Post #432893 by AlohaStation on Fri, Feb 6, 2009 10:39 AM

That Face is excellent!!

I would love to see you use subtle color to highlight and shade the piece. A flat stain may not give you the accents this piece screams for - extreme expression. I usually paint the shadow areas to add depth in a well-lit area. Here's the technique (ALWAYS DO A TEST PIECE FIRST):

Finish sanding and applying any stain you desire. Once the wood is the shade you want, you will need to seal it. Sealing the wood allows you to paint on the surface without the paint being soaked into the wood (allows you to fix any screwups). I use a mixture of 50%/50% boiled linseed oil and turpentine (ancient woodworkers formula). Brush on generously, allow to dry for 15 minutes then wipe off the excess - let dry for at least 1 hour. Then you are ready to paint (I use Water-based Acrylics but you can use Oil Paint as well - oil paint takes longer to dry). It will stink so keep it in a well ventilated area.

Mix the colors you want - starting with lights colors and progress to dark. Mix your paint with water/thinner till it is very thin. The goal of this technique is to add color while keeping the natural beauty of the wood. Brush on the thin paint till you reach the level of opacity that you want. While painting keep a clean, wet rag with you to remove any paint that you may not want. Allow to dry. Brush on the 50/50 mix and wipe clean. Repeat this process till you are happy with the result. Allow the piece to dry completely and finish with a clear coat (I like the wipe-on Poly).

This technique will give you subtle color variations that can make the piece look more 3 dimensional, even in crappy light. I did not make this up - it actually came from an article in Wood Carving Illustrated http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/issue42/realistic-skin-tones.php

Good luck. I'm sure no matter what you finish it with its gonna come out killer!!