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In completing a recent burn that required more skills than in the past, I became acutely aware of some correlation to photography. In recent posts on the Woodburner’s message Board, several questions were asked relating to shading and the process of how to do it.

One of the reasons, but not the only one, that I have used my own photographs is that they provide excellent models to work from. Photography shows many of the same elements that should be shown in a woodburning. After making the pattern from a photo, I put the pattern aside and use the photo to see the effects of the lighting, the proportion, focus, composition and rhythm.

Oh, you say you can’t see rhythm? Well, let’s explore this for a minute. Rhythm in music is a combination of short notes and long notes that have a pattern to it. Often times this pattern is repeated either consecutively or at a later time. Well, the artist uses different brush strokes as the image emerges much like the notes of a composition. For instance, when I want a composition to create a sense of speed, the tempo is increased or the notes are written with faster notes (tempo?). When I burn a horse, the hair is given a direction throughout so I use a skew type of pen and burn thousands of hairs. That, to me, gives the impression of mass and potential speed. We can do that with some blurring as in a photograph just as a painter does as well. And finally, how does my eye react? Does it move over the image (photo, pyrograph or canvas) and give me the feeling of rhythm? Does it fit together well? Does it flow? Is it visually consistent and well put together? Do you feel the pattern? Well, whatever the medium, rhythm is the foundation upon which the beauty of the piece is erected. Not being an artist, those who are might explain it better, but it is there and can be experienced be all.

By thinking of making a picture instead of taking a picture, the photographer has created a moment in time on film for preservation. Is not the woodburner making a similar image as well? It is now the pyrographer who makes the image on wood instead of film.

In using the photo as a model, the pyrographer can see proportion in the initial pattern. Then by filling in the compositional elements the burning begins to take shape. Now the trick at this point is to imitate the focus, or sharpness of the burn and that depends a lot on the acquired skills and the tools available. We call it the details or sharpness, which come with practice.

A good burn is one that has the feeling of 3-D or the appearance of being real, alive, and maybe wants to jump at you. By viewing the photo image the burner can begin to add the shading. A variety of tools can achieve this with not too much trouble. Almost all subjects are dimensional. So by observing the photo image, you can begin to add the shading to make the dimensions more realistic.

Where shadows exist in the photo, the burner merely adds more burn to make the burn appear to be a shadow. So for openers, try using a photo to make a pattern by tracing it to the wood. Then tape the photo where it can be seen and use it and try to duplicate it as closely as possible to the photo.

Well, this isn’t all there is in comparing pyrography to photography, but it is a start. You might be surprised how meaningful this could be in making a woodburning more like a photograph. If you’re interested in hearing more comparisons, let the editor know and we’ll come back with more. Have a good day and a good burn.