Have You Tried Painting on Wood?

You’ll most often come across paintings on canvas. When people talk about painting, you’ll often hear the term “oil painting” (oil on canvas), but that doesn’t mean canvas is the only possible surface for oil paints and acrylic paints. In fact, it’s the most popular surface because it’s durable and resistant, and easy to transport and display. However, some painters need a different surface for their working methods. Some find the flat, simple shape too limiting for their ideas, while others simply want to create works that stand out because they’re made on unusual materials.

No matter what surface it’s on, a painting is meant to last. To help ensure its longevity, it’s important to follow all the rules for painting itself. Even more important, though, is following the rules for preparing the surface and choosing one that’s suitable for painting. An improperly prepared surface can cause minor problems, such as paint becoming dull because the surface is too absorbent. You’ll notice this while you’re working. But it can also cause paint layers to crack and peel, a serious problem that won’t be easy to fix. This probably won’t happen while you’re painting. You’ll be able to finish the painting, and the problem may appear several months or even years later.

Painting on Wood

We know there are some of you who would like to experiment, move beyond the usual and paint on wooden box lids, polystyrene or stone, but aren’t sure whether that’s okay or what preparation each material needs, because you’ve written to us about it. We’ll try to answer your questions and remind you of a few important steps for choosing and preparing a painting surface. After canvas, wood is the most popular support for paintings, so it deserves the most attention. Today, it’s our topic.

A wooden surface can come in different forms, from a solid wood board to alternatives such as hardboard, MDF and particleboard, which are easier to find and more affordable. Your painting can also be made on a wooden panel that stands on its own, or as part of a piece of furniture. Box lids, clocks and chairs are often painted. First, choose your wood carefully. If you want to paint on a traditional board, it must be dry. Ideally, it should be made from several pieces using a special technique so it won’t warp over time. These boards are mainly sold as icon boards.

Once you have the size you need, it’s best to glue a piece of washed cotton or linen fabric onto the wood or one of the panels using wood glue or an acrylic gel medium. Make sure no air bubbles are trapped between the wood and the fabric. Gluing on the fabric stabilizes the surface and helps prevent the paint layers from cracking as the wood moves. Once the fabric you glued on has dried, prepare it as you would a canvas stretched over a wooden frame. Apply a coat of wood glue or acrylic binder, then apply several thin coats of gesso, letting each one dry before applying the next. Sand with the finest-grit sandpaper if you want an especially smooth surface. You can paint on the prepared board with tempera paint, acrylic paints or oil paints.

Decorating Wooden Surfaces

Of course, canvas isn’t an option when you want to paint parts of wooden furniture. It isn’t necessary in these cases, since you’ll usually be painting smaller areas or applying paint only in certain spots. The key is to pay attention to the wood itself.

When you’re ready to give an old piece of furniture a makeover, start by checking the wooden surface for mold and rot, and remove them with alcohol or vinegar. Also check for cracked or peeling layers of old paint. Remove them as thoroughly as possible with a putty knife. They’ll come off sooner or later, so don’t risk having part of your painted decoration peel off with them after you’ve put time and effort into it. Then sand the surface to smooth the transitions between the old paint and the bare wood. Finally, remove all the dust with a brush or a solution of water and detergent if there’s a lot of buildup.

Once you have a clean, completely dry wooden surface, you also need to check whether the wood has been treated with anything before, whether it has layers of paint or varnish, and whether the paint is acrylic-based or oil- and solvent-based. As a rule, you can paint over acrylic paints with any other paints, but it is not recommended to apply paints or products with an acrylic or water base over oil-based paints, as they may peel. If there are no old layers, you can start painting with acrylic paints. You do not need to coat the surface with gesso if you want to preserve the color and visible texture of the wood itself, but you must protect it with varnish when you are finished. Another option is to apply primer in one or several coats, depending on the paint’s coverage and how smooth you want the surface to be. You can then apply acrylic paint in the shade you need and paint with oil paints or acrylic paints.

Read More from Our Blog

• How to Choose a Canvas
• Is Varnishing a Painting Necessary?
• Modeling Paste vs. Texture Paste: Artistic Textures
• 5 Reasons to Choose Acrylic Paints Over Oil Paints