Natural versus colored
burnings
The use of color is a very
personal decision and just because I prefer not to use color does not make
it wrong.
When I first started burning I
used color more than I do now...actually I don't even use color anymore
except in rare circumstances. Being a
bit of a purist I have stopped
using color except
as accent to enhance an area such as adding a touch of gold and bronze to
the eyes of a wolf. The look I try to achieve in my
burnings is that of a sepia photo, so use of color is not the look I am
trying to achieve. It does not mean using color is wrong. It's
just my style of burning and my personal preference. My feeling has
been that if I want to do a painting or colored drawing I will do that, but
when I am woodburning, I want it to be just that, a woodburning!
Again, that is my personal preference.
When I do use color I use either
acrylic paint or pencils, either clay-based or oil depending on the effect
I'm trying to create. As an example, when I add
color to the eye of a wolf I use an acrylic paint because I get a bolder
"frost" which creates a nice "glimmer" to the eye (I use a bright gold and
bronze mixture to create a natural color). For added touches, such as
beads in some of my Native American pieces I would use oil pencils mixed
with odorless turpene (paint thinner).
In the photo on the right you
will see an example of a burning done with oil pencils (no paint thinner)
used just as an accent on all the beaded areas and the ribbons in his headdress.
The photo below on the left is a
burning of a lighthouse, again using no paint thinner with the oil pencils
but blended with a blender stick. It is
done
using no color with the background, rocks, sand and parts of the
lighthouse. Color was only added to areas where there was no burning.
I did not apply any finish to the burnings before using color although some
people do add a light finish before adding color. Again that is
personal preference.
Both of these pieces were done
several years ago while I was still learning, experimenting and using color.
The photo below on the right
with the hummingbird is one I recently finished. It is an updated version of my very first
burning which was done with no color. I was in a hurry to get this
particular burning done for an upcoming class and turned my burner up a bit
too much so I could burn it faster. Something I never do but that's
what happens when you are in a hurry. I was unhappy with how it turned
out so I decided to do something I no longer do....add color. It might
be difficult to see the color but I added green to the leaves and a deep
rose to the flowers using oil pencils thinned with turpenoid. I
applied the pencil to the burning and then dipped a clean cloth in turpenoid.
I then rubbed to blend the color into the wood. This created a thin
wash and a very soft hint of color. It also knocked several people off
their chair when they saw it.
The photo below on the left
was done in a maple burl using Jo Sonja acrylic paint You can find these paints and colors on
our website on the
Jo Sonja Products page.
Some people merely outline
their design and fill everything in with color making it look more like a
painting than a woodburning. But as I said the choice is strictly
personal how much or how little color you use if you use color at all.
Some woodcarving shows have
even developed a separate category for woodburnings with color added.
So, the choice is yours and
the choice of what medium to use is up to you. What I might suggest is
to
experiment with different mediums
until you find the look that you want to achieve.
Using color with your
woodburnings
There are a variety of methods
you can use to add color to your work but the most important thing to
remember is that it should be the last thing you do before applying finish.
Do not burn over the color, stain or varnish of any kind. Remember to
burn only on bare, raw wood.....
Some people apply a finish
over the burning before adding color. I do not apply any finish until
the entire piece is complete. I have had no problems with this method
and none of the burnings shown here have had finish applied before the use
of color.
I also use a brush on
Polyacrylic finish on all my burnings including the ones with color added
and have no problem. If you have used a paint thinner to blend or set
your color into the wood it should not smear when applying the finish with a
brush.
If you have added color with a
pencil and not set it with a paint thinner you might want to use a spray on
finish.
Options for adding color
Pencils: oil, watercolor,
clay-based (softer shades than oil and blend easier), pastels - all can be
easily blended...some easier than others. Blending can be done with
finger, tissue, chamois, blending stump or tortillon depending on the effect
you want to create. You can also use a thinner such as turpene or turpenoid when using
oil pencils. The top two burnings (Sitting Bull and Lighthouse) were done
with oil pencils. They were used with a blending stick to blend colors
with no thinner.
Acrylic or water based ink: available in a
variety of colors. Allows the wood grain to show through.
Colors
are more vibrant than pencils. Please check out the
ink dyes in our
store. Ink dyes work well on wood when mixed with paint.
Paint: oil, acrylic,
watercolor all are a bit messier than pencils but can be used on most
surfaces. I have experimented with a variety of paints and have found
that Terra Bella Finishes paints and pigments are the best quality and give
me an unlimited palette of colors. I use and love Jo Sonja acrylic paint and
have used it for years. Check out their
products...Jo
Sonja Products and
finishes page.
The burning above on the
left and right (Indian and hummingbird on fence) were colored with Jo Sonja
acrylics which were mixed with an extender to create a wash.
All will work and all will
create a different effect. The choice is strictly personal but remember
that you don't want to use color on the burned areas. If you intend on
doing a lot of color or mostly color so that it looks like a painting then
perhaps you merely want to outline your work.
If you are using color just as
an accent you might like the effect of using a wash with pencils rather than
paint and it's easier to use and clean up.
Using Oil pencils is one of
the most commonly used forms of coloring for people who are incorporating
color into their woodburnings. The technique described below creates a thin "wash"
that will be soft but you can control the depth of the color by how many
layers you use. If you want bolder colors you can also use the pencils
without any thinner which is what I did on many of my small lighthouse
plaques and the portrait of sitting bull when I first started burning.
Using oil-based colored
pencils:
Any wax or oil based color
pencil
works well for this technique. I use Prismacolor pencils but you can use any
brand. Walnut Hollow is another choice and those are also made by
Prismacolor. I use them like a watercolor pencil...but
rather than blending them with water I blend them with a blender stick
and/or cloth and a paint thinner such
as turpene, turpenoid or turpentine. I use an odorless formula available from
www.dickblick.com.
Some people mix their oil pencil with other mediums to achieve a different
look but using a paint thinner gives you a "washed" look rather than being
thick.
Steps:
1. using the side of pencil to
apply color...usually WITHIN burned areas (so to avoid color bleeding) but
not on the burned area.
2. using a dry blending stump or tortillon...rub the color into the raw wood
vigorously. Direction of rubbing should be considered, depending on what you
are coloring (i.e.; sky-work with grain; fur-rub in direction fur is growing,
etc).
3. When color is well 'rubbed' into the wood...decide if you need to apply
more...if not dip your stump into paint thinner (turpenoid, turpene or
turpentine) sparingly and then re-rub with the slightly wet stump to dissolve
oil and 'wash' it deep into the wood.
4. Set it aside and wait for the paint thinner to evaporate.
5. After the paint has evaporated the color will be distinctly 'lighter'
than when you applied it and it will look like a "wash". At this point you can
reapply color if you want "bolder" colors. Layer colors to taste ... you can have as much 'color as you want or just a
hint of color.
Another option is to
substitute Step 2 & 3 below for Step 2 & 3 above:
2. using a cloth dipped in
paint thinner and rub it over the color with a finger to blend. You
can also use your finger without a cloth.
3. If you need more color you
can apply it and go over it again with the cloth (or finger).
The paint thinner is friendly to the wood and doesn't disturb or raise the
grain like water tends to do.
Your perimeter burn lines will keep the color from bleeding.
You can also use paint thinner and
a similar technique with oil paint and a paint brush.
Happy Burning©!
Nedra
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