- 1). Prepare the wood for painting. Start by painting a layer of gesso onto the wood using vertical strokes only. Allow the gesso to dry for 30 minutes, then sand the surface smooth. Paint a second layer of gesso using horizontal strokes, allowing it to dry, then sanding it as before. Paint a final coat diagonally across the wood, let dry, then sand.
- 2). Sketch your planned scene onto the wood surface. An old farmhouse, cabin in the woods and other country scenes are ideal rustic images for this type of painting. Don't worry about the details at this point; you're simply plotting the location of the prominent figures.
- 3). Start with the undertones of the painting. The sky, landscape and the shape of any buildings or structures should be painted first. Apply the paint directly from the tube or mix the proper shades on a palette. Along with using a wide variety of brushes, you can also use a fan brush for wider strokes or a palette knife to give your lines a rougher edge.
- 4). Create glazes to use for shading and softer lines. To make a glaze, the paint needs to be diluted with water or an acrylic medium. Using water creates a looser glaze that won't have a uniform color. Glazes made with acrylic medium are more uniform in color and easier to control.
- 5). Build up the layers of paint. Rustic barns or fences are rarely one color, so create the effect of peeling paint using the glazes or different paint colors. When adding new colors, either wait for the layer below to dry or blend the colors together. Experiment to create the effects that you want.
- 6). Leave your painting to dry once you're happy with the look of the painting. Rustic scenes often show structures in disrepair, so your painting doesn't need to be highly detailed to be considered complete.
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