Acrylic paints or other options

[jamieline]

I have a need to paint some areas that are small and border with other colors. I am having a hard time painting without leaving brush strokes. Currently trying to paint on Oak. I just finished a piece on Baltic Birch with some success using water colors.

Looking for some advice on what to use to help with the brush strokes?

I have tried mixing with water both mixing and then just dipping the brush in water then then paint 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Can you use a foam brush. I just bought for gluing purposes but can see how they can also be paint brushes because they are used by the ladies for makeup. They are little cotton brushes. They are going to work fine for my gluing . Maybe something to look into. These days you have to think outside the box. Acrylic paints for me if you are asking. Nothing waterbase on wood. If I can I always like to spray. One other suggestion and it will solve all your problems is get a good quality Airbrush 

Edited December 15 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[kmmcrafts]

I used to hate when people painted wood.. now I do a fair amount of painting, LOL.. My experience has been.. you get what you pay for when buying the brushes.. I have some that cost quite a lot for just a small brush but wow does it do a wonderful job laying down the paint. I cannot remember the brand name off the top of my head but they were bought at Michaels I think.. and were some of the more pricey ones they had.. 

I'm currently learning that the paint quality also makes a huge difference..

That all said, not knowing how much painting your trying to cover.. I also found that I like paint markers better for doing fine detail work. Posca brand markers have done pretty well for me.. when the ink gets used up I learned they unscrew ( left hand threads ) and you can mix up your own paints to refill them.. this is the part where I'm learning about quality paints, LOL.. Many of them work great at first but if they sit for long the paint dries up.. and also coverage is much different from cheaper paints.. I'm looking to get some better acrylic paint brands and see what works best in these markers.  

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I agree with Kevin about good quality brushes makes huge differences. You see it in construction when painting walls and houses. Quality is key. Years ago and I use them alot is buy artist brushes which I think Kevin is talking about. I too bought at Michaels. I use those only for real special work or if I need to lay down smooth paint job. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money. I love quality tools. Just makes life easier and I do not have to repair. Also in the same isle is artist paints which are good quality paints and I have bought many of those over the years too. But all acrylic. Nothing waterbase about paints for these kind of projects. Too thin and raise the grain too much. 

[kmmcrafts]

I believe the Posca markers are water based paints.. I know the cheap paints I was getting is water based. There is another brand markers I buy at sams club that are alcohol based I think.. they work well too. 

Another thing that can help reduce grain bleed etc. and helps limit soaking up a lot of paint is to put a coat of your favorite clear on first if you can. The coat of paint first also helps preserve the tips on the markers if you ever try the paint markers.. I buy both very fine, fine and also larger tipped markers.. the larger ones work well for large coverage areas..

You can also just buy empty markers on Amazon and make your own paint pens as well as replacement nibs / tips etc. Lots of videos on YouTube about refilling and the empty markers etc.. I need to research on the quality paints myself.. I want to find better paints than the stuff Walmart is selling.. and also reducing it so it flows good through the marker pumps etc.. Stuff from Walmart either won't flow well or doesn't cover well.. not really a great paint compared to what comes in the markers when new.. but I'm going to find something as good soon hopefully.   

[Jim McDonald]

Another option is Unicorn Spit. Good pigments and goes on smooth. Water cleanup.

[BadBob]

I use Taklon artist brushes purchased from online art supply stores where I can get the sizes I need. I use the cheapest acrylic paints ai can get. I don't have a problem with brush marks. Some paints dry faster than others and benefit from a flow additive that slows the drying time. I have brush-painted well over 1,000 toys.

Multiple thin coats, hand sanding lightly between each coat, will give much better results than trying to get one coat coverage.  If your sandpaper gums up with paint, you didn't wait long enough. I like using red Scotch Brite pads because I can clean and reuse them.

Allow the paint to cure (bone dry) completely between coats. This typically takes 12 to 24 hours, depending on the conditions. Temperature and humidity matter.

I find that flat paints give better results. I apply flat paints and a clear coat if I want a glossy finish.

Every color can give different results, even with the same paint brand.

Semitransparent colors can require many coats. I use a white base coat of paint or primer for the brightest colors.

[kmmcrafts]

On 12/15/2024 at 7:11 AM, BadBob said:

I use Taklon artist brushes purchased from online art supply stores where I can get the sizes I need. I use the cheapest acrylic paints ai can get. I don't have a problem with brush marks. Some paints dry faster than others and benefit from a flow additive that slows the drying time. I have brush-painted well over 1,000 toys.

Multiple thin coats, hand sanding lightly between each coat, will give much better results than trying to get one coat coverage.  If your sandpaper gums up with paint, you didn't wait long enough. I like using red Scotch Brite pads because I can clean and reuse them.

Allow the paint to cure (bone dry) completely between coats. This typically takes 12 to 24 hours, depending on the conditions. Temperature and humidity matter.

I find that flat paints give better results. I apply flat paints and a clear coat if I want a glossy finish.

Every color can give different results, even with the same paint brand.

Semitransparent colors can require many coats. I use a white base coat of paint or primer for the brightest colors.

I've had great results from the cheap paints as far as brushing them on.. and I think they'd do well with spraying too. My problem with them is using them in the markers.. I'm not sure what I could dilute them with to make it thin enough to "flow" well in the markers yet do good coverage onto the wood without "lifting the grain". I watched a video on YouTube where they diluted it with distilled water.. that's what I've been doing and it works "okay" at first but then the water must evaporate or something and before I know it the markers are clogged up. I need to measure how much water to add too as one time I do it it's perfect and the next it's too watered down and messes with the wood grain. I'm not sure what the paint is in the Posca markers but it covers really well and what I mix up is always hit or miss and only works like the day I mix it.. next time I pick it up it's not flowing well etc. 

What does one use to reduce if anyone knows? The cheap stuff I buy is water based.. the markers are also water based. I don't necessarily care if they're water base or not.. just like a good flowing paint that works well in refilling the markers so they'll work good like the original paint does that comes in the markers.. gotta be something out there, LOL.. meanwhile I'll keep experimenting with them.. I'll find something that works sooner or later.  

[BadBob]

45 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

What does one use to reduce if anyone knows?

They make a reducer/thinner specifically for acrylics. I have zero experience with these because they are expensive.

I thin with distilled water because the minerals and chemicals in my tap water can cause reactions in the paint. One that I have experienced is having the paint thinned with tap water set up hard overnight when I saved it for the next coat. I only thin when using an airbrush and not much then.

[red river]

i spray a very thin layer of shellac on project before i use acrylic paint....very thin.... zissner de waxed

it keeps the grain from raising.

 

Edited Monday at 04:51 PM by red river
addendum

[jamieline]

I have tried multiple things with mixed results. I will try some better quality brushes. The area I want to paint is very tiny. Just getting poor results with the wood choice.

Oak does not seem to work well. Baltic Birch was the best with water colors but as others mentioned it raised the grain. 

[yamatetsu]

I haven't tried this myself, but it looks like the solution to your problem. I don't know if it's allowed to post links to websites, so try googling 'How to Stencil Anything: 3 Secrets to Perfect Results Every Time'. You should get an adress that has 'lovelyetc' in it. Go to that website, scroll down a bit, there is a link to 'a step-by-step tutorial for stenciling on wood' that seems to cover everything from which materials to use to how to do it.

[kmmcrafts]

Oak is the worst.. I do a fair amount of CNC carving signs where I have to paint the carved text or image.. What I do is cover it with 3-4 coats of lacquer or whatever the final top coat will be.. ( usually Lacquer ).. I then CNC route the sign with masking on ( Oramask ) and once carved I go back and do 3-4 coats of clear again before painting.. Being very careful in trying to not get paint on any surface that isn't supposed to have paint on it, LOL. Once painting is done I use my sander and sand it all down to remove any imperfections and then I re clear everything with another coat or two. Yes it's a lot of paint and a lot of work.. this is why I don't do a whole lot of CNC carving. You need to have a good seal of the wood grain, especially with Oak.. Just a few samples of painted wood I have done. I put a lot of coats on those oak cross bases when I make those.. Other things I try to stay away from oak.. 

[rjweb]

Kevin, those are some real nice looking signs, really like the cross for a wedding gift, RJ