WIP - Pixie Face

Irish · #1 10-13-2005, 08:52 AM

I am working on a Pixie burning and thought I would share what I have gotten done to this point. She is being burned on birch plywood and the board is 8 1/2" x 12". I have a 1/2" margin around the pixie so I will have room later for framing.

I would welcome you to join in with any comments, ideas, other techniques, sharings or critics that pretain to wood burning and in particular wood burning the human face you might have. I would also encourage that anyone that has sample images of a face that they have burned to post it here!

The way I am thinking about approaching this burning, trying to capture some really dramatic contrast in the work was inspired by Nedra's recent posting of "New Burning". Thanks Nedra!!!!

I have started the mapping of the face to find my shadow areas. The darkest points in her face are the corners of the mouth, the inner corners of the eyes, the nostrils, and inside of her ears.

I'm using a variable temperature burning tool and the writing tip.

Susan

Irish · #2 10-13-2005, 08:52 AM

I've added a second layer of shading to the face which has darkened the first mapped areas and added a medium tone shading along her jaw line, ears and eye lid areas. The neck area has been worked. Because her collar folds behind her neck a medium tonal value is needed to distingusih these two areas.

Susan

Irish · #3 10-13-2005, 08:54 AM

The mouth has been detailed, notice how dark the corners of the mouth have become. The ear also has it's detailing so that the inside ear will be as dark as the eye pupils. The nostrils are made with just a line because of the tilt of her head very little of the nostrils show.

The eyes are worked by first lightly shading the entire eye ball area. The eye is an actual ball shape that is set behind the eye brow ridge and the cheek bone area. The eye is the deepest area of the face so the eye needs to be shaded. Once the shading was done the iris and pupil were added. A hint of eyelashes and one fine line for the eyebrow complete the eyes.

I have started to add the section of hair that falls behind her shoulder.

Susan

Irish · #4 10-13-2005, 08:55 AM

This hair section will be very dark when the burning is done. But I start with medium toned burning so I can use those tones as highlights when the black brown is added.

Susan

Irish · #5 10-13-2005, 08:56 AM

I've done another layer in the background hair. There is still a lot of work to be done in this area but you can see the dark areas and strands developing. Notice how this very very dark area will frame the face ... so I won't have to add an outline along her cheek or jaw area. The dark background hair also makes the face look softer because of the sharp contrast in tones.

This one, the one with the white dots and lines, shows the highlight lines of the face. If you place your hand flat upon your own face you will notice that your hand touches three points ... the center point of each eye brow and the center ridge of the nose. Each of those points are part of a highlinght line that runs vertically through the face and touches areas in the forehead, eye brow, eye ball, cheek and mouth areas.

Susan

Off to do a little more burning.

BobD · #6 10-13-2005, 08:57 AM

Susan,

That is awsome. I love the subtle shading that shapes the mouth and the irises...I'm envious of your talents!

Bob

Irish · #7 10-13-2005, 09:01 AM

Geeez, Good Sir! You're posting a reply before I have even finished editing

Thanks Bob!

Susan

wade clark · #8 10-13-2005, 09:51 AM

Susan,
What beautiful work!
Wade

Pyrographer · #9 10-13-2005, 10:00 AM

Susan, that is a wonderful piece. It's a little difficult to see but are you doing this by pointillism? Can you do a close-up of your shading I'd love to see how you do it.
Nedra

Irish · #10 10-13-2005, 10:14 AM

Thanks for the nice words, Nedra and Wade!

It's more of a doodle stroke with the burning tip in motion all the time. That way I don't have those dark starting spots. By keeping the line moving it keeps the burning light enough I can add more layers to darken an area. And the movement is random enough that I don't end up with a 'pattern' in her face.

Mike, my husband, and I were talking about your New Burning post the other day and I think I figured out why I don't get the results with a shading tip that you do ... I think it's the wood! I love birch. I love that it burns light or pale so that I can very slowly bring my colors up as compared to basswood which just burns right now! But birch does have a very definite grain and it changes density in the stronger grain lines. Shader work, for me, on birch just is a real mess!!!

I have not tried popular but I am going to track some down and see what happens. I have a very strong feeling that populars grain line properties is one of the components to the great shading work you do. Oh, Congratulations of the ribbon - well done, Lady!

Susan