Painting & Finishing Your Woodcarvings - A Complete Beginners Guide 

Have you tried a carving clamp? That might help you use one hand

No, but I will look into that. Thank you for the tip. I definitely appreciate it.👍

You can use a carving platform that you clamp down. Square wood three sides are edged and material glued in that helps to hold wood in place. Try relief carving. Find picture make paper copy rub pencil on back. Lay on flat carving wood and trace the outline. Lift off go over lines and start carving. Leave high points for last

You might also try carving soap or sweet potatoes or apples to help retrain your muscles. I like to use soap to test out an idea before carving in wood because the softer soap is quicker to prototype.

There's also power carving options if the clamp doesn't work out. Never personally used any but they seem like a good fit for someone w physical disabilities.

Thanks!! Appreciate it

Try acrylic inkt. Dries very fast and you can water it down extreemly much. Dont need oils and stuf

You wouldn’t use acrylic paint over oil based paint when it comes to painting, the gloss will create a bad bond. But the oil paint doesn’t penetrate wood like just oil does. Oils like BLO or tung oil will penetrate and harden. This can prepare the wood for just about any paint mix.

@@wattsnex2725 So the oil has to dry before putting acrylics over it?

@@billyaxley1762basically yes. The oil soaks into the wood any excess should be wiped off. You can paint then. If you paint shortly after oiling, the oil can help with paint bleeding. If you wait a few days, the oil will harden more, which can be good because it prevents thinned paint from getting sucked in and blotchy. I prefer painting shortly after oiling. I know plenty of people that skip the oil and apply poly to seal, and just paint over the poly. You can really layer well with that technique as it is easy wipe off paint. Creates great shadows.

Did you use Howards on a finished painted Santa? Doug used in on a raw wood carving. I'm not sure if it can also be used after painting.

@@carverbp i use it after painting ...i have retouched paint work after useing it and had no problem.s..

I replaced an eye dropper in a bottle with a paintbrush and filled the bottle with BLO. The brush stays in the BLO so there are no fire concerns with drying rags or brushes. Hot glue sealed any gaps to prevent spills, has held up well for years.

I think he did a video a long time ago comparing BLO, Howard’s, mineral oil and other sealers. All will work, it’s more about how it takes paint after and if it colors the wood. I’d say try it out!

Why not just watch the video?