Painting

Not all of my work is stained.  Not all of it is painted.  It depends on a couple factors - 1) what the client wants if it's custom made and 2) what I think would look best if it's not custom made.

The wood grain on the piece I used for The Lorax carving was waaaaaay too pretty to cover with stain.  So, I figured, a couple truffula trees were in order.

The first step isn't actually reaching for a paint brush.  It's reaching for a pencil.

Depending on what I'm drawing, I'll either free-hand or find some royalty-free clip art to trace onto the piece of wood.  I find this is the best method for me - lays out the groundwork before a paint brush even enters the picture!

Then, it's to the paint!

And, honestly, I never really have a color-game plan before I start.  I just, kinda, go, following the lines I've drawn out in the first step.

Painting is very much a process.  It's done in layers, and steps, so you have to be patient.  Patience is something I lack to a great extent, but seeing a piece of work come to life bit by bit, is also really cool, and that helps.

Here, all the colors are applied.

I'm going old-school on this piece, using the actual book as a reference for my trees, instead of the movie.  (Although, we are heavily addicted to the movie in this house!)

After all the color is added, I use a really thin brush to paint the outline.  I've also been known to use calligraphy pens in paint, and toothpicks.  I use toothpicks, a lot.

I'm a wee-bit of a perfectionist, so I'm always telling myself to just let the paint do it's thing, and don't grip to any outcome.  It'll be what it's meant to be.

Some days that's easier than others.

But, I do find, less fixing, is typically better on a painting.  

And, then, before I know it, the darn thing has come to life right before my eyes!

With drawing, and painting added, I think this sign is up to about 3 1/2 hours time, now.

The time I spend painting varies greatly with the design of the piece, and what, exactly, I'm painting.  As you can imagine.  Some things are more detailed and complex than others.

But, painting is always, always, fun.  I was born to paint.  

It's a special sort of bliss for me.  I seriously get lost in it.  In a good way.