I don’t seal before carving.

After the board is carved, I apply two or three generous coats of thinned Bulls Eye SealCoat (1/2 denatured alcohol and 1/2 SealCoat). After a quick sanding, I’ll spray on a few lights coats of clear Krylon spray (start with Gloss, end with Flat). This seals the wood very, very well.

Then apply acrylic craft paint, wipe off excess “sloppiness” with a dampened rag. The sealed wood makes this easy. Then apply final clear spray to suit.