[Jano]

After doing some searching on whether I remebered correctly about applying deft right over wet oil paint (and I still didn't find the answer -- anybody?) I was bemused to see how many people seem to prefer acrylic washes. Why is that? Especially when there is so much fooling around trying to negate the chalky look? Why not just use oils, especially if using BLO to begin?

I was always taught it was OK to put oil or any petroleum-based product (Watco, minwax, BLO, wax) over acrylic, but a VERY BAD IDEA to do the reverse. In my experience on canvas and other non-woodcarved items, i have found that this leads to poor adhesion, bubbles, sloughing and gumminess.

But it seems that I am reading that people often apply BLO, then acrylic or craft paint, and then other finishes. Am i hallucinating or is that the case?

Also, is it true that one can apply Deft right over damp oil paint? Are we talking water-based or some other type of Deft?

[Irish]

Acrylics are often preferred by craftsmen simply because they are water based. That makes them easy to clean up and eliminates the more toxic mixing medias as turpentine, stand oil or damar varnish.

Craft paints are even more favored by hobbyists because they tend to be opaque, not translucent or transparent. So it is very easy to correct mistakes by simply painting a couple of coats of the correct color over the error.

I also believe, and this is just my opinion, that whether you use acrylic, water based craft paints, watercolors or oils can be very dependent on what colors the instructor/author used. Many craftsman carefully follow the original instructions that are published in a kit, on a website or blog or in a book.

You can indeed use acrylics over oil or wax based sealers as BLO or Watco. The colors can have adhesion problems and can over time crackle because they are not quite as bonded as they would be to the raw wood. These problems are minor ... and for me the occasional crackling which can come with age is a delightful side effect that makes the carving look very antique in nature.

Both the oil and wax sealers really penetrate the wood grain deeply so it is not comparable to using BLO over a gessoed canvas ... The gesso of the canvas seals the linen fibers with it's own acrylic type coating. So you have in essence three layers - acrylic gesso to oil based sealer to water based paint. On a canvas the oil sealer layer is no more securely adhered over the gesso acrylic then the water based coloring is adhered to the oil based sealer.

On a wood carving, even when you saturate the work in an oil sealer, some wood fibers remain clean enough that the acrylic paint grabs.

This next one is strictly a personal choice ... I would not seal any oil painting whether on wood or canvas with any sealer until I knew that oil paint was very dry ... or really close to being very dry! How long a time period that is depends on how thick you applied the oil paints. For a light rouging it might be less than a day and if you help it along with a hair dryer on medium setting maybe a few hours. If you have applied a heavy coating it could be up to several weeks.

Why, you ask? Good question, I reply! Because both wood and linen/cotton canvas are extremely porous surfaces that soak up moisture from the air like a sponge! The spray sealer has sealed one side of the paint from moisture but not the other side ... for canvas the back of the canvas and for wood the inside which can absorb moisture through the bottom of the carving.

High humidity trapped under the oil paint then under a sealer can cause clouding. You are mixing oil and water while the oil is still pliant then sealing it under plastic. You can see it happen instantly and I have not found a way to remove it. A clouded oil painting, in my experience, can only be fixed by starting all over. This technique can work one hundred times before you have a clouded finish ... Just be careful that the humidity levels have been fairly low for a few days before you do it!

Me ... I love oil paints over wood! I also use watercolors liberally on wood.

Please remember that when you are working on a canvas you are not working on raw natural fiber; you are working on several sanded layers of acrylic gesso or in other words a thin coating of plastic!

Susan Irish

[Jano]

Thank you -- that's the best explanation I've ever heard/read.

Are you the person who does the illustrations to carve in WCI?

[Irish]

(She sheepish grins as she stares at her shoes and blushes right up to her ears)

That's me ... L. S. Irish or Lora S. Irish if you want the formal name but around the message board I'm just Susan ...

Lora Susan Irish (aka L. Irish, aka Susan, aka 'Hey you!)

[Ashbys]

Aka ... The Mama ....

[Ron Davidson]

Nope Ash it's grandma now. Remember the kittens. I might as well be in the dog house with you.
Ron

[Irish]

I will wear either title ... The Mama or The Grand Mama ... with great honor!

Me

[Jano]

Anyways, nice ta meetcha. Beautiful drawings. Do you work out all that flat plane stuff? Somebody once told me there was a computer program that would do that, but I didn't believe him.

[Irish]

GRIN ... Jano,

I am a little old fashioned when it comes to creating patterns. I actually gather my reference material, get out my #2B pencils and newsprint and start making lots and lots of sketches. Once the sketches are done I pick what I believe to be the strongest lines of the drawing. Then make a tracing with Micro Fine Sharpie on vellum.

Once the vellum tracing is done it is cut and tape time. It is so much easier for me to take scissors to the tracing and cut it apart. Then I realign the elements to adjust for added backgrounds, changes in length or width or reposioning elements. Lots of tape holds everything together so that I can make the final tracing.

That get scanned and is ready for you to use.

Susan

[hruukki]

On oil and water based paints in general: linseed oil can take a really long time to dry totally. I think it can take up to a year unless some siccative (a medium to speed up the drying) has been used. I'm old school when it comes to painting: I wouldn't put acrylics on top of oil paint. It's possible there's no harm but during years, I wouldn't be surprised if the acrylics peeled off altogether. If there's no significant new technology (tell me if there is) I wouldn't risk it.