Painting with acrylics

[firewoodstudio]

I have just finished a new carvung out of bass wood. I have never used acrylic paints. In the past i have used artist oils thinned with mineral sprits to allow the grain of the wood to show. I would like to do the same with acrylics. Please tell me how to get this look and also blend from one color to another without brush marks .

[Mitchell]

I'm not expert, but I will get this started with my OPINION....

Mix it similar to what you do with oils and mineral spirits. I'd actually recommend using about 2x the water as you would mineral spirits. There are MANY techniques and it is more of a personal preference. I'd suggest trying a few test pieces first.....take some scrap bass wood and carve a simple design in a few pieces, then paint each with different mixtures.

I really like just a "tint" to the carving, but generally do paint heavier than my personal preference because the carving seems to get more interest with a little color.

Many artists get the blended colors by painting in "layers". With oils, the paint stays wet longer and you can blend them. With acrylic, the paint drys quickly and it's harder to blend, so many work with thin washes with multiple coats. I know some that work quickly to get more paint on before the first has a chance to dry. for example, when I do cheeks on a Santa and I want more red, I will water down the flesh on the second or third coat very thin, then quickly put in a touch of red for that blushed look on top of it. Because it's still wet, the red blends with the flesh effectively.

Lastly, if you antique with Boiled Linseed Oil, the colors will be more vibrant after the finished is applied. Again, it takes some practice.

This takes a little practice. Another tip - especially if you let the colors dry between washes is to have some clean water handy....this way you can correct any mistakes quickly by "washing" away a bad blend with the water.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

You can get a "retarder" to slow the drying time, and you can blend much better with it...you can also get clear acrylic to use to thin instead of water.....experiment and find what works best for you.

[MelNM]

Here's another way I have tried also, its on Mark Garacs web page check it out, you can see if you want to paint the same way he does, instead of the dark liquid wax I use the clear though.

http://www.gargacsoriginals.com/roug...page=roughouts

[Helen]

This is not the reply you were looking for. What I'd like to know is how you paint with diluted oils with mineral spirits....that sounds beautiful..I guess it's more like tinting. How do you prep your carving? I like oils better than acrylics.

Helen