LIME SULPHUR - from Peter Adams talks at Ideas Summit 2009

[MelaQuin]

LIME SULPHER
From Peter Adams talks at the Ideas Summit in July 2009

Deadwood should not be white. It is not white in nature and it should not be white on bonsai. Black acrylic paint, coffee grounds, basic black water colours can all be used to dull the whiteness after applying lime sulphur. The top areas of carving would be scoured by wind and weather and they can be smoother and whiter but the recesses and crevices should be rougher and darker. Carving is about light and shadow and you need to darken the indentations to create a realistic piece of deadwood regardless of how large or small it is. You need to take care as putting on too much can cancel the effectiveness.

Lime sulpher in aesthetic terms is as safe as giving a grenade with a loose pin to a three year old. Its preservative qualities are not being disputed… the matter under discussion is the whiteness that results when it is used. Dead wood is not white… it is many shades of grey. So you lime sulphur for preservation and then apply a softening colour.

When you are carving it is important to have ripped channels and holes. Lime sulphur with an almost dry brush to highlight raised areas and use ‘cheap and cheerful’ kids black water colour to darken the recesses. You can also wash newly carved areas with black water colour to give instant age to the carving. You need to control the intensity of colour you are applying. Leave the water colour a few minutes to dry. It will be going on as black but it is important to get grey into the carved recesses - lighter on raised surfaces, darker in the recesses. Light and shadow adds age and interest and authenticity. Use your fingers to brush off excess. The impact this makes on round wood is great. Don’t let it get out of hand. If you use colouration uniformly you lose impact. Do it in the hollows.

[aaron_tas]

great tips lee, thanks heeeps for sharing this info