Wood Chucking

This week, I have been plugging away at a fancy table and chair set for "The Heart of Robin Hood."

These pieces need to have a fine grain and look super realistic.  They also have TONS of small pieces to them including dental molding and spindles!  I took a look at the sample and said, "Here we go!"


To the right you can see a picture of me color matching to the sample research.  

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There were no tricks or ways around this one, I just had to hand grain the whole thing.  Starting with a striated wet blend for a base coat, I added a raw umber glaze and flogged it, creating depth and movement.  I grained after the raw umber glaze to preserve the punch of the grain I saw in the sample.  Then I had an all-over glaze to bring the grain together.  I love to add a touch of violet to my final glaze to give it a sweet touch.  

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Here is the finished chair.  As you can see, it had a LOT going on: the carving on the top was also mirrored below, and the spindles were especially challenging.  I had to really think about how the grain runs through a piece of wood that gets turned.  I used a real raw wood spindle for reference.  

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Here is a slideshow of the table I am working on.  It is well on its way and is going surprisingly fast.  

As you can see, the treatment is relatively simple, but the detail in the build of the table is a challenge.  

And here she is, the completed table!

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