Nedra Denison & Sawdust Connection, LLC

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Fine Art Pyrography  ~  Woodburning  ~  Gourd Art

Woodcarving  ~  Fretwork

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This was my second doggie commission and another challenge.  Oh gosh that mouth was one challenge after another.  Maybe I can find a dog with a better mouth for my next one.  Is that possible????  Ok, so I'll settle for a dog with a closed mouth!

Since this commission was for regular price I decided to send my client more blow-by-blow photos. It was a gift for her friend so I wanted to be sure she liked it.  No complaints were ever heard and again another happy customer. 

I start with a very basic outline to get the the proper placement of eyes, nose, mouth, etc.  This is the method I use for most of my work.  I use the photo as a guide to do all the lines, wrinkles, shading and fine detail as I burn. 

The burning is done in layers, just like you get dressed in the morning - start with the bottom layers and add the next layer on top of the previous layer.  By doing the burning in this manner I create the depth so the burning looks "alive" rather than "flat". 

My goal is to make my work look natural and life-like, capturing the essence of the animal/person on the wood, rather than just creating a "flat" portrait without life.  I believe that the eyes are the windows of the soul, so I do the eyes first because I feel that if you don't capture the eyes properly, you might as well throw your work in the trash.  If you were to look at my work in person, you might even feel those eyes following you....

This work in progress is intended to help you learn how to create depth, layering and make a natural, lifelike burning.  It may not be copied.  It is an original artwork is copyright protected.