Many visitors in the studio comment on on how my St Nicholas carvings look antique. The process is really simple. I stain the carvings with layer after layer of color to build up the richness of the color, but the thin layers allow the figure (grain) of the wood to show through. Then I coat it with a really thick layer of gel stain and wipe it off with clean soft rags.  The photos show the process.

These are two Russian Dez Morod figures.   The Gel Stain is applied and ready for wiping. You might have guessed this is a messy process to say the least.