Post #238489 by Basement Kahuna on Sun, Jun 18, 2006 7:27 PM

On 2006-06-12 18:37, Polynesiac wrote:
Bk is back on track! serously amazing carving, my friend, and I'm still kickn' myself for missing the coon tiki Is this one for the home bar or is it for sale?

You know what I like best about your big carvings? is the contrast between the tatoos and the finsh on the tiki. They really stand out nicely and look vintage - not a 100 year old vintage, mind you, but a vintage as though it were sitting inside a tiki bar since the 60's. outstanding work.

Hi, Polynesiac, sorry, I had missed your question. I carved this one in my spare time...It's for Hukilau, really, and I have another identical log that will become it's twin, but I put it in my local antique mall space to grab attention. I did put a price on it. As for the contrast, the secret if you are polychroming is to tone down the whites or lighter colors severely with a transparent wash. You can use either a brownish tempera mixture, a highly diluted stain, or (my choice) a floral toner like Design Master. You want it to look like it has layer upon layer of nicotine patina for that golden age Tiki temple look. A dull, honey colored glow. Hard to explain, but easy if you take a really close look at an old tiki in situ indoors at a place like the Mai Kai or Trader Vic's or the Tonga Room, etc.