Simple Wood Grain Effects

Introduction
There are numerous ways to replicate a wood grain in plastic. The most common (mostly used on model car dashboards and the like) are waterslide decals, which are available from numerous companies, and may be somewhat costly. The other is dry brushing, which involves painting the piece a dark color, the highlighting the wood grain areas with a mostly dry paintbrush. My method, on the other hand, is a simple three step process utilizing the versatility of oil paints that can be used on almost any surface with excellent results every time.


Skill Level: Intermediate
Time Required: 2-3 Hours
Specialized Tools: N/A
Cost: $3-$4 

Materials Needed
The materials needed for this technique are as simple as a bottle of craft paint (Apple barrel is $.50 a bottle, I use Nutmeg Brown), a tube of oil paint (I prefer Grumbacher or Windor & Newton. Always use the best quality you can afford when it comes to oils) in burnt umber, a good quality 1/4" paintbrush, and a bottle of Future floor polish or some other type of clear gloss top coat.



The Technique

Step One:
The first step in this process is to lay down a good base coat as the foundation for the oil work to come. I use cheap craft store acrylics, though any brown will work. The color used here is Apple Barrel "Nutmeg Brown" and cost me $0.50 at Wal-Mart. Let this coat dry for at least a day or two before moving on to the oils.

Step Two
Now it's time to make plastic look like wood. It really is as simple as squeezing a dollop of Burnt Umber oil paint onto a palate, then applying it with a brush heavily soaked in thinner. The goal here is to apply the paint almost translucent, so streaks of the lighter base coat show through. To get the proper wood grain effect, experiment a little with dragging the brush over the piece in various waves and streaks. You can even use sponges, paper towels, or toothbrushes, drug across the piece with a feather light touch. Keep in mind, there is no "wrong" way to do this. Wood grain is never perfect, nor is it uniform from piece to piece. Just keep working at it until it looks right to you. That's the beauty of oils. The long curing time will give you plenty of time to blend the grain as you see fit.

Step Three
This step really depends on the look you're going for. If you want the appearance of polished wood, coat the piece with two coats of Future floor polish or the clear gloss of your choice. For damaged or unfinished wood, lay down a coat of clear flat.