Acid House Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 The first step described above should be in about half the tone you want the finished stock to be. Begin creating the arched shape to the figure by holding the paint brush at a 45 degree angle to the work and starting on the smallest arch work outwards (almost scratching through the guilp) on the up stroke and painting on the way down. Try working a slight wave into the arch so the finished shape is less like a scaffold plank and more like a mahogany door. With a little practice you can create the dark and light stripes. Think of a piece of 1970s pine. This type of grain has a heavy dark edge that feathers out to nothing on the other edge. Keeping that in mind take a piece of card and work stripes into the guilp, shaping the card to the stock, pulling the guilp to one edge. Once the tiger stripes are in take your softener and at 45 degrees to the stripe very lightly waft in one direction away from the stripe. This is when you appreciate the slow drying time of your media. You can remove and start again whenever you wish and play for as long as you like. Once your happy clean off the opposite side of the stock and dry off overnight. Copy on the other side and allow that to dry as well. Please remember that in this state the graining is very soft and marks easily. You could remove the whole thing with a turpy rag so make sure your hard work is protected at all times. Once completely dry make up another guilp. This one should be darker and richer in colour than the first. Begin the prosess again, roughly going over your original shape. Take a dry brush and push a few arches in by using your brush like a paint scraper. Soften these lines out with your softener brush by again flicking away in one direction and then another. This repeated overlaying creates the depth seen in polished wood and once you practice a little will see fantastic effects appearing in the stock. Take your artists paint brush and paint in a few stronger arches, gently pat a brush from butt to lock, again pushing the brush away from you giving the effect of slightly open pores at the centre of the tree. Soften for a last time. It wont be long before you get the hang of the Butty. A few practices on a piece of plywood will give you the confidence to attack a stock. You may even want to paint out the original grain and create all your own, it could look a lot better. Use a damed good varnish to finish the stock. Scumble never dries hard and needs protection. When you do varnish it it comes to life like real timber does and some of your work will be like looking into a distant galaxy with shapes and tones disappearing off into the distance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid House Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 The picture up above is of an actual walnut panel. Below are the two steps of graining. one shows the tiger stripes pulled in with a bit of card and the other the final adding of a few features in dark scumble. You can see the (under graining)through the tiger stripes. This realy does add depth to the finish. Remember these are on a solid ground not on an already grained piece of stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted October 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 That is frighteningly good. :good: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosd Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Paint it black and tell him it's composite Only kidding...reading the thread with interest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted October 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Only reservation is the "non-setting". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid House Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 And people go to have them dipped.................... To be finished like this by an old pro could cost hundred quid up int North. Obviously the Southerners amongst us will pay over double that so the poor chap can pay his mortgage and if you turn up in the bently you wouldnt dream of paying less than a grand or it would feel cheap.................. When the last of us pop off so does the knowledge, you can all go to dip print then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid House Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Only reservation is the "non-setting". Oh it dries.......... Its what I would call a soft finish. Three coats of varnish or a couple of coats of a two pack diamond glaze and you can throw children at it. Because its natural stuff, some of the varnish actually penetrates the scumble to replace the dried oil. The most important thing to remember and I almost forgot to mention it............ Slow drying oils create heat. I did an experiment once and tied a scumble rag up unto tight knots and placed it ouitside my old workshop in a tin paper bin. In two hours it set itself on fire. Always open rags flat and dry before throwing away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted October 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2011 A few hundred years ago, you might have been burned at the stake for your knowledge of the black arts. I am impressed. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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