[Lindy]

Bonnie,

That is wonderful that you can draw freehand and burn as you go. I personally have to transfer the pattern and at this point I am either using other people's patterns or photo's off the internet. You should be very proud of your work as you've got the talent not only for burning and drawing as well!

Nice job!

Linda

[Pyrographer]

Hi Bonnie, I have to agree with everyone else you did an outstanding job on all of those. I know those two patterns from Walnut HOllow and I'd have to say you did better than the originals.

If you like that round pen of Orchid's some day you might want to give my favorite pen a try. You can do the tiniest details and get into all the nooks and crannies that you can't with a round tip.

It's made by Razertip and it's one that they made for me and now it's one of the biggest sellers because it is so versatile. I am also working on a modified version of it with them that is narrow to get into even tighter spaces since I"m working on a small golden eagle now that has been frustrating me with the tiniest spaces between feathers. The pen is amazing and there's not much you can't do with it.

Nedra

[chpster90bu]

Thank you so much, Linda and Nedra. Yes, I am lucky I can draw, and that certainly helps me out, but I feel I am weak in the shading area and am trying to experiment a little more with portraits now. I have only done two, but want to try more. I have a lot to learn. Thank you both again for your input! Bonnie

[Pyrographer]

Bonnie, shading just takes LOTS of practice but I think you are well on your way. I started burning in 99 and since there weren't any decent instructors around I had to learn through trial and error. It took me a year to figure out a style that would work for me which ended up being what I call the smooth shading technique. Once I figured out a style that would work for me I ended up selling my burner and getting a better one that would do what I needed and it then took me 2 years to really master the shading to the point that I was ready to start doing portraits. After a few portraits I finally had the confidence to continue and now portraits are one of my favorite things to do. They are not easy but if you can capture the essence of the person and not just copy it, you've mastered portraits. You're off to a good start with that one, just keep practicing shading. When I do portraits (human or animal) I always start with the eyes since they will make or break a portrait. If I get those right I keep going, if not, I start over!

Keep up the great work, you seem to be a "natural"

Nedra

[ElWoodTroll]

I just have to echo everyone's sentiments. It's only common if it stays in the book. You have certainly made it your own.