with wet paint the surface will turn uneven.
now, take the paint of your choice and be careful not to use too wet paint. paint the sharp end of the toothpick, but don´t make it too long. its important to leave some wood showing between the body and the sharp end.
after letting the tip dry (this should take no time at all), carefully paint a line to the sharp end just where is starts to get narrower.
then fill the full body with paint until the tip. its better to hold the pencil until it dries or you might smudge the paint.
i prefer to put a thick layer of gloss varnish to 