step is applying varnish.

✨ Schmincke Aero Color Professional Gloss Varnish Spray
https://amzn.to/4uXSh7i

Once the painting is completely dry, I seal it with a glossy protective finish.

This is the moment when everything suddenly clicks.

The colors become richer.

The shadows become deeper.

The highlights become brighter.

The entire painting takes on the shiny, candy-like appearance that has become a signature part of my style.

It also protects the artwork and helps preserve the colors over time.

Why This Process Works for Candy Decay

My artwork has always been about contradictions.

Cute animals and mortality.

Sweetness and decay.

Bright colors and darker themes.

Bees and skulls.

Strawberries and existential dread.

The materials I use reflect those same contradictions.

The acrylic paints and markers bring the sweetness.

The alcohol markers bring depth and shadow.

The white gel pen adds sparkle and life.

The glossy varnish ties everything together.

The result is a strange little world where things that don't normally belong together are allowed to coexist.

And that's exactly what Candy Decay is all about.