Start
painting on the back of the carving or in some other less noticeable
area instead of a critical place such as the face or front. Beginning
to paint in an inconspicuous place enables you to get used to the feel
of the brush and paint on wood before starting to paint an area of the
carving as crucial and visible as the face. Taking these approaches
will help you become more comfortable with painting before moving on
to a smaller, more difficult or more noticeable area.
Create
a strategy before you begin. Acrylics are very quick to dry, so I tend
to start with a color that can dry while I'm painting the next part.
For the troll, I begin painting the trousers and then the hair. After
I paint the hair, the trousers are dry so I can paint the shirt. By
painting in this order, I won't be applying fresh, wet paint right next
to a still-wet area. That's the essence of my guiding principle for
painting: avoid painting next to a still-wet color. If you would rather
not wait for paint to air dry, use a hair drying to speed up the process.
Check
that you have a clean cut between different areas of color. I usually
keep a knife right at hand to correct cuts between colors.
By painting
with thin washes, you can minimize anxiety and problems.
