[Phaeton]

My first carving is almost finished......again!!.. hehe

I tried doing the entire duck with thin washes, all of the colors looked ok except for the black and it just looked dirty so I stripped the whole thing down to bare sanded wood and started over.

I did the white area with a single thin wash, the only way I could keep the wash from splotching was to make a single pass with the brush, is this the right way to apply a wash?

I've ordered a retarding medium and hopefully it will provide enough time to work out the bad spots before they dry. I primed the rest of the duck with gesso and applied a base coat. I'm going to do the feather detail in the black area with iridescent violet but man is it BRIGHT, will a thin wash of burnt umber tone it down a little without destroying the effect?

My main question is how to salvage the head, I'm just making a mess with the black wash, also I've been trying to avoid the eyes with the wash but it's obvious that I went around them, can I just paint over them and come back later and clean them up?

btw; thanks for the help with the eyes..they came out fine

I'm really having a great time carving, I have not finished anything yet but I have two ducks, two santas and a bluebird well under way....yeehaa

HaPPy Trails
Bill
^v^

[papasar]

Bill,
Sorry I can't help with the finish but I'm sure you will get all the help you need from the other members.
As for being your first carvings, they are outstanding!
Keep up the good work!
Bill K.

[squbrigg]

I can't help with the painting question, but I must congratulate you on the carving aspect of the duck, beautiful work. We have some great bird carvers aboard here, and I am sure that , as soon as they drag their butts out of bed, they will have some answers for you. Keep up the good work and h a p p y carving.

Bob

[Doug Ridley]

In my opinion that's an outstanding bird for your first carving! I also like the little Santa on the bench.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I think the problem is in acrylics, the pigments are not evenly disbursed when you thin with water, now thats just a theory I have, not sure if its fact! But I have found that putting a coat of "sanding sealer" on or maybe KT super sealer (which comes in clear or white) helps....also the retardant that allows you more time to blend will help...I have been painting with oils for 35+ years and can work them with no problem......except!! I don't have the patience to wait for them to dry ha ha.......so we have to experiment to find what works for us.....try all of the above on some scrap wood. you will find your preferred method...

[Hugh]

What kind of paint are you using?? And are you putting it on in thin washes?? I mix my paint, put it in a small film container, and shake the heck out of it. The biggest problem with mixing paint, is not mixing it enough. I think from the photos that your using too thick a mixture. Thin, and dry each coat completely. If you use a hair dryer to dry it, let the surface cool before applying another coat. If you putting the black up to the other colour, dampen, not wet, but dampen the other colour very slightly. Run your black right up to the dampness, and watch it blend into the other. If its too wet, it will run, just use a brush to sop up the edges and try again. Hope this helps.

[Phaeton]

Thanks guys, Its one thing to receive complements from family members (one of them wants me to power wash her house--nuf-said)) but to hear that from skilled carvers is really encouraging.

H_H_S, I don't think I cut through the sanding sealer when the washes were removed but I did put a few caots of Jo Sonja's "Clear Glaze Medium" under the white wash just in case.
Oils sound like they may be the best choice for me because my hand is not very steady and the painting is slow, one thing I soon found out about acrylics is that you can't be slow.

Hello Hugh, thanks for the blending tip, I have not tried that yet but will do it next.
I'm using Atelier Gesso primer and Jo Sonja's acrylics right out of the tube for the base coat (black body and red/mix head) and a 8 to 1 (flow medium to paint) thin black wash on the head for the dark blended area between the eyes and the beak.

HaPPy Trails and thanks again
Bill
^v^

[Hugh]

I've never used the glaze medium, does it have a shine?? If so, all the paint in the world won't cover that shine. Also I have never used flo mudium coloured with paint. Try a small mixture of the Burnt Umber and small amounts of black, thin with a little water, mix it well, and add a little flow medium to make it come off the brush. Try this on a smooth surface that is gessoed before putting it up on your carving. A soft bristled brush, is a must. The largest brush you can get away with for a wash. One coat, don't scrub, or you'll scrub off the underlying semi dry paint. Jo sonja gouasche isn't my choice, but the dry time is quick, but the actual cure time is in days not minutes. It appears dry, but it takes much longer to fully cure.