Painting basswood carvings
DICK BARR
I use acrylis mostly to paint my carvings, thinned out when
possible to allow the wood to show thru but when I am done the grain has
raised up. Initially I wasn't upset over this but now I would like to
know if there isn't some way to avoid this. Would a sealer work and allow
me to still use water paint???
Dick
DICK BARR
My son suggested using oil base paints also but it's such a hassle. I
will try the Krylon and see what happens........I don't do my stuff for
sale and wood showing thru is primarily a marketing thing, people like to
see the wood. So I am told. To paint over plastic wood I have to thicken
the paint anyway so it's not a big deal. If the sealer stops the grain
from raising then my biggest problem is solved. Those "nibs" look like
.... especially after all that work to make a clean carving.
Will let you know, I haver a piece to do shortly.
Dick
fla...@atl.mindspring.com
In article <320408...@PioneerPlanet.infi.net>, DICK BARR
<po...@PioneerPlanet.infi.net> wrote:
Dick,
I am mostly a duck carver and use a lot of basswood and sugar pine, some
tupelo and some jelutong. The bass wood and the tupelo are more inclined
to raise up than the others but I think they all do. I seal my carvings
with Krylon 1301 before painting and have never had any trouble with the
paing after that. You mignt have to defuzz after the sealer goes on but
that should be enough in my experience.
Frank Lawton fla...@mindspring.com
barrym
fla...@atl.mindspring.com wrote:
: In article <320408...@PioneerPlanet.infi.net>, DICK BARR
: <po...@PioneerPlanet.infi.net> wrote:
It sounds like he's using the acrylic like a stain where it soaks in,
and, if he is, the Krylon probably would prevent that.
If that's what he's looking for, oil based paints might do better
than acrylics. A sealer will prevent the acryilic from soaking
into the wood.
I'm just guessing on that use of the acrylic. If I'm wrong, just
ignore this.
Barry
Mike Dunk
DICK BARR <po...@PioneerPlanet.infi.net> wrote:
Hi Dick,
I am also a decorative decoy carver and I use only acrylic
paints. It is certainly necessary to seal the carvings before
painting, not only to prevent the grain from raising but it also helps
to protect the wood incase it accidently gets wet.
I use a sealing product called Deft. It is lacquer based and
dries in about 1/2 hour. I always use two coats. In between coats I
use a Scotch Brand scrubber (green or brown) to remove any grain that
has appeared. After the second coat, I use a white scrubber (it's
softer!).
You can thin the acrylic paints with water so that the grain will
always show through - even after several coats!
Keep experimenting,
Mike
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DICK BARR
Mike Dunk, thanks. I have been very fortunate in having paint
jobs turn out very well for me only to then show all these little nibs.
Camille Courtright
Hey, sorry to butt in here guys, but I use acrylic paint, thinned, all the
time and I have never noticed any difference in my carvings. They might
look a little bumpy just after the painting is done, but after they dry
everything's back to normal. Am I missing something here? My mom taught
the wash technique for my dad's carving and I've never seen any problem
with his carvings either! What are you guys doing!
Camille
DICK BARR
Wish I knew Camille but after a little sanding and brushing and
wiping with a tac rag I paint them and the grain seems to raise up?
Dick
Richard Absher
DICK BARR <po...@PioneerPlanet.infi.net> wrote:
I use thinned acrylic paint also and have not had any problems with
the grain raising.
Richard
Oh the Lord's been good to me, And so I thank the Lord,
For giving me the things I need,
The wood and the tools
And a wife to support me!
Camille Courtright
Gee, I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't have any problems with
raised grain. I've got enough problems just getting the carving done!:)
Maybe it has to do with the wood itself. I'm sure that not all bass and
sugar pine grow in the same area! Maybe a different supplier in a
different region would help. Might be worth trying once to see.
Camille
fla...@atl.mindspring.com
In article <Pine.SUN.3.91.960806...@garcia.efn.org>,
Camille Courtright <cami...@efn.org> wrote:
Hey
Have any of you guys and gals tried using an air brush yet? It is a new
frontier for me.
Frank
Camille Courtright
Hi Frank!
No I haven't tried an air brush yet. It looks really interesting but
between the cost of getting set up and my lack of artistic painting
abilities I haven't taken the plunge. (Another reason is that I'm lazy,
and I don't think it would work too well on the sofa in front of the TV!)
Did you just get started? Is it hard? Why don't you give us the lowdown?
I'll be waiting to hear.
Camille
Len Berlind
: Have any of you guys and gals tried using an air brush yet? It is a new
: frontier for me.
: Frank
I've used 'em for more years than I care to count, mostly on scale
models of various materials. They take some practice and a good one costs
no small outlay of cash, since you need to have an air (or CO2) supply
and some other accessories as well as the tool. Another consideration is
a place to spray, especially if you're using a toxic finish. On the other
hand nothing beats 'em for certain types of blanding and shading or for
laying a really thin uniform finish.
Mike Dunk
Camille Courtright <cami...@efn.org> wrote:
>Hi Frank!
>Camille
Hi Camille and Frank,
I consider the airbrush an intregal part of painting waterfowl.
It makes the blending of colours very easy and you never get the hard
water lines that often appear between areas or colours when painting
with a brush.
The key is that the airbrush is only a part of painting - a brush
must still be used to finish painting a carving. One of the best
references I have found is a video tape called "The Art of Airbrushing
Wildfowl Carvings" by George Kruth. This video tape goes into
techniques and has many helpful hints and tips.
Steve Roberts
DICK BARR <po...@PioneerPlanet.infi.net> wrote:
>I use acrylis mostly to paint my carvings, thinned out when
>possible to allow the wood to show thru but when I am done the grain has
>raised up. Initially I wasn't upset over this but now I would like to
>know if there isn't some way to avoid this. Would a sealer work and allow
>me to still use water paint???
>Dick
Hi Dick,
The most common way to knock down grain is to PRE-WET the piece,
let it dry, then lightly sand. If you then use a sealer (Jo Sonja) combined with
a base color if desired, you shouldn't have any raised grain problems.
BTW a sponge and a hair dryer make quick work of the pre-wetting
process.
Steve Roberts
Steve Roberts
mgd...@bconnex.net (Mike Dunk) wrote:
>Camille Courtright <cami...@efn.org> wrote:
>>Hi Frank!
>>Camille
>Hi Camille and Frank,
I originally started painting my fish with a brush, and eventually went with the airbrush.
It is absolutely essential at this point, and my carvings would have a totally different look
without it. I can create multiple layers of paint (with no brush marks) to get the look I want.
I often spray and wipe off, and repeat until it feels right. A super tool. Think about it. Do
people see the "process" or the paint job?
Steve Roberts
Darryle-Anne Zink
Thought I'd add my two cents to this discussion. I have been taught that
it is necessary to seal your work before painting with acrylics. A
fifty-fifty mixture of white shellac and methyl hydrate does the trick
very nicely. Then apply many, many coats of thin wash. I have not had
any problem with the grain raising using this technique. Good luck and
happy carving!
Darryle
Steve Miklos
Camille Courtright wrote:
>
> Gee, I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't have any problems with
> raised grain. I've got enough problems just getting the carving done!:)
>
Raised grain occurs when the loose ends of wood fibers that are left
from cutting or sanding fill with water and rise up from the surface.
One way to get rid of them before painting is to raise them by wetting
the surface and then sanding lightly...enough to cut off the raised
fibers, but not hard enough to produce new ones. If you do this a couple
of times until no more fibers rise, then they won't rise when you apply
the paint, either. Someone suggested using a scotchbrite pad after the
first coat of paint, and this would work, too...or use the scotchbrite
with water before painting. Certainly the scotchbrite would do less
damage to the surface where you want to leave toolmarks showing a rustic
look.
Regards,
Steve
--
stephen...@citicorp.com, piala...@aol.com Steve Miklos @ home
Not speaking for the Big Bank
http://members.aol.com/pialamodem
Tony Bonaccio
I know this is coming in late to this thread but I had to mention
my two cent's worth. Someone mentioned Tom Wolfe in a different
context. I subscribe to his method of painting basswood carvings,
which also is that advocated by Rick Butz in his How to Carve Wood
book. Both these carvers suggest using artist's oils (as opposed
to a water based paint) thinned to a watery "stain-like" consistency.
I have used this quite successfully on three carvings now. In
addition to not raising the grain, this approach has the advantage
of allowing water-based art markers to be used for some underlying
details, as Wolfe points out in his books. For example, in his
baseball player carvings, Wolfe suggests drawing in the fine details
of the uniform such as pinstripes and logos with fine-tipped Flair
(water-based) pens. These can then be washed over with the thinned
oils with no concern about smearing or running. I have done this
on two Wolfe carvings now with excellent results. The only
concern I have ever had with the oil method is with titanium
based white, which requires 7-10 days to dry completely. Other
than that I am 100% sold on this method!
Tony Bonaccio u7...@ibm.net
Stan H. Smith
Tony Bonaccio <u7...@ibm.net> wrote:
>Tony Bonaccio u7...@ibm.net
Tony:
I paint pictures other than my carvings. I have used acrylics without
any problems, but I am going to try the methods you describe. In case
you didn't know it, there is an additive you can add to oils to speed
the drying time.
Stan
Redding, CA