[VAwoodcarver]

Hi ive been carving since last october and think i should start painting my pieces early on in my carving career, so i was wondering what kind of paint brushes, what kind of paint, and anything else i should know thanks...

[Mark N. Akers]

VA Carver:
I use a good brush I purchase at Micheals,Don't know the brand,but they come in a set.Also I use acrylics watered down,I'll put 2 drops of paint per 1/2 a cube of water(I use a plastic ice tray to mix my colors)It varies based on what color you use on reds you can even water them down even more,on whites it 1/2 and 1/2.Hope this helps you if you have any more questions post it and we will answer.

[Woodartist]

What is the advantage of watering the paint down, Mark ????

[Tom H]

Since I continually struggle with painting a carving, my advice can't help much. Except; don't buy those cheap brushes. Buy the best brushes you can find and keep them clean.....Tom H

[jillsy]

VA,

I don't water my paints down at all, preferring the rich look. I just buy acrylic paint you can get from the craft store. Like the others suggested, I'd highly recommend buying a few good brushes to start with, otherwise, you may get too frustrated trying to brush with cheaper ones that are harder to paint with. Some good ones to start with, that aren't too expensive are American Painter. They hold up pretty well, but won't break the bank. Try to get a few sizes too, depending on what you're painting.

Also, be sure to get some primer or Gesso to basecoat (unless you're going for the watered-down look). This will adhear to the wood, making painting much easier.

Hope this helps and let us know how it turns out!

Jillsy

[Mark N. Akers]

Bill;
The reason I water it down is to creat a transluscent look,I like people to see that it is wood,I want to see the grain.

[VAwoodcarver]

yea carolina ive heard that too. Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone!

[Eddy Smiles]

VA...

Since you're just getting into painting I'd recommend going down to your local craft store and buying one each of every color that they have. You can purchase the store brands of 2-Fl. oz containers for around $0.50 each and name brands on sale for around $0.75 on sale. I say buy one of each color because as you paint you can always rely on getting the same shade for repetitive work or touch-up. Buying just the basic colors and mixing them yourself means that you'll have to fall back to a color wheel and hope that you can mix colors exactly to consistently get the same color and shade. I have a tool box (all my craft equipment and supplies are in tool boxes for mobility) filled with around 200 different acrylic paints and finishes. I replace and add to has projects dictate. As for what brands are better that too is a matter of preference. I've bought cheap paint that I was very happy with and expensive paint that I've never used.

As for base coats and primers, I agree with Jillsy about the need but I've found that a good bright white paint works as good if not better than the Gesso. I guess (no pun intended) that it's purely a matter of preference.

To water down or not to water down depends on the artist, on the wood, on the brand of paint, and on the effect desired. If you do mix, Delta recommends using a distilled water.

As far as brushes go, I find that most of the white or orange nylon brushes such as those sold at any craft store and at Wal-mart are adequate for acrylic use. Unlike cheap hair brushes they have more body and stiffness and do not bend over and stay bent over. Just be forewarned that the cheaper the brush the less service it will give you. The cheaper lines of Loew-Cornell, American Painter...etc... will start to spread and seperate after a few uses. The reason that I prefer a cheaper nylon brush and am willing to replace it more often is that I am very hard on brushes and I save my more expensive brushes for my watercolor painting.

[VAwoodcarver]

Thank you very much

[Claude]

While you can thin with water (and I do at times), you should also get some "blending medium". This is apparently the same stuff that is used to make the acrylic paint. One advantage to using a thinned paint is that is flows easily into all the little nooks and crannies (i.e. knife marks) and gives you complete coverage. While you're shopping at the craft store, pick up a large bottle each of the satin finish water-based varnish, and the glossy water-based varnish. I use these thinned with 2 parts varnish, 1 part water, to get a better flow. I usually put two or even three coats on the carving. After it's all dried overnight, buff it out with a wadded up brown paper bag.

Claude