The painted wash llok or the full on paint look.

[Kenny_S]

I am from the old school which love the washed painted look, meaning, watered down painted look. But in carving and selling Christmas ornaments, people like the full painted look. Find it hard to paint an ornament with the plastic look. But I give what the customers want.

What do you like???

[sappy]

Re: The painted wash llok or the full on paint look.

For me it depends on the purpose of the piece. The carousel animals I am doing just seem to need bright colors and glitz. But if I were doing something like a figure of an animal I am sure I would prefer washed down or no color added. For Christmas ornaments, seems to me it could be done either way, but the bright ones probably stand out more on a tree. I also notice the older I get the more I like bright colors, just makes me feel better some how. Sorry if that is a wish-washy answer.

[Arthur C.]

Re: The painted wash llok or the full on paint look.

Kenny, I agree, the wash looks best on wood. I find the painted look garish.

[Soggy]

Re: The painted wash llok or the full on paint look.

I prefer the wash look myself, but as Kenny says most folks attending craft shows seem to prefer solid colours. For some reason I think a carving looks better if you can see a hint of the woods grain showing through.
Just my .02 cents worth
Wayne

[rickm]

Re: The painted wash llok or the full on paint look.

wash look with one exception I did a stylized blue bird and painted him 3 coats of blue and then 3 coats of shellac so he is quite shiny but for most of my carvings I like the antique look.

[Kadiddle]

Re: The painted wash llok or the full on paint look.

I very seldom paint, and if I have to, it is usually a wash and sparingly. But as sales go, you have to go with what is selling this year. Usually can change from year to year. But who could have known it may not change next year. Customer should get what they want if it is an ordered carving. For shows, a little of each. Take it or leave it.
Carve On,
Kadiddle

[SlowMover]

Re: The painted wash llok or the full on paint look.

I like both, depends on the carving and the purpose of the figure. For example, I carved a couple of guys in yellow rain slickers...now I used full strength yellow (as bright as I could make it) and a high gloss varnish on the slickers...and they look good. The rest of the figures are a wash, and that part looks good too. For Christmas ornaments, some (in my opinion) need glossy full strength paint...candy canes, holly berries, ribbons and bows on presents, and I know there must be others as well. I think it is a mistake to ABSOLUTELY lock yourself into one camp or the other. Mix and match, use some variety, go with what works for you. Also ,Not to offend, but I frankly don't give a hoot what others think about my artistic choices...I created the piece, and I am the one who decides how it is treated. Any time I hear someone say there is just one way to do something in art, I write them off as either uninformed, or worse. Not that this applies to you Kenny, but we all know some folks (even some here) that are pretty dogmatic in their opinions. I say whatever pond floats your boat is the one you want to be on.

[Arthur C.]

Re: The painted wash llok or the full on paint look.

I prefer the wash look myself, but as Kenny says most folks attending craft shows seem to prefer solid colours. SNIP
Wayne

You're right about giving the buying public what it wants. Years ago, my wife and I had booths at crafts fairs to sell the pottery we made. There were usually several potters selling, and they all had the muted glazes that most potters (including me) prefer.

We took a different tack. We had to do something to distinguish ourselves from the pack. We did two things: First, we made a lot of simple wall hangings that could be created quickly and that we could sell cheaply. Result: We always sold almost every one we made at a nice profit, and got the reputation of reasonable pricing. There are a lot more folks out there who can spend a few dollars than there are who can spring for more expensive items. The second thing we did was glaze our pots in bright, cheerful colors that could be displayed as accent pieces.

We always outsold the other potters and got nice comments from customers and lookers about the difference.

If you're selling non-essentials, you better give the public what it wants regardless of your personal preferences.

And I agree with Slow, if you create it you have the right to please yourself and no one else.

And Slow, if you think some folks here are dogmatic, you ought to visit an antique clock repair site I belong to...some are fanatical about their way being the only way and the rest of us are ignorant clods...it really gets old after a while, but on the other hand, while they're looking down their noses at you, you have a great view of their nostrils!

[Mark Dellinger]

Re: The painted wash llok or the full on paint look.

I prefer the washed look myself, but my wife likes the more vibrant colors. I am working on some projects now that I reduced the amount of water used to thin my washes. I am guessing that usually the ratio would be about a seventy five percent or more of water to paint. These I am doing about a fifty percent water to paint ratio. I have to admit that I like the look that it gives to this project.

Safe Carving and God Bless,

Mark

[Scott Hagerty]

Re: The painted wash llok or the full on paint look.

I prefer the washed look myself. Like Mark, I'm using a little more paint and less thinner to get bolder colors. I've also discovered the quality of your paint does matter. I'm switching all my paint away from the cheap stuff and seeing a difference.

[Kenny_S]

Re: The painted wash llok or the full on paint look.

Scott, What brand of paint are you going to?

[Scott Hagerty]

Re: The painted wash llok or the full on paint look.

DeltaCeramcote is what I'm leaning toward. The colors seem to come out more bold than the stuff Wally World sells. Unfortunately, Hobby Lobby only carries a basic selection of colors.