05/20/2026
I had fun making the woodburned live edge basswood plank that is now at the Tohono Chul gallery.
I want to thank the sponsors at the Desert Woodcarvers show who so generously provided gift certificates for rosette award winners. I received one to "Buck and Sally", a wood supplier, and used it to purchase these wood planks. Burning on wood is a lot easier than burning on a slick gourd surface. :)
I recently started a second one, and here is how I designed it. I cut a piece of paper to match the size of the burnable area of the plank. (Because wood is natural, the size and shape will vary.) I sketch out the design on paper first because the wood is softer than a gourd shell, and pencil marks make depressions.
Note that I drew the owl on a separate piece of paper so I could move it around until I was satisfied with the placement.
I sanded the wood with a fine grit before using graphite paper to transfer the design. If you don't sand first, your colored pencils or paints won't go on smoothly. I use lower heat to burn on wood than on gourds. Mostly, I used a small spear for fine lines and a spoon shader for shading.
I used a mix of Walnut Hollow and Prismacolor pencils to color the plank, then finished it with a coat of acrylic matte spray.
