Make Cuts to Stop Paint from Bleeding

 Beginner Wood Carving Information, Wood Carving Tips  No Responses »
Feb 012012
 

When finishing a wood carving project, I have found that adding some paint will really finish out a piece.  There have been several projects that I have carved and after finishing, I think about how it just didn’t satisfy my mental image of what the project should be.  After adding some color, it really changes the carving in a good way and adds depth and distinction.

Sometimes, when painting small carvings or delicate areas of larger carvings, the paint will try to bleed over to an area that it is not intended to be.  A simple way to limit the paints ability to bleed and run, is to make a simple stop cut between the areas that will have either no paint or different colors of paint.

The cut will cause the fibers of the wood to separate slightly and create a barrier that the paint will be less likely to pass over.  This technique will also add some definition and division between features.  As with any new technique, try it out a few times on a scrap piece or a piece that will not break your heart if you mess up.

20 Wood Carving Tips for 2012

 Beginner Wood Carving Information, Wood Carving Tips  1 Response »
Jan 152012
 

If you talked to 20 different wood carvers, you would probably get a lot of different responses if you asked for some quick and easy tips for wood carving.  Here are 20 tips to get your wood carving started out on the right foot for 2012.

  1. Learn to Sharpen your tools
  2. Wear a Wood Carving Glove and Thumb guard
  3. Keep all wood carving patterns
  4. Keep a small mirror in your wood carving box to examine your own facial expressions.
  5. Buy some good wood carving books
  6. Purchase tools individually, not as a set
  7. Use good quality paint brushes
  8. Use a business card as a carving ruler
  9. Strop your wood carving tools often
  10. Use blade protectors to keep wood carving tool blades safe and sharp
  11. Keep band-aids in your carving box
  12. Keep a notepad and pencil with your to record ideas when you have them
  13. Find a wood carving club or carving friend to guidance and motivation
  14. Maintain your wood carving tools
  15. Keep a folder of pictures of your carving subjects to refer to
  16. Take pictures of all of you wood carvings as a record to see your progress
  17. Subscribe to Wood Carving Illustrated and/or Chip Chats
  18. Buy quality wood carving tools
  19. Mark your wood carving tools
  20. Practice, Practice, Practice

Painting Trick for Wood Carving Paint Washes

 Beginner Wood Carving Information, Wood Carving Tips  No Responses »
Jan 092012
 

Most wood carvers that I talk to, including myself, prefer for their completed and painted wood carvings still look like wood.  That means that we want them to have some wood grain showing through that paint.  I feel that this adds to the beauty of the wood carving.  It also lets the person looking at the wood carving know immediately that it is a wood carving.

There have been times when painting my wood carvings, that I have coated the paint too heavily and it makes the finished piece look like it could possibly be made of plastic, ceramic, or some other non-wood material.  The key to allowing the wood grain to show through is to use a paint wash.

Paint washes are accomplished by watering down your desired color of paint.  It will take practice getting the right proportion of water to paint.  I like to keep a piece of scrap wood of the same type that my project is carved in to test the paint wash.  Another option that you have to test your paint wash, is to use some newspaper.

Save some old newspapers and when you are ready to test a paint wash for it transparency qualities, you can apply the paint wash directly to the newspaper.  If you can see the newspaper enough to ready the print, you have a paint wash that will allow the wood grain to show up after the wood carving is completed.

Wood Carving Travel Kit

 Beginner Wood Carving Information, Wood Carving Tips  No Responses »
Dec 252011
 

If you have been wood carving for very long, you have probably collected several tools.  Of those tools, you have your favored tools and should have a fairly good idea of what tools you use on a regular basis in your wood carving shop or designated area.  So if you want to take the wood carving on the road, what tools are you going to take along without having to rent a moving van?

The answer to this question depends on what you are carving and how much room you have.  I like to use a small plastic tool box that I bought at Wal-mart.  Some of the essential tools that all wood carvers should consider including in their travel kit are: Continue reading »

Beginner Wood Carving Videos

 Beginner Wood Carving Information, Wood Carving Articles/Reviews, Wood Carving Resources, Wood Carving Tips, Wood Carving Videos  No Responses »
Dec 212011
 

Whether you are a beginning wood carver or a seasoned veteran, there are always new perspectives and ideas that can be examined to improve and/or compliment your carving skills. One of the best teachers that I have had the pleasure of learning from, is Gene Messer. Mr. Messer does carving instructional videos on many different carving projects.

Beginner Wood Carving Videos

One of the best tips that I can give to beginning carvers, is to get a copy of Mr. Messer’s carving videos. One of the best beginning steps that I took when I first started carving, was to watch Gene Messer complete a couple simple projects on video. He makes the whole process very easy to follow, and shows step by step how to make each cut. You will be amazed at how well your own project will turn out after following along with the video.

Some major benefits of using these videos are: Continue reading »

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