Inspiration...
first comes the inspiration...
Be it a newly blooming flower in the hedgerow or a rabbit hopping down the lane....
Sketch book and pencil...
After my muse has struck I begin to put the ideas together in my sketch book...
Considering the layout on the piece of wood I have selected for the original wood burning... oh and obviously I have cut and sanded to a lovely smooth surface the piece of wood before I start sketching out in pencil onto the wood...
Burning...
Once i'm happy with the layout and feel it flows and works with the natural features in the wood I start to burn using my razortip pyrography tool...
After I have the outlines complete I can erase my pencil lines...
Finishing touches...
After burning the outlines I can go back and add depth and shadow ... creating shading by using different temperatures and how fast I move the tip to control the darkness of the burn...
Often I will add highlights of white and sometimes a little colour with either watercolour or acrylic paint depending on the effect I want for the final piece...