I am making a wood barrel cake for a groom's cake (06/13), completely inspired by cakes on CC! My question is: I have never attempted painting fondant and was wanting a few pointers!
what do you use for brown?
how do you get that 'wood' look?
do you paint the slats before or after they dry?
how long does it take the paint to dry, approx?
thanks so much!
Check my photos, I made a wood look on the base of my dress cake. It would probably be too dark for a barrel though.
In my experience, I prefer starting with brown fondant.
You can thin down food gel coloring with vodka, lemon extract or clear vanilla extract (this is your paint)
I've painted mines while it is still wet due to a rush but I'm sure it is best when it is dry.
The paint would dry depending on how much gel you used. I think a day would be enough.
Having different shades of brown will give the effect you are trying to achieve.
To get different shades of brown, add some black or thin it with more vodka/extracts
About how much vodka/extract to gel coloring??? I am making something similar and didn't even think of doing that. Is it supposed to be real liquidy or thicker like paint?
Thanks so much
(sorry for asking a question on top of yours Babea) 
In the original Confetti Cakes book, there are excellent insructions for making wood look perfect. She uses the technique in her wine-in-a-crate cake, if you don't have the book I can look mine up and type it out in nutshell format 
)
*Take half of your white fondant and dye it light brown.
*roll the fondant into 2 long skinny ropes, one from the light brown fondant and one from the white.
*Using the white fondant as your base color, twist the fondants together, so the brown becomes marbled into the white. Don't overtwist..this will look like irregular markings found on wood.
*Roll out the marbled fondant and place it either on your cake or on a board.
*Mix 2 tbsp. vodka and one drop brown food coloring. Paint a thin coate over the entire surface.
*Add more coloring to the mix to make a darker brown. Paint small irregular markings as you would see on real wood.
*To make the wood look rustic, take a small paring knife and make rough markings all over the surface of the fondant before you paint.
*Take half of your white fondant and dye it light brown.
*roll the fondant into 2 long skinny ropes, one from the light brown fondant and one from the white.
*Using the white fondant as your base color, twist the fondants together, so the brown becomes marbled into the white. Don't overtwist..this will look like irregular markings found on wood.
*Roll out the marbled fondant and place it either on your cake or on a board.
*Mix 2 tbsp. vodka and one drop brown food coloring. Paint a thin coate over the entire surface.
*Add more coloring to the mix to make a darker brown. Paint small irregular markings as you would see on real wood.
*To make the wood look rustic, take a small paring knife and make rough markings all over the surface of the fondant before you paint.
Thank you so much. I appreciate this, too! 
I bought an awesome little wood grain roller....works beautifully! Looks like it's out of stock right now though...shoot!
http://www.globalsugarart.com/product.php?id=19999
Jodie
i've made wooden planks a couple of times, it's pretty easy...brown fondant, scratched it up with tootpick to give it a grain, painted over it with brown food coloring mixed with clear alcohol, just little by little until you get the right color and/or consistency. i cut notches into the paint brush so it wouldn't put a big stripe of color but more like lots of little stripes...
there are pics in my photos, the wood was used for wooden signs and for the sides of a bath barrell thing.
Leslie, thank you so much, that really helped!
Babea, Thank you so much for the post!
I love the Confetti Cakes cookbook. The wood grain method she uses has several pictures that make it so easy to follow.
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