Wood Grain - Scenic Painting

The first project for my scenic painting course was to paint a wood grain.

I started by building my flat, stretching the canvas, painting them with glue to give the canvas more bounce, and painting the canvas white. (In the photo below is my class' original paint elevation, which we ended up changing.)

Next, I used a chip brush and a watered-down version of the lightest color in my wood to start laying the grain, painting color on the entire canvas. I used a light orangey tone for the base.

Next, using a watered-down mid brown, I made streaks down the length of the canvas, varying the pressure and amount of paint to add distinction to the grains.

Next, I added a wash of a few different browns to add depth to the color, making sure to keep my highlight from the base visible.

Using a lining stick and a small fitch, I painted in the boards with Van Dyke brown paint. I added highlight in white and created knots and grooves in my wood. I finished by glazing the boards (everywhere but the spaces between them) with a mix of clear acrylic gloss and water.

Tah dah! A finished wood-grain!