PYROGRAPHY (WOODBURNING) GALLERY #4

by BRIAN GRAHAM





# 87. Picture from the Canadian Wildlife Federation Calendar. This was an enjoyable project as I started it at the Wildlife Festival at the Carlinwood Mall in Ottawa where we demonstrated our carving and woodburning techniques and met the public to promote preservation of wildlife in our area. then i finished the project at the quinte Wood Show in Belleville, Ontario, at Loyalist College. We had a table at that show and I was able to finish the box except for the footprints on the edges and inside the cover (see inside of box).






#87a. Lynx paw prints were obtained from a book on footprints. these were placed on the edge and inside the lid. The box is lined with felt and coated with three coats of matte water based Varathane Diamond Crystal finish.











#78. Pyrography of whitetail deer on leather, stretched and fastened to natural branch frame by leather strips. In my Intermediate pyro 8 week course we had one week for working on leather. Several wonderful works were produced. Leather is very easy to burn on. It takes a very low heat to burn. Copying the patterns onto the leather is a problems, so if you can do a free-hand burn, this could be your medium. Also, any errors are hard to change, although using a pencil sand paper device is available at hardware stores and worked very well for getting rid of burn marks.













#88. This leopard from National Geographic Cover of Oct 2001 was the same animal as done in Pyro #50, but this time only the head was burned. The pyrography was glued onto a stained (Honey Maple) plaque (7" x 9") from Michaels.







#85. This Celtic pattern which I named Mythical Beasts was from pattern book IV from Walnut Hollow. It was done on a round basswood plate from Sylva Paquette in Ottawa. These are fun patterns to burn but need your full attention because of the running together of the pattern. I used orange and ochre yellow colours to highlight the pattern. It was sprayed with 3 coats of Krylon Matte latex spray.






#92. This pyrography of two dolphins on a slice of box elder shaped like a whale was done in an intarsia like manner. I have always liked the use of different woods to get beautiful effects. I gave different parts of the bodies different colours: fins - just burned; back - black; belly - white. What do think?







#93. These geese landing in a marsh give just the right feeling for this 11" x 7' x 3" birch plywood box. A single heat burner with a universal tip was used to give a more flowing effect. It was also a very fast way to do this scene. No colour was used. The pattern is adapted from a pattern in Wallnut hollow's Book IV on Creative Woodburning









#95. "Racoons in a Barrel" came from the April picture in the 2003 calendar from the Canadian Wildlife Federation. these types are the best source of ideas for wildlife burnings. It is done on a large poplar plank. Hint of colour on the racoons and terra cotta and sienna brown on the barrel. Coated with latex gloss spray.








#135. Monarch Butterfly from picture in 2005 Wildlife Calendar by the Canadian Wildlife Federation - on basswood plank with bark on. Coated with 3 coats of latex gloss spray.









#138. "Jaguar" from the book "Painting the Faces of Wildlife" (2000) by Kalon Baughan, a beautiful book which I would recommend you purshase. the book gives you very good advice on painting animals. If you do the jaguar, remember the spots are round circles of fur - try to ensure your fur strokes are going in the proper direction. Coated with 3 coates of latex gloss spray.







#139. "Cougar" also from the book "Painting the Faces of Wildlife" (2000) by Kalon Baughan. On 18" by 12" plank of basswood with a knot in the upper center which adds a lot to the overall feel of the pyrography. Be careful with the trees if you are doing this burning because as I did once before, you can have a tree coming out of the animal in very peculiar places! Coated with 3 coats of latex gloss spray.









#168. Mallard duck drake from Lora Irish'e book, Great book of Woodburning (2006) - on basswood plank with bark on. Coated with 3 coats of latex matte spray.















#173. Bobcat from Orchid Davis's book How to Burn wildlife on basswood plank with bark on. Coated with 3 coats of Deft latex matte spray. This was a topic for my class on doing eyes. Having taken a seminar with Orchid at the Woodburning Celebration at the Sawmill Centre in Penn. in the summer of 2007, I was able to give my students some excellent tips from orchid on doing those eyes which are critical in hoe the animal looks!















#171. Loon on nest. This pyrography was done on a box lid. You can pick these boxes up for a buck at your Dollar Store. the scene is from the cover of a book tittled "Loon Magic". the problem with burning loons is to try to get the white markings on their backs. If you try to burn, just leaving the space as the white, it is very difficult especially on a small surface. I ended up burning the whole back dark and then applying acrylic white paint for the markings - much easier! Coated with 3 coats of latex matte spray.











To view the price list for any of the above Pyrography pieces click here.


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Last Updated October 22, 2007 by Brian Graham