[jbboston]

Hey guys, I've been hanging out here for a while just taking it all in. There is a LOT of great work being shown. I do have a question though, what method do most of you use to paint your carvings? I feel I'm getting better at the carving but the I'm a long way from plaid shirts! Do you use brushes, air brushes? How'd you do that?

[Mark N. Akers]

JB:
I actually use a wash,it varies on colors,for instance when I use flesh I mix 2 drops of Delta and 2 tbs of water,I might use it even thinner when using red.Hope this helps you out,but on woodcarvings I want people to see its wood,show the grain.

[jillsy]

JB,

It seems there are 2 main preference types - those who like washes and those who like painting rich colors.

Although I admire and appreciate washes, I need to paint all my pieces. It's just in me to have deep, rich colors. To me, the paint job is just as important as the carving. It just depends on the look you're going for.

If you have trouble visualizing how something should be painted, get pictures or actual objects to use as reference. I use the internet constantly as a source of reference. I also use tangible objects. (eg: I wanted to paint a skirt on my Mrs. Claus carving, but couldn't come up with an idea. Then I came across the perfect little plaid skirt in my daughter's drawer and used that as my source. I made a few alterations, but it was so much easier having it right in front of me to work with).

Jillsy

[Mitchell]

Look at the forum near the bottom of the screen on the main page - Finishing and Painting to see more on this subject.

Here's a sample of threads there:

Painting vs Washes vs Natural Look

http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.co...applied-12314/

Painting Patterns Question

http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.co...-work-me-9335/

[jbboston]

Thanks for the tips, I can wait to finish the guy i'm carving now so I can try some new painting ideas.