Some wooden pieces from craft stores come pre-sanded. If the surface area is completely smooth, skip this step.
It would be a good idea to do this, even if you didn’t sand your piece; items bought from stores are sometimes dusty, which can prevent the primer and paint from sticking.
Prime the front and sides first, let them dry, then prime the back.
You can use small dishes, plastic lids, and paper plates as palettes.
Look for brushes made from taklon, katakana, or sable. Avoid camel hair brushes or stiff, bristle brushes. Don’t overload the brush with paint. The paint should come no more than halfway up the bristles. [9] X Research source
Take this time to clean your brush(s) with water. Do not let the paint dry on the brushes.
Dip the brush in water often to keep the paint wet, even if you are using one color. [11] X Research source If you are working with multiple colors, keep a cup of water nearby. Rinse the brush with water before switching to a new color.
If you are using the brush-on kind, apply it using a wide, foam brush. [13] X Research source If you are using a spray-on varnish, be sure to work in a well-ventilated area.
You can make stencils using contact paper or self-adhesive vinyl. You can use this method over bare, unsealed wood.
If you don’t know how to draw, print the design out on tracing paper first, then place the tracing paper on top of the graphite paper. If you are working over a dark-colored surface, make some chalk graphite paper instead: cover the back of a piece of paper with chalk, place it chalk-side-down onto the wood, then trace your design.
The cloth should be wet, but not dripping. Alternatively, you can paint over the entire piece using watered down acrylics or watercolor paints.
Keep the designs on the edges of the wooden piece so that you can use the surface as a chalkboard. You do not need to prime a DIY chalkboard, but sanding it would not be a bad idea.
