Notes From The 'Net

By Doug Evans, With Loren Woodard

Awhile back after Bob (sorry Bob I didn’t catch a last name) asked the dangerous question of the “right way” of painting carvings, I asked folks on the 'net for their favorite ways of painting carvings. I didn’t get as many responses as I hoped for but here are some informative, interesting comments and tips Bob and I received.

Maura Macaluso suggested that acrylics be used but to never use a color right out of the bottle. Two or more colors should always be mixed together for a unique color. Maura warned not to use too much paint or the carvings will look like plastic.

Donna Menke told us she has seen too many carvings messed up by a bad paint job--especially bird carvings. Just a few of Donna’s suggestions were to use quality paints, smaller brushes on birds with good bristles like a #5 round synthetic and to aim for color variation. Donna also told us that the last half hour of her hummingbird DVD describes in much more detail her painting method.

CCA member Will Hayden asked us why we are using wood if all we are going to do is paint over it ??? (Will offers us the British perspective !)

My buddy Loren Woodward and Fran Hill suggested to go with the wood’s natural color or to use extra thin acrylics.

Bob Barris likes acrylics and always antiques with boiled linseed oil.

Our final comment was from Sally Nye who tells us she doesn’t paint carvings very often but when she does she likes the Frankenmuth old world look of Geisler-Moroder watercolors with a nut base.

I’m a big fan of the acrylic stain/wash method used by either Floyd Rhadigan or Wayne Shinlever.

There are about another 500 ways to paint. If you have any comments or tips you would like to add, send them to me at dge1@comcast.net. I’ll collect your comments and if I receive enough new ideas, I’ll share them in a future issue.

Doug Evans (aka the Woodologist)

Please take some time and check out the wood carving lists on the Internet. There is a lot of knowledge free for the asking on all of the list serves.

For information regarding the various email lists for woodcarvers, visit The Carvers' Companion Resource Files, or click the links below.

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