The WOOD BEE CARVER applies a soft painted finish on his carvings using a combination of artist oil paint and boiled linseed oil.  This painting method is adapted from a method developed by John Heatwole, a woodcarver from Virginia who wrote an article entitled “Painted Carvings” in the March/April 1987 issue of Fine Woodworking.

Boiled Linseed Oil contains a chemical dryer that allows the mixture with artist oil paints when applied to a wood carving to dry within a few days.  The genius of this method is to apply a base coat over the entire carving if it is a small carving or if it is a large carving, apply the base coat over sections that are to be painted in sequence. The base coat is a combination of RAW SIENNA and BOILED LINSEED OIL mixed thoroughly together until it looks like honey in color and consistency.  The amount of each is a trial and error experiment, for example, combine two table spoons of Boiled Linseed Oil and a 3/4 inch strip of Raw Sienna squeezed out of the tube of artist oil paint.  Mix with a palette knife by squashing the paint into the boiled linseed oil until all the lumps are squashed away.  Then take a small stiff bristled artist paint brush to mix the mixture together into a finer consistency. If too thin, add a little more Raw Sienna oil paint from the tube or if not thin enough, add a few drops of Boiled Linseed Oil and mix thoroughly.  This suggested amount will cover a carving three inches wide and twelve inches tall or it will cover six smaller carvings which once again is simply  trial and error. Read the rest of this entry »