BLO.....Why I STILL Hate It!

[bbowers]

I agree with Kenny. I used thinned oil paints at first & was happy with the finish but hated the mess & clean up. With acrylic washes I am not happy with the colors without using BLO. I do use Deft after the BLO and then wax with a dark finishing wax to give it some "age". I am interested in how to get that "pop" in the color with going through all these steps? I think my carving & finishing steps are a work in progress and am very willing to learn from some of you experts.

Barry

[AlArchie]

Barry, if you are using ''straight out of the bottle" acrylics, the problem may not be in the finish you are using, but rather not being able to find the right colors for the subject matter. Just a suggestion, but try mixing some of the colors to see if you can come closer to what you want on the finished product. Fer instance, add a touch of yellow ochre to your greens, or a touch of soft black to reds and blues, white to reds and browns, etc. Some of these subtle changes in hues can make a world of difference. Just mix 'em on a pallet or paint tray and see what comes out.

Al

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Al is right on this one. Any primary color is HARSH in apearance and you should steer clear of them. Instead of Red I use Moroccan Red with is much richer in appearance. Instead of Black I use Licorice which is a Gray so dark it looks almost black. For Blue I use Midnight Blue. For Yellow I use Yellow Ochre as an under coat and then normal Yellow. For white I underpaint it with Gray. For Green I use Forest Green and to make it greener I add Yellow Ochre.

By using this method you'll end up with really rich colors even if you use washes as I do.

Almost forgot......Go buy a small can of Minwax Polyurethane Satin varnish and then get you a good quality brush. Spray can varnish just will not give you a good result on uneven surfaces like carvings.

[Hugh]

Thanks Lynn, I glean every piece of information about painting that comes my way. I've copied and printed this information. Great stuff. Grin. I'm a real redneck when it comes to painting, and love to hear others methods. Never too old to learn.

[bbowers]

Thanks for the tips. I'll experiment a little more with these color ideas. I appreciate your tips!
Barry

[Kenny_S]

I to thank you Lynn for the tips. I haven't found a different hue of red yet that did not look chaulky. I will keep trying. Like I have stated before, I really just started the use of BLO myself but have several carvings of BLO and Dfet on them and they look brand new.
Will keep trying the washes and hues of color. Thanks again.

[JIM QUILICI]

I don't understand everything I know about BLO. but when I was a Kid ( a very long time ago) after the war (ww2 )my dad took some black walnut and made a gun stock . took files and sand paper and worked for weeks getting it just just right for the right feel for him. then he took a rag and BLO and rubed and rubed and rubed for months. nothing but BLO when he got done you could see your face in the stock . He past away a few years ago the finish on the gun still looked like a million dollar (I don't mean Green in color) finish, no flaking ,no discolor still beautiful. still don't understand everything I Know about BLO
But I use it on all my carvings to get the antique look I want.

[Hugh]

Jim, my old grand father showed me that method for a gun stock, just a few drops, and hand rub it in, making sure there wasn't any excess left over. I broke the stock on my 16 ga and he helped me make a new one, fore stock to match. I'd love to see it today, it was stolen , but I'll bet that stock kept a good finish.

[Kenny_S]

One of the best finishes you can have on a gun stock or hand grips.