Finishes for bark

[Tom-H]

As a new carver, I have no idea why I am trying to carve cottonwood bark, but I am. I know how to get nice natural finishes, but tinted or painted finish on bark still puzzles me. This is my second attempt at bark and I painted it with a watered down paint, followed with Deft semi gloss. I don't know if I like it or not. Any suggestions? What about flesh tones on bark? Thanks TOM H

[artolver]

Tom,
You are carving cottonwood bark because it is an excellent medium. It has wonderful qualities like no others. My favorite finish is "Meltonian boot and shoe cream."
I use neutral for a base coat and use a varieties of colors for stalns. It is like paste wax with a light oil, does't stink. It is a bit more effort than shining your shoes.I love the color of the bark and the grain.
so I try to use a minimum of colors mostly in the crooks and crannies. If you are interested, I'll post instructions for application or whatever. When I need white I use acrylic paint. I've been using it for 30 years...

art (the bark guy)

[Callynne]

Tom, I've done a couple bark carvings. The Santas I did, I wanted to paint them with full strength acrylics, that worked out great.

The green woman I did, I had visions of light washes of color, just hints of flesh tone and leaf green. What a disaster. The light wash of flesh tone acrylic left her with a purple face....more light coats just darkened that color. I finally painted her with full strength acyrlic. She looks very good, just not how I envisioned her looking.

The one thing I did on all of them that I like is to use Formby's Tung Oil Varnish, Satin finish. I really like that stuff. I just apply it with a brush. Gives a beautiful finish and seals it. I coat both the front and back, figure if any nasty little critters were living in that wood, they are history now!

Your Santa looks very good to me. If it were mine, I'd leave it just like that and make any changes you want on the next one. It will be good to compare to see what you like the best.

Art, I'd be very interested in seeing just how you do it, you are definitely the expert!! And Tom, he's right about why you are carving cottonwood bark, it is an excellent medium! Deborah

[Kenny_S]

Tom, you can use about anything that you would for a regular carving. I have not tried Art' method yet but will try it.
I have used deft satin and matte finish sprays and have used Johnson and Johnson's paste floor wax. Let it dry between coats before buff each coat. You can either finish the whole bark carving or just the carved portion. Either way looks great.

Art, I am interested in your technique/method also. Always looking for different techniques or methods than what I normally do.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Art....I think its time you put some pictures of some of your carvings on the gallery or at least here on your post.....people.... Art has some magnificent carvings...one of his mountain men is the best I have ever seen!!

[Kenny_S]

And the way he puts stairs in hhis bark carvings Not only outside but inside. How he dresses up the inside of a bark Carving. Art ya can hide but there are peole who has seen your work.
Yes, please allow those who have not seen your wonderful bark carvings, the Santas and even the mountain man Dave eluded to
Please!
Regards.

[Tom-H]

Thanks ART, Please post how you use the boot paste. And as the others have said, please post photos of some bark carvings for us to admire. Thanks Again TOM H

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

heh heh. Art is saying "why didn't that brassafrattinmockinoid keep quiet!" Cowboy

[artolver]

Thats okay Dave, I've doubled up on my pleasant person pills. I'll try to get some pictures on soon.
About Meltonian..
Base coat is neutral. The brush I use is like a stencil brush and I put the first coat on before I fine tune the carving. I put a heavy coat on real quick. Then I use the same brush to spread evenly into cuts that get missed. You can keep brushing till it starts to dry. Then take a shoe brush and buff it till it shines.
That keeps the v cuts and undercuts from breaking away while you are finishing up, making changes or whatever.
Now you buff it some more and your new cuts should fill in a little bit, if not, dab them with the stencil brush. Do another lite neutral let it dry. Buff a little more.
Hang it on the wall. Look it over and see how ya like it. Picture in your mind if you want to stain or not. If not you might want to dab a tiny bit of any color into the shadows.
you will want to use a good artist paint brush for that.
Meltonian comes in a small jar, to find them, the best place to is at a western wear store and the more up scale western store you usually find lots of colors.
The colors that I carry with me where ever I go ........
Neural 1/2 dozen
cognac 2 (dave lites up)
mohagony 1
Fasion brown 1
black 1
thats about it for starters
Art
Kenny I was in a such a store somewhere
around Tulsa, I think it was called Mr. Indians cowboy store...
.....ever heard of that?

[Kenny_S]

No sir, I haven't but that don't mean it isn't there. There are parts of Tulsa I haven't explored yet even living 70 miles north of there.

I need to try that boot/shoe cream. Now to remember the name.

Thanks Art for posting your technique. Never thought of using it before finishing a carving. Need to Try that also.