How to light paint with my nikon D3100?

I want to learn how to light paint correctly. I can only light paint while holding my finger onto the capture button and while drawing with the other arm at the same time. How d/o I set my camera so that i don't have to hold the button down and it will continue to capture the image?

Mount your camera on a tripod.
Use a wireless shutter release
Set the cameras shutter speed to bulb
Using the wireless shutter release, lock the shutter open as long as you need
Use the lens aperture to adjust the exposure to create the best colour saturation
Set the lens focus to manual and pre-focus where you are going to paint with light or make light graffiti

Link to wireless remote
http://www.amazon.com/...B00007EDZG

I would start by getting a remote with a trigger lock --> http://www.adorama.com/...KMC30.html

You may need to change your Nikon's shutter to the 'bulb' setting. It depends on the remote you buy. There are a lot of remotes out there, I just linked to one as an example. Feel free to go more expensive if your budget allows.

You can also just buy a cheap remote and rig the trigger to stay in place (duct tape, clothes pins, etc.)

I'm a Canon guy, but the process is the same.

You can do that

OR

* you can put the camera on a table/high pedestal
* Change Automatic to Manual Mode
* Set shutter speed to the speed just below 'bulb' (say 25 secs or 20 secs etc)
* Set Aperture to around f/8~f/10
* Set ISO at around 100~200
* Turn self timer on
* Press the shutter release to focus on a spot where you'd be standing
* Now press the shutter and wait till the shutter clicks
* Do what design you like till u finally hear the shutter to close

ta ta result -->

Long exposures and practice…