Thanks to painting on wood, revive old possessions : make them useful and decorative too !

When restoring an old wooden object, it can often be useful to clean or strip it.
If dealing with a newer object in untreated wood (light-colored, unpleasing to the eye), after cleaning, sandpapering, and dusting off, ready your color reserve. It's your choice whether you prefer a bright color to fully cover the object or a very diluted white that lets the grain of the wood show.
Using stencils
This is the easiest, quickest method, therefore ideal for beginners at painting on wood.
You can now easily find laminated, rigid stencils that are very pratical to use. Some are even lightly self-adhesive, otherwise you have to fix the stencil with a temporary stencil spray adhesive to keep it in position (a vital ingredient for success !)
If dealing with a one-off wooden item, try out your colors and drawing on a piece of paper first to judge the eventual effect : therein lies the real pleasure of stencils - matching colors.

The surround of this writing case has been painted with leaves of different colors and shapes using a stencil (cleaned after each leaf). Note the tree's planting pot motif has been repeated along the side in the form of a fence.

Stencil painting on wood technique
For a "stippled" effect, use a short handled stencil brush - more practical and generally gives a better result. Alternatively, use a flat end brush. Pat with a brush from which any excess paint has been removed with a cloth. So the paint doesn't run, the brush should be barely damp (otherwise the moisture draws the paint through the wood).
For a more 'blended' effect, apply paint to the stenciled areas using circular movements of the brush. Let dry before placing (if the motif needs it) the second stencil : certain designs are produced by the use of several stencils.

Painting on wood from a drawing

Drawing
Painting
Use

We play on contrasts here, with a goose made from the same design as the painting, but in salt dough, attached by a red ribbon like the one painted on this chopping board.

[stencils] [wood cut-out] [painting on cloth]