First Experiment w/ color Happy Halloween!

[Pappasid]

Hi,
I'm still real new at this....this little pumpkin is my first try at adding color and only my 4th carving ever. This is about 3" wide. I used oil paint diluted with BLO to get the colors. I'm having fun! Not sure if I like the BLO...slow drying. May try acrylics next time. What do you think? Or is there a better medium for thin application of oil? Appreciate any advice you may have.
Thanks! Pete

[Claude]

Nice pumpkin, Pete!

I prefer acrylics, because cleanup is with water, it dries quickly, and no noxious fumes in the house.

Claude

[Bob K.]

I like the pumpkin, Pete, and I agree with Claude...I like acrylics for the same reasons. And probably 95% of all wood carvers use acrylics...also probably for the same reasons. Like with anything else you need to experiment with them until you get the results you are looking for.

[Pappasid]

Thanks for the advice. Please excuse this next naive question, but can you use acrylics and still have the woodgrain show through?

[BobBlaney]

Using acrylics as washes (thinned with water) will not hide the grain. Build color with multiple coats until you get the effect you want.

[Mottles]

Hi there, and Welcome
Nice pumpkin!
Yes you can use acrylics and still have the woodgrain show though by thinning your paint with water. Everyone has their own method for this technique.

Floyd Rhadian recommend on one of his santa's to use one drop of acrylic paint with twenty to twenty-five drops of water.

My method: I put a drop of acrylic paint on my palette and add drops of water until I get the right consistancy. Always test your color mixture on a scrap piece of the same type of wood you are doing to paint.

After the paint is dry I like to use Deft Satin or Semi Gloss spray varnish.

[Donna_T]

Bob,
I agree. I use acrylics and then thin it with water and equal parts of Flow Medium. I typically use 10/1 but it can vary with the brand of paint and the color. Don't put another coat on until the previous one dries because the color changes as it dries. (Use a hair dryer to speed the process.)

Because water raises grain on wood (makes it rough when it dries), once it's the color I want and it's dry, I rub the carving with a wadded up piece of brown paper bag to smooth it and give it some luster. Then I spray it lightly with Krylon Matt or satin, depending on the appearance I want--matt is more natural, satin is low gloss, and of course gloss is the glossiest.

That's what I do--but the process of learning to paint is to try lots of different techniques and see what works for you.

Donna_T

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Welcome to the forum

Dave

[Josef]

G'day Pete, welcome to the forum. Great little carving, well done. Have fun, Joe.