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Painting On Wood: Tips and Tricks
Are you considering new options for painting surfaces and have an interest in painting on wood? If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will cover the fundamental information needed to start using acrylic paints on wood.
A great place to start is:
What Types of Wood?
There are many different woods to consider, so below will be some basic guidelines for picking out wood from various sources and constraints to keep in mind when making your selection.
Wood Panels
If you don’t want to spend a lot of time sourcing quality wood, the easiest thing to do is get some wood panels. These come gessoed and un-gessoed depending on your preference as well as in a variety of thicknesses. These can also come precut in a variety of shapes outside of the simple square or rectangle. Everything from clean triangles to circles with beveled edges are available at your local craft store. If unavailable in your area, online options are available as well.
Hardware Woods
Your standard hardware store or local lumberyard might have what you’re looking for as well. There are a few parameters to keep in mind however as lumber for building will have different standards than ones for painting. Keep in mind you want to pick woods that are resistant to moisture and don’t warp over time. If you can get wood that has been kiln treated, do so. The lower the moisture content the better as well, with an ideal moisture content being around 9-11%.
Hard wood tends to be smooth and ideal for painting on but can be more expensive and heavier. While softwoods are easier to work with in terms of carving, sanding, and price, they can warp more easily. Birch is a good option as it’s popular, easily accessible, and easy to sand.
Palettes? – No, the other kind: Pallets
Used pallets are an option if you are able to find them locally and have the tools to get them apart. There are some things to keep in mind when gathering pallets that are necessary for safety and your project’s lifespan.
Get dry pallets that have the symbol “HT” somewhere on them as this means they are heat treated to prevent pests and bugs from living inside the wood. “KD,” which means kiln dried to reduce moisture, will also work. This means that you will have greater success for the longevity of your wood projects.
Warning ! Using any pallets with the marking of “MB” is not advised to use. As this means that the wood was treated with a strong pesticide, Methyl Bromide. When sanding this can cause a long list of health issues and side effects, which makes these pallets unsafe for DIY projects. If there are no markings at all, use caution when working with recycled pallet wood. Use gloves, protective eyewear, and a respirator if you are at all unsure.
Preparing Surfaces
There are a few basic steps you’ll need to follow in order to ensure that your wood is prepped to receive paint and make sure that the colors you pick will stay vibrant while also filling every nook and cranny.
Carving
There is a long history of carving in relief and adding paint to the surface. From religious iconography to making wooden figures, carving can be an interesting way to add dimension and interest to your work. Ideally, you would stick to soft woods that can be more easily carved and sanded.
Something to keep in mind when carving is knowing that the more detailed the carving is, the thinner your application of paint needs to be. Be sure to follow the instructions for your paint for correct dilution. Using a product like Novaplex can help get your medium to heavy body acrylics to a fluid state that will be ideal for the details.
Sanding
Sanding is ideal if you want a smooth surface to work on. Depending on how rough the surface is to start with, you will need to begin with a rougher, or lower grit, sandpaper and work your way up to a higher grit. If there are a lot of imperfections and bumps in the wood, starting with a 40-60 grit would be a good place to begin then work your way up to 250-300 to finish it off. You can use either an orbital sander, which will be more expensive, for flat surfaces or a sanding block, which is the more economical choice.
If you have carved elements, I recommend getting a soft sanding block so that you can get into small grooves with precision. If the project is small enough, you can even get nail buffs in different grits at your local beauty supply store as well.
Sometimes you may want to leave a bit of texture for aesthetic reasons, such as going for a distressed or weathered look. In that case, stay in the lower grit territory or skip sanding altogether.
No matter which looks you are going for, always keep in mind the way sanding can help pull together the textural nature of your work.
Gesso
Gesso is a key step for your wood projects as it will provide the ideal surface for your acrylics to cling to. White gesso is ideal for when you want your colors to pop and be vibrant. Black Gesso is great if you have lots of small details, so when you add paint on top it will look more like a natural highlight. Clear gesso is ideal if you want more of the wood to show beneath your colors, or if you want parts of the wood to be shown. Gesso can be thinned with some water and applied in more coats if you have intricate details in your wood or carved elements.
Once your gesso is applied and dried, take a look again at the texture and decide if you need another pass at sanding. Stick to a higher grit (250 should be fine) as it does not take much to knock gesso back. Likely, given the thickness of gesso, there might be brush strokes left in the gesso you might prefer to sand away. Apply 1-3 coats depending on your preference and the instructions for your gesso.
Finding Sap or Moisture
This is less of a concern for pre-made wood panels and more for upcycled wood you are trying to use. If you happen to find sap or moisture, it may be time to re-evaluate your materials.
Sap can be resolved with certain oil soaps and shellacs. If not applied or cleaned properly, it can result in the sap bubbling beneath your paint creating an uneven texture. Be sure to read the instructions on all materials used to get rid of or create a barrier between the sap and your paint and make sure that those products are compatible with acrylics.
As for moisture, (as in oops! I left the pallet outside during April!) The best thing to do is find a place to let the wood dry for ideally 4-6 weeks. If the wood does not warp, then that is a good sign to go ahead and use it. Although it is important to keep in mind that wood is a porous material, there is always a risk of warping, especially over an extended period.
AN OVERVIEW OF ART ON WOOD PANELS
Many iconic artists of the Renaissance movements such as Botticelli and Raphael frequently created on wood panels, though the origination of the practice tracks further back to the 2nd or 3rd century.
When people think of wood art, sculptures may come to mind, however wood grain surfaces can serve as an interesting substrate for paintings as well. Much of what is utilized by artists for today’s wood panels is engineered in order to create a stable foundation for applying a pigmented medium. There are different products with a variety of weights and densities which are utilized by modern-day artists who paint on wood. Though artists aren’t limited in the types of paint they utilize, oil paint and acrylic paints are common choices for creating wood panel art.
The process for creating art on wood is similar to metal in many ways, in that artists take steps for proper preparation of the wood and protection of the completed art. This may include lightly sanding and priming the wood canvas for a smooth surface, as well as sealing the artwork.
As it relates to art on wood, the possibilities are endless. This can be as straightforward as a more traditional painting on wooden panels or as unique as skateboard decks transformed into colorful cultural masterpieces.
If caring for your art on wood has you “stumped,” we’re reviewing some common questions, as well as what we’ve discovered about art on wood surfaces and how to preserve and mitigate issues associated with these special pieces.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
While promptly displaying your newly acquired wood panel art is ideal, sometimes for various reasons it isn’t possible. In this case, protecting paintings on wood requires proper storage. We often recommend storing fine art flat but the opposite is true with wood panel art. Instead, store your art on wood in a vertical position to protect the wood from warping. This can be accomplished by leaning your art against a wall to ensure the artwork remains upright and stable. As a best practice, when leaning your artwork on the floor and against a wall, ensure your wood panel art makes contact with the wall at the top points and the floor on the bottom on an even plane.
Temperatures and humidity are a consideration when it comes to storage as well, so be deliberate when you identify and choose a place to stash your wood art. Protect the painting surface by layering your works with acid-free paper.
How should you display your wood art?
As with many mediums we’ve discussed, the main consideration for displaying your wood art is exposure to the elements, such as fluctuating temperatures and high humidity.
Whether it’s oil paintings or wood art crafted with an acrylic paint application, hang your wooden panel paintings in rooms where the temperature is maintained at reasonable levels and for which there aren’t dramatic relative humidity fluctuations. When picking the perfect spot to hang your artwork, avoid walls that receive direct sunlight.
When it comes to artificial light, avoid ultraviolet-producing sources in the rooms where you display your art. UV-producing sources include halogen, fluorescent, and incandescent bulbs. Instead, opt for LED bulbs for spaces in which you showcase your original art.
If your wood panel art is particularly heavy, hang it with care, utilizing reinforcing mechanisms with a balanced weight distribution.
