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

How I Create My Candy Decay Paintings (Materials & Process)

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

The truth is that there isn't one magical material responsible for the look. It's the combination of several different mediums, each bringing something unique to the painting. Over the years I've developed a mixed media process that allows me to combine bold colors, rich shadows and tiny details into one finished piece. I rarely think about limiting myself to a single material anymore. Instead, I simply ask myself one question: What effect am I trying to create? Then I choose the material that achieves that effect best.

Why I Paint on Wooden Panels

Almost all of my original paintings are created on 15 × 15 cm wooden panels instead of canvas.

I love painting on wood because it's smooth, sturdy and predictable. Acrylic markers glide effortlessly across the surface, making it much easier to create the crisp outlines and clean shapes that are such an important part of my style. Unlike canvas, there isn't any visible texture competing with the illustration, and layering different materials becomes much easier.

Another unexpected benefit is consistency. Since I almost always work on the same size and surface, I don't have to make those decisions every time I start a new painting. That leaves much more creative energy for the artwork itself.

Step 1: Building a Bright Foundation

Every Candy Decay painting starts with color.

Before I draw anything, I usually cover the wooden panel with one or two coats of bright acrylic paint.

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

I often choose neon pink, bright yellow, orange or turquoise. Even when these colors are mostly covered later, they continue to influence the finished artwork by glowing through tiny gaps and creating a subtle vibrancy underneath the illustration. Starting on a colorful surface immediately gives the painting more energy than working on plain white.

Step 2: Creating the Main Illustration

Once the background has dried, I begin painting with acrylic markers.

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

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

These markers create most of the bold, candy-like colors that define my work. I use them to build the main illustration, whether it's a pigeon eating pizza, a strawberry, a skull or one of the many strange little creatures that live in my paintings.

The Arrtx Jumbo markers are perfect for larger areas and backgrounds, while the Milano markers allow me to create clean edges and much finer details.

At this stage the painting usually looks surprisingly flat—but that's completely intentional. The depth comes later.

Step 3: Adding Shadows and Depth

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

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

Alcohol markers behave very differently from acrylic markers. They blend smoothly, create rich shadows and introduce subtle color variations that acrylic markers sometimes can't achieve on their own.

One thing I've noticed is that acrylic markers can occasionally look a little chalky or flat. That's where alcohol markers completely transform the painting. They deepen the colors, create smoother transitions and make objects feel much more dimensional.

For me, the magic happens where the bright acrylic colors meet the darker alcohol marker shadows. That contrast has become one of the defining characteristics of the Candy Decay aesthetic.

Step 4: Choosing the Right Material for the Effect

One of the biggest lessons I've learned over the years is not to become too attached to a single medium.

If I want glowing flames, I often reach for oil paints because they blend beautifully. If I need richer shadows, alcohol markers usually do the job better than acrylic markers. If I want a perfectly crisp graphic shape, acrylic markers are hard to beat.

I don't think in terms of "What medium should I use?"

I think in terms of "What effect do I want to create?"

The artwork decides.

Step 5: Tiny Details

Probably the most time-consuming part of every Candy Decay painting is adding the tiny details.

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

This is where the reflections appear.

The glossy strawberries.

The sparkling eyes.

The shiny candy wrappers.

The tiny scratches.

The little highlights that make objects feel juicy, sticky, metallic or alive.

Sometimes I spend thirty minutes painting a single square centimeter. Most people won't consciously notice every tiny reflection, but together they create the realism that allows my strange little worlds to feel believable.

Step 6: Finishing with Resin

The final step is a thin layer of crystal-clear epoxy resin.

For me, resin is much more than a protective finish. It deepens the colors, intensifies the shadows and creates an incredible glass-like surface that makes the entire painting feel alive. Suddenly the strawberries look wetter, the candy becomes shinier and every tiny highlight catches the light.

It's also the stage where everything finally comes together. After hours of layering colors, shadows and details, the resin enhances every decision made throughout the painting and gives the finished artwork the glossy Candy Decay finish people often recognize immediately.

Why This Process Works

My artwork has always been built on contrast.

Cute animals and mortality.

Sweetness and decay.

Bright colors and darker emotions.

Bees and skulls.

Strawberries and existential dread.

The materials I use reflect those same contrasts. Bright acrylic paints create the sweetness. Alcohol markers add depth and shadow. Oil paints occasionally create soft glowing effects. White gel pens bring everything to life with tiny reflections, and resin wraps the entire painting in a glossy, candy-like finish.

None of these materials would create Candy Decay on their own.

It's the combination of all of them—layer after layer—that creates those strange little worlds where impossible things somehow still feel real. 🦤

If you're curious how this all started, read Finding My Art Style: Candy Decay, or pick up a few lessons of my own in How to Improve as an Artist: 15 Tips.