I finished the "Cowboy" and I experimented with some color.

Excellent paint job ... brings it to life.
Well done !!

Are you using an air brush or dry brushing it or something else?

I was experimenting with some Acrylic paint...watering it down some and applying it and wiping it off with a wet sponge and adding some darker contrasts. I used a wood burner to stipple in the 5 o'clock shadow. I liked the effect and will try some new things in the future.

nice use of color on a great carving

Nice Job. Great colors. Great carving.

Steve

Very nice job , you have put in it the breath of life.

I love it
a blunt smoking dentist wearing a green cowboy hat
you don't see that every day

Great job the 5 oclock shadow is amazing

that is a beautiful job there Cassie. Thanks for sharing your carving and finish skills.

Randy

really nice!

Did you seal it before painting?? Did you experience any problems with the grain raising?? When using Basswood handcarving years back I found that to get transparent colors on wood , you can lightly torch your carving and sand-o-flex it lightly it burnishes the wood fibre ends and you can paint with thinned washes of acrylics. Your surfaces will stay smooth.Also if you want to have a more antiquey looking surface you can sand with a piece of worn out 320-400 grit black sandpaper to let the wood come up more after painting. Then if you add a little oil pigment to your varnish( Burnt umber, works well) and lay on a glaze it will pull all your colors together and look like a patina of age. Just some thoughts. Nice carving!! Doc

That is a great piece, love the paint on it.

Oh my gosh Cassie!

I didn't think you could have improved the cowboy. You nailed it with the color. Great job!
Karen

Hi Cassie,
I think you improved on an already great carving with the color. I hope you have a "cuppa: ready because he now has the look of an English bloke I know that really likes one.

Bob

THAT IS AN AWESOME CARVING AND COLORING. DO YOU HAVE A BEFORE PHOTO. WOULD LIKE TO SEE

Before the paint and I had to finish his hair and hat.

That is so awesome. I want to be you when I grow up. Awesome!

Yep that is a fine piece of work cassie!

He cracked during the time between finishing the hair and applying your paint . Was there anyway you could have prevented that ? How do you store and or treat your wood faces between carving sessions ? Is your wood seasoned before it is carved ? Would kiln drying help ?

Nice guy !

That wasn't a crack in the before picture, it was a one of the kerfs cut in the back and I poked through. We patched it back up and I re-carved it. You are absolutely right, I should be using dried wood, but I have been carving semi-green wood. Sometimes I will coat it with Sikens wood stabilizer after each day of working on them, that seems to help a lot. With the cowboy I think some small cracks will just add character, if I were doing an angel or a woman, I would make sure I had some dried wood or glue some pieces together.
I had so much fun carving him and I just got a new commission for 'Billy the Kid', so I look forward to that next project. I seem hopelessly stuck on carving faces, but it just gets more fun everyday!