Do it yourself Photo finish
Written by Stewart Schooley, compiled by Patrick Franzis
Ink Jet printers—Colored pencil
This is the slickest, quickest, easiest, and cheapest way to put permanent color over a reduced color ink jet print. This method is for all wood colors, particularly the light color woods.
To use them:
1- Print out an ink jet print that has been edited to high contrast and reduced color and wet it with paint thinner.
2- Start right in with the colored pencil. Tilt the pencil and rub back and forth, SCRIBBLE round and round, any which way. The paint thinner softens the pencil to the point that it goes on slick and quick. Re-wet the paper with paint thinner as you work.
3-When the paper is covered with color, don't re-wet the paper again. As the paint thinner starts to dry, press down more firmly with the pencil and get a good final coat.
4- Finish by going over it with the side of the pencil point. This will "pop the grain". Then gently smooth with your fingers.
IMPORTANT- If you want to use the color pencil to accent grain lines or to draw in new ones, do it right after the print is well covered and the paint thinner is not totally evaporated from the paper. Dampen the back of the paper with paint thinner as needed. Don't press hard with the pencil. You don't need to.
IMPORTANT- Color pencils should receive a couple light, whiff coats of lacquer before getting a heavy coat.
NOTE- COLOR COPIER PRINTS. If you are going to use your DIY print to get a color copier print, you can speed up your time considerably because oil paint doesn't have to be totally dry to put Polycrylic over it. Try this- After the pencil work is done you can put oil toners over them this way. Brush a coat of Polycrylic on it. It dries fast. Rub a thin even oil color toner on it. Give it another coat of Polycrylic Repeat this as many times as you need to get the color you want.
