How to paint on wood?
by
Nicole
+8
I want to paint woodland creatures onto wooden squares to hang above my son's crib. I'm pretty good at drawing however I've never painted let alone painted on wood. Is acrylic paint the best medium? Should I have a specific type of paintbrush? Do I sand the wood first? The wooden squares are from the hobby lobby. What's the best method of transferring the image onto the wood so that when I paint there are no marks? Thank you in advance!
The wooden square
The images I want to paint
5 answers
-
If I remember correctly, that type of wood is pretty soft. You could draw out your little guys, place them on top of the wood and then trace over them onto the wood again, pushing down hard enough to leave a bit of a dent into the wood. Then all you would have to do is paint in between the lines. For painting those little ones you'll probably just want any type of smaller brush. I would also suggest using a toothpick for getting into tiny corners, adding eyes, etc. Just dip the toothpick in the paint and dot away! Good luck and great job - those little critters are adorable!
Jennifer | CrazyDiyMom
on Oct 15, 2016
- See 1 previous
-
Acrylic paint is best for what you are doing, you can transfer your patterns with graphite or saral paper (or even a regular piece of carbon paper. The paint will usually cover the lines, any lines outside the paint can be erased. you can usually find a set of 4 or 5 brushes of different sizes pretty inexpensively at walmart or a craft store, that would probably work fine for what you are doing. I don't think you need to sand that kind of wood, however after painting, it might rise the grain and a light sanding smooths it out (a piece of brown paper sack works well for this) You might want to finish your piece with a coat of varnish (they sell the kind you need by the acrylic paint) If you outline or use a pen on your work (such as a sharpie or felt tip), before varnishing it, spray with Krylon Clear Mat Spray. If you don't spray first the ink will run and smear. (I learned that the hard way!!) Good luck and have fun.
Barb Thomas
on Oct 16, 2016
- See 1 previous
-
Because the wood is soft and will probably soak up the paint, I would prime the squares first. An Acrylic spray primer would prime quite a number of squares. I love your little sketches.
Betsy
on Oct 16, 2016
-
I checked with my brother, who is a builder. He suggested you ask about a paint/primer called pickling. He thought it would still give you the wood look you want. Inquire at Home Depot about a clear primer. With soft wood, your paint is likely to "bleed" outside of your lines. Good luck. The wall will be adorable.
Betsy
on Oct 16, 2016
-
I paint on wood all the time, I like the texture better than canvas. I use acrylic and regular paint brushes. The wood may soak up the paint a little but I find the layering of color gives it more dimension and makes it easier to blend colors. I wouldn't water down the acrylic unless you are trying to blend colors though, try using it straight from the bottle if you want it to really saturate the wood.
Danielle Burt
on Oct 17, 2016
Sign Up to Answer
