[namlot]

Ok I just got into carving and have been tinkering around with basswood. My question is when I finish a project how do I get it to look as well as the ones I see. Once I have finished my carving what do I need to do to paint the project? What brands do I use? I need all the advice I can get

[AlArchie]

There just doesn't seem to be ONE BEST way to paint. A lot depends on the look you want to accomplish. There are several choices of paint types; acrylic, water color, oil, latex and maybe some others. Water colors give a nice transparent look. but are apt to bleed along grain lines. Acrylics can be used straight for an opaque finish or waterd down to a "wash" for results similar to watercolors but without quite the same degree of risk for bleeding. Oil colors can give you some fantastic depth to your finish, but take an inordiante amount of time to dry. That can be sped up some by adding drying agents (one is the old standby, Japan Dryer). There arer also some newer ones that might work a bit better.

To contain the watercolor and/or acrylic washes, outline your different color areas with a wood burner tip. See Lynn's blog for some excellent help with this technique.

When using watercolors and acrylics either straight or washed, you will find that the colors are actually a little drab untill you put your final finish on...then the colors will pop up bright and shiny.

I like to use light coats of spray polyurethane but brushed on poly works just as well, if you can work around drips and runs.....that's a knack to that that I haven't quite been able to master.

What I'd suggest, whatever medium you decide on, is to try painting on a flat board of the same material as your carving, untill you develop you own technique. You can do some light incised cuts, woodburn a few control areas, try different combinations of solid, opaque, transparent, washes, etc.
When you are comfortable with your practice pieces, move onto your carvings using the same techniqes you have worked on. Like any other skill, painting will improve with practice, and some serious evaluation of your results. Look carefully att what you like and don't like and adjust your techniqe to these observations.

Al

[jillsy]

Namlot,

There are so many different ways to finish a piece, it's really up to you the look you're going for. Some use washes, some like it natural, some like to use artists paint, while others use basic acrylic paint you can buy at any craft store. Some burn, some like a matte finish while others like a smooth satin finish. In other words, you've got lots of experimenting to do!

Maybe if you tell us the finish you'd like to aim towards, we can give you more specific help.

Jillsy

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

As an inexpensive way to start, go to a hobby shop or wallyworld and get the small bottles of acrylic......from there the whole world is your oyster

[AlArchie]

Now, why would you want to paint an oyster???? Sounds kinda fishy to me.

Al

[JIM QUILICI]

Originally Posted by Hi_Ho_Sliver

As an inexpensive way to start, go to a hobby shop or wallyworld and get the small bottles of acrylic......from there the whole world is your oyster

hi ho is right .......... you might even find a pearl here and there.... trying different things and different ways . wci even has a book out to help you paint . shows you many different ways to paint , only you knows what you want for a look.
Jim

[namlot]

Now lets say I have a piece of butternut and I want to have a natural finish on it. What do I need to do to it? Also if I have a piece of basswood what do I do to it if I want to stain it? I have had a problem in the past staining my projects, because they dont stain evenly. Is there a suggestion for that?

[wood-whittler]

namlot,

as it has been stated there are many ways of painting, everyone has there own way that works for them, the main thing i have found to be important when painting bass wood is to claen it with soap and water and a medium bristled veggie brush, then you have the choice of painting wet or letting it dry, i prefer to paint wet and then just let the whole thing dry together, when the carving is completly dry i dunk it in boiled linseed oil with burnt seinna oil paint mixed in for a brown tone to antique the peice this will bring out the color alot more, wipe the oil off after about 5 minutes.let this sit for a few and then hit it with a light coat of deft semi-gloss or satin. after this has set overnight i put a coat of howards feed and wax. the wax is there to help with people touching it. this is how i do it and it works for me, others have their way it is all in what you feel comfortable with.

with the butternut i would do the same except letting it dry after washing and then using the blo, deft and wax. i normally dont paint butternut except for maybe the eyes and teeth, just to let them stand out.

hope this helps

bart


p.s i use mainly delta ceramcoat acrylic paint

[AlArchie]

Basswood, aspen, pine,spruce, most other coniferous woods, maple and birch (maybe some others I haven't worked with) ALL blotch if stain is used on them without prior treatment.

Minwax makes an excellent pre-stain treatment, as does Cabot and Varathane. These are applied liberally with a brush, allowed to set for about 15 minutes and the excess wiped off. Once that is done you can go ahead and stain with really nice results. These pre-stains are perfectly clear, impart no color to the wood and don't smell too terribley bad. Still use in a well ventilated area. There are water based stains and finishes available but I like the petro based ones better.....just my preference...if you can make the waterbased ones work for you, go for it!

For natural finishes???? I usually use a very light "Natural" stain, or a light golden oak over whatever wood I'm using. After a pre-stain of course. These light stains only seem to bring up the natural grain and are not dark enough to seriously change the color of the wood. That golden oak stuff actually looks pretty dark in the can, but try it and you'll find a nice patina evolving from it's use.

I usually then put on a couple coats of Cabot sanding sealer followed by light sanding and several coats of either flat or satin polyurethane aerosol finish. I like the looks of the boiled linseed oil finishes, but not enough to use them.

Al