This is my first attempt at doing one of these so please bear with me.

The wolf is one of natures wonderful animals, and heaven forbid they ever disappear.

I put the picture on the board with graphite paper. I do not draw directly onto the board because if you do, and have to repair a mistake, the pencil does not erase very well.

I do all my layout on paper, then I also have the original to work with again.

The first picture shows the wolf on the board.
The second picture shows the first shading done on the wolf.

I was told by another pyrographer to layer the shading on your pictures. I am sorry to whoever told me this, as I do not remember which friend it was. I think it was Sue Walters.

Putting the shading in layers allows you to make it dark or lite and you can go over it as much as you want to get the shade you want.

After you have the light and darks then you start the fur.

I have my own way of putting fur on animals. and it is sort of hard to explain.

I study the animal first, and I also am not above taking my own animals and studying their fur.
I am lucky to have a friend who raises elk, deer and has wolves for me to study.

Wolves come in different colors. there is the red wolf, the grey wolf, and the timber wolf.

The sub species also have a great range of colors, from white to black and from red to brown.

The important thing is to make sure you get the fur going in the right direction. On the head it goes in several different ways and it curves over the muzzle.

If you look close at the picture showing the fur half done, you will be able to see how it curves down the face.

The picture of this wolf was all done with one tip of my woodburner.
I have a colewood detailer and the tip I used is a spade shape, that I have bent to use as a shader and on the edge to make lines from thin ones to thick.

Any woodburner can be used, but it is the way you use it that makes the difference.

Always check your temps before touching your work, to make sure you do not have it too hot or too cold.

Clean your tips often. I use very fine sandpaper to clean mine with.

I always start my work with my temps low. You can always go over them again to darken the lines.

I hope this helps some of you. If you have questions you may email me at:psherman@orwell.net

I also thank Bill for asking me to do this.
Thanks Bill,
and thanks to all of you for taking the time to read this. Good luck and happy burning.

Pat Sherman.