I can’t wait to show you pictures.  Without giving away the surprise, I can say that there’s quite a bit of feather work on this piece, so it’s a bit time consuming.  I’ve got the outline done with a heavy burn, and I’m ready to start the shading portion, probably tomorrow.

The image itself, just the outline is very striking and beautiful.  Adding the shadows is really going to make it pop.  I’m so excited!  It’s going to be awesome.

Meanwhile, I received a shipment of the next box to be burned.  This is going to be my biggest canvas yet!  It was damaged in shipping however, so I have to get a replacement.  I want to post a picture, but if I do it will add into the library and become stuff you see at the top of the pages, and I don’t want that.

It’s really toy-chest sized.  I’ve been thinking about bigger canvases too, like, HOW COOL WOULD IT BE to burn the entrance to the Mines of Moria on your front door?  I’m thinking about scroll-work and things that enhance large pieces of furniture…I mean…gods I could burn everything!  EVERYTHING!

Ahem….anyways…gotta go do my day job.  You know.  Pays the bills.

So glad to be burning again.  I have a surprise box that I’m working on, so although I’m taking pictures as I go along, I won’t be able to post any until the gift has been delivered.  But the design and transfer have been approved, so I’m burning some of it this afternoon.

The first layer of the burn is always a surface thing.  It confirms placement, makes sure the design can’t get erased or smudged, and that the image stays where we’ve agreed it should be.  The next part of the burn is deepening that first burn, and then adding some light shading.

The shading is where the fun comes in.  Something that’s more cartoonish looking starts gaining depth and becomes more visually attractive.  I love that part.  I’m always scared at that part, too…I’m always afraid I won’t be good enough, or that I’ll ruin all the work I’ve already done.

I sing, and the same thing happens to me just before I sing.  I get really nervous, even though I know I’m really good, and then when I start, the music just carries me along and there’s no more anxiety, no more fear.  It’s all about staying true to the notes and the spirit of what I’m singing.  The same thing happens with burning.  I get all nervous and afraid to start, and then I get all caught up in trying to bring out the image, imagining where the light is coming from and trying to add the shadows.  It becomes like Trance-Work.

Gods, I love Trance.

Anyways…off to Burn!