Sunday, February 22, 2015

Tips For Making Painting A bit Easier!

It's very easy to have whittled piece that is quite nice, but nearly ruined when /if painted.  Sloppy painting is a real detractor.  This is even more so when the painted piece is small.  There's just no room for painting outside the lines.

When whittling/carving a piece that will end up with different colors right next to each other you can make the painting easier by how you carve the wood where the colors meet.  When carving the Santa with a hat, you know that there will be a color change between the white bottom of the hat and the face.

In the example to the left, this bottom on the hat band has been carved with a straight shoulder where two surfaces meet.  The surface of the forehead and the surface of the hat bottom are at right angles.  This will prove to be more difficult to paint, since the brush must paint three surfaces (top of the band, the band, bottom of the band); and get paint to the bottom of these two surfaces.

The example on the right has a more rounded hat bottom band.  This example will be easier to paint, without running the colors together.  You will not have to angle the brush to get paint into the bottom of the two surfaces.

Painting one of the surfaces will be even more difficult if one of the two surfaces is undercut.

Give it a try!  I think you'll agree with me on this one.
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2 comments:

  1. Unknown2/24/15, 7:22 PM

    Hi again Tom,
    I'm guessing that you didn't get to read my last post to you. So I thought that perhaps I'd try again. I just received my latest woodcarving illustrated (It takes a while to get them over here even with a subscription) and I loved your piece in it about carving dogs. I am going to try from your patterns but i wish you would find some time to carve a lab on your blog. Being blind its hard to get the gist without a step by step when you're starting out. I enjoy this blog so much and I think that you are amazing for helping all of us new whittlers like you do. Have you tried any Aussie wood to carve?
    All the best to you and yours,
    Belinda

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  2. Tom H2/25/15, 8:30 AM

    Belinda, I did read your last post and do plan on adding a step-by-step whittling of a Lab. This will have to wait for one month, as I'm not at home, but in a vacation house. This means several things; no scanner or copier to do the pattern, no scroll saw to cut the blank, and only a minimum of tools and carving wood. Thank you for the nice comments, and watching this blog.....Tom H

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