Scenic Painting
Wood Graining
UH School of Theatre and Dance's The Miser- 2015
I took a special interest in scenic painting at the end of my senior year of high school, which grew into an applicable skill after I took a scenic painting class in college. This was a table that I painted with a woodgraining technique for The Miser during U of H's Spring 2015 semester. The paint was mixed by the scenic charge artist. This was the first big project that I completed by myself, and it was a great experience because I painted about 4 different layers in order to get the exact color and glossy look the designer was looking for. This taught me how to be detail oriented with every brush stroke so that there are no run-off paint drops, and how to work water into my paint to get the correct consistency with each stroke. I am still continuing my woodgraining skill on my own time by painting raw crates that I buy from the store.
What I learned from this experience:
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I will be teaching a scenic painting unit. Scenic painting is such a great skill to learn, and it is an aspect of the show that enhances the production value, but often overlooked.
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You can mix different kinds of paint. In high school, we usually used a flat paint without much thought for mixing in sealants or gloss for different effects and textures.
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Multiple layers might be needed. Layering thinner paints on top of each other can give more depth to the woodgraining.
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Use continuous strokes when wood graining. Don't stop in the middle and continue because it breaks up the woodgrain and makes it less believable.
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Woodgraining: dark paint dry brushed onto the wood and then a thinned down brown paint with sealant can be applied over it.
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Use a roller with three different colors of thinned down paints to make painting brick walls easy.
