My kids have got into making wooden toys, ostheimer style, and we need ideas for paints we can use to paint the wood.

Right now we are using pine but hoping to branch out into oak, or other woods if we can find them.

Using Stockmar watercolours atm but they are bleeding quite badly, and are useless for the kind of detail work they want to do.

Any ideas? The paint needs to be waterproof and play-proof as some of these will end up as gifts.

I’m planning to seal with either Auros varnish or beeswax/almond oil.

natural watercolours are generally the best as they are non toxic.
You can use poster or tempura paints too.

Stockmar should be ok?  are you over thinning the watercolours? 
Once dry you paint on or dip the toys in the beeswax/almond oil, shake a little to get excess off and then leave to dry, after that you should be able to paint on them layers to protect the wood and paint, and then buff with a cloth.

thanks joxy

the problem is with the detail work, if that makes sense. Eyes and so forth. It seems really hard to get the definition.

I am going to try an unspecified hardwood and see if that helps. Really need to find a supply of non-pine wood!