Painting

[Donna_T]

That's why I asked why you use gesso first. The only time I use a basecoat of gesso or something similar is when I'm doing a carving that will be completed painted--dolphin, realistic fish, and some stylized birds. Everything else I do washes of paint and other than just spritzing the wood with a lacquer sealer before painting sometimes, I don't use gesso. Like Teri, I think you'll like the results better if you try doing the washes without the gesso. When I refer to a 'wash' I'm talking about diluting paint with water about 10/1 ratio.

Like someone else mentioned, after doing the washes and letting the dry well, I like to drybrush for highlights. I like to use off-white, yello ochre, and sometimes even burnt sienna to add highlights to hair of people and animals. Then I like to antique some of them after the final drying with a soaking with a tinted concoction of mostly boiled linseed oil...wiped off and buffed with a soft rag or wadded brown paper bag.

Try it, you might like it better.

Donna T

Hope you try it

[Callynne]

My two cents....I tend to be heavy on the paint, no gesso, just layers of paint, hardly diluted at all. I do love the effect of dry brushing though, that's what really brings things to life!
I use an antiquing medium and do a final dry brushing (to beard, hair, etc.) any place the piece 'needs' it. Callynne

Thanks ,Donna, Terri and Callyene for your suggestions.
I carve Saints in the Puerto Rican Style called Santos.
They are carved mostly out of Cedar but I use whatever I can find 'basswood, Cottonwood, Butternut. Tradition or Style calls for gesso before painting to 'protect the wood' and created a 'smooth' look. If you are interested you can check my website: www.santosdepalo.freeservers.com
Now, Can someone please give me some extra details on Dry-brushing? Is it like hightlighting?
Have a good day
Doel

[AlArchie]

I dry brush with a stiff bristle brush. Lightly load it with paint, then keep brushing on a piece of scrap paper or paper towell till almost none of the paint comes off. then brush lightly onto the carving, where you want highlights. You can use light colored paints for highlights and darker colors for shading, in the same manner.

Al