Stain Question

Is it possible to apply stain with a thin paint brush so that some wood can be bare and some has stain? I'm worried that the stain will travel along the wood grain and create rough/blurry lines. I know that I've seen carvings here that have multiple colors of finish. Any suggestions?

I beleive you can on big pieces, but youre little fellas might be a different story. Get an offcut and experiment with that before subjecting one of your tikis to any experimentation.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with :)

Maybe try wax relief where you don't want the stain. I have made animal patterns using wax and it turns out well

I have airbrushed darker tones on wook making a frisket, (some adhesive film applied to the wood, bunished on, then the pattern cut and the places you wish the stain to be applied removed) ...more of a hassle, but results might be sharper line detail.

I've done both with mixed results.

Good luck

I should have pointed out that much care needs to be taken when cutting the film off the wood, and removing the wax can be a hassle.

I would use a paste stain as opposed to a liquid stain. Apply it with your fingers precisely where you want it. Because it is a paste, it will not travel or soak in as uncontrollably as a liquid stain. Using your fingers you can apply it to surfaces, as opposed to cracks or end grain. Remember that any end grain will appear much darker. Any excess paste stain can still be wiped off with a rag. A second coat may be necessary to achieve desired darkness!

you can also brush on varnish where you don't want the stain, then after the stain dries cover That with varnish, Or which ever finish you are going to use.