You can either seal the whole gourd or just the painted area. See, I told you it was pretty simple. Interesting textures add to the dimension of your finished gourd. Make sure to choose hard gourds with no bruises, scrapes, dents, or gouges. Blemishes and bumps and color changes are okay as they can often add to the finished look.
Bumps make wonderful warts for witch faces.
Shape, size, balance - If you already know the design you want to use, choose a pumpkin that fits the shape of your design. Unless you're painting a scene or using the whole pumpkin, the wrong shape will leave your design looking either too crowded or too small. Painting tips Before painting a round gourd let roll on the table, see which position it naturally falls to and keep it that way. For squash, and long gourds turn until you find a surface that is angled up for best viewing. If you're using traditional pumpkins, look for the flattest surface.