So, I’m making this layered wood project for my husband for Valentine’s day, and I am stuck on the coloring.
I kind of like the way it looks, but I can see how shading with paints or stain can bring some more dimension to the project.
I was hoping to get some opinions on how you would go about finishing it.
I am not creative with paint, but no matter what you decide I am sure he will love the work you put in to this.
That’s the thing about creativity and art… they’re completely subjective. If you like the way it looks, you’ve answered your own question. You can always run off another (maybe smaller or less resolution to save yourself some time) and try something different to see if you like it any better.
Maybe just paint or stain the people. It took me a while to see them. When I did I got it.
I love it as is! I’m especially impressed that it’s your first project of this type, you should be proud of the product and I am sure your hubby will love it too. Thank you for reminding me that I also need to finish up my own Valentine’s Day projects haha.
If you’re looking for a pop of color, two possibilities came to mind. An epoxy fill could look quite nice. A thin stroke around the people to support a separate color fill would help them stand out. Then again, might not be the best option on a 1-day deadline. 
The other possibility I thought of is to cut it again with a different material, and use the material you removed as an inlay. If the material is dissimilar and you want a flush fit, be mindful of the kerf. This tutorial/tool should make it a breeze.
Yeah - I’d say ditto on the people…do an inlay with another wood? It’s gorgeous, but they are super hard to pick out in the photo (it might be completely different IRL)
Love the detail!
Thanks for the advice everyone! Good suggestions, and gave me some good ideas for future improvement. I ended up going with a mixture of stain and paint.
Seeing this a bit late Iam unfamiliar with the story involved. What I guess was many hands reaching out are much less emphasized the way that you did it. The one thing I thought might make it pop was translucent acrylic in the back, particularly lit up as you did.
I love what the stain did to the wood! Gorgeous
Nice call on the finish!
