Re: MtMan-List: Re: Painting Canoes

[<Casapy123@aol.com>]

The Jan\Feb 1993 issue of Muzzle Loader magazine has an article by Robert
Mulligan called "Paint Your Canoe to resemble Birchbark." He starts with a
primer coat of "grayish-green tinted brown" inside and a "rose-colored tan" on
the outside.  The white of the birchbark was placed to the inside so the outer
layer was not white as you might expect.  The outer layer was the smooth,
pinkish,light-brown cambium layer of bark.  

Inside, he next uses light pinkish-brown paint on a brush wiped nearly dry,
pulled straight back parrallel to the keel.  This represents three inch wide,
2 foot long strips of cedar or ash which was used to give a strong, yet light
backing to the bark skin of the canoe.  This "planking" follows the inside
curve of the canoe.

Seats, thwarts, gunwales, etc are done in a deep yellow representing the bare
wood of cedar or ash framing used by Indians.  

Outside, seams are painted first with a one to two inch wide brush.  Start
with the broad keel seam at both ends.  The mid-ships was usually one big
piece of bark with no seam along the keel.  Next, paint the large center peice
of bark which forms the mid-ships.  Then, the pieced-together look of raised
ends with reinforcing pieces over the mid-ships gunwales.

Mulligan gives "The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America" by Edwin T.
Adney & Howard I. Chappelle, and "The Canoe" by Kenneth G. Roberts & Phillip
Shackleton as his references.  another source for color pictures of paintings
is "The Illustrated Voyageur" by Howard Siverston.

I know I have chopped the article into tiny pieces.  If you don't have access
to the back issue, drop me an e-mail off-line or give me a call, and give me
your address.  I'll mail you a copy.

Jim Hardee  AMM#1676
P.O. Box 1228
Quincy, CA  95971
(530)283-4566 (H)
(530)283-3330 (W)
(530)283-5171 FAX
Casapy123@aol.com