Irish Pyrography Seminar

[Irish]

GOOD MORNING!!!!

You are invited to pull up your computer chair to our virtual classroom and join the fun!

I would like to remind our Guests visiting this message board to please Register so that you can see the step-by-step photos, the patterns and drawing, and join in this thread by posting. Click on Register in the bar at the top of the page on the Pyrography Online Message Board home page. Or click on this link to REGISTER.




Introduction:


I had a wonderful chance to meet Pat of PJL Enterprises, the creator of the Optima wood burner, before the recent holidays. During our chat Pat offered me the opportunity to put his burner, the Optima I Dual Burner, through its paces here on the WCI forum.


Thank you Pat!



We have already taken a close look at the Colwood burner, please stop by Acorn WIP, and the Walnut Hollow Versa-Tool. During this thread we are going to take the Optima I Dual Pen Unit out for a test drive.


So I hope you will join me as I put the Optima I Dual Burner through it's paces by working an in-depth landscape scene on a basswood plaque. This thread is meant to be a member interactive project, a virtual class room. So you are invited to pull up your computer chair to the digital class table, get your burner and pens ready to have some fun.


I will be posting a series of steps each day over the next week, with lots and lots of photos. As you follow along please feel free to post your questions and comments. A special invitation to post goes out to those forum members that already use the Optima as we would love to hear your impression of this unit.
If you are working along with me, please feel free to post your WIP photos.


Standard Disclaimer:


I will be posting my honest opinions on how this burner unit preforms and you will be able to see this burner and the pen tips used throughout the entire tutorial.


My opinions are mine alone and do not represent the opinions or ideas of any other individual or company including PJL Enterprises, Wood Carving Illustrated Magazine, WCI Wood Carving Message Board, or Fox Chapel Publishing. What is posted here is just "Sue Irish" ...


This thread is not meant to be used as a comparison of one manufacturer's burner unit to another' but only as a chance for us to see the Optima in use. So please let stay on track with postings focusing on either the Optima or on the Pride of the Irish Barn project.

If you ask questions about the Optima that I cannot answer I reserve the right to go directly to Pat and invite him to join in so that you can find the information that you want.

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[Irish]

Bob Duncan, our board moderator, has kindly posted an easy to download PDF file on Woodcarving Illustrated so that you will have the full sized patterns for this project. Please take a moment to go to Advertising Barn PDF.

I am posting the small pattern images here on the thread which you can also download with a 'right hand click' and selecting 'save file' or 'save image'. Remember that these patterns are meant for your use in creating your own Advertising Barn Landscape burning and that you can adjust their printed size to fit your board using an Image Editing or Photo Editing program.

Susan

FYI - I will be posting this thread on the Woodcarving Illustrated message board as I post here. So as you go get a copy of the patterns I will slip over to our sister board to open the class table.

[Irish]

Supplies:

Optima wood burning unit
PH19M medium ball point tip pen
PH18M spear point shader tip pen
PH12 rounded skew, heavy duty
PH17 coarse hair pen
heavy duty pen cords

Walnut Hollow #18512 Chippendale basswood plaque - 16" x 11 1/2"

#2 - #6 soft artists’ pencil
Transparent tape
White artist's eraser
Ruler
Aluminum oxide compound
Leather strop
9" x 9" 1/8" birch plywood practice board
220 grit sandpaper
Large brown paper bag or heavy craft paper

During this seminar I am using the Optima I and its pens. If you already have a burner and will be using that burner you will want a medium or large writing tip pen, a spoon or spear styled shader pen, and a large skew tip pen. It is my understanding that Optima is the only manufacture of a coarse hair tip pen, for these steps you may use the side of your spoon shader.

Of course there are many natural surfaces that we pyrographers can use including leather, gourds, cotton cloth, paper and even paper mache. I have chosen basswood as its clean white surface allows even the palest temperature burns to have a strong appearance.


Susan

[Irish]

Optima I Dual Pen Burner Unit:

As I am unpacking the unit, pens, and cord from the box I have three quick, delightful surprises.

1. Each pen measures about 6 1/2" long from connection end to burning tip. They are light weight and have extra thick, firm foam wrapping at the finger holding point. That foam is more than substantial and measures a 1/4" thick. This is not the thinner, soft foam padding of one of my other burning units; this foam is 1/4" thick, strong, and extra firm.


2. The wire that creates the burning tip is heavy weight; I would estimate at least an 18 gauge wire. The solder points are neat and clean, so it appears that each soldering point has been inspected individually as they were cleaned.


3. I have two heavy duty cords with the Optima that connect the burning pen to the unit. Each has a stick-on pen hold that I can attach where I want to the unit. On opening these cords I will admit that I was shocked! Those cords are soft, subtle, and extremely flexible. Unlike several of my other burners these cords feel as though I will not have to fight a stiff cord to get my pen tip into proper position. Flexible rubber ... not stiff plastic ... Oh, I think I am in love!

4. The RCA plug connection on the pens is male with the female connector on the HD cord. It took a fair bit of pressure to create a full, tight joint between the two, very positive. Both ends of the HD cord are covered the connection ends with a soft boot.

5. The Optima I is a dual pen unit with a simple toggle switch to change from one pen to the other. The numbers on the dial are large and clear, and the overall foot prints of the unit small - 5" x 5 1/2" total. It has small feet which lift the unit off the table to release extra heat. HD = heavy duty

6. Reading the instructions which came with the unit there is a note that the Optima I has a set screw that can be adjusted by the user to set the low temperature end of the setting, along with instructions of how to gauge any adjustment you make. I have not and will not be making any adjustments for this tutorial but did want to say this is a possibility for you.

7. Also included in the instructions is a step on how to clean your pen tips with a leather strop and aluminum oxide that is well worth reading. Also of note here is that Optima has an excellent FAQ section on their website that is well worth reading even if you are a long time craftsman! Please go to:www.carvertools.com


8. The on/off setting is found on the toggle switch for the dual pens, not on the dial temperature setting.

9. As I have worked through the first mapping steps of this pattern I have noticed that I have a very light, soft grip to the pen. The foam core padding around the pen has allowed my fingers to relax without any conscious thought on my part. A relaxed hand grip means more flexibility in the finger and hands movement of the pen across to board.

10. I have four pens to take out on our test drive as described in the supplies list above. During this project I will be using all four.


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Irish_tools_03.jpg This image is not correct, I have two pen names transposed .... please see post
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Susan

I am going to grab a cup of coffee and while I;m gone if you want to say "hey" please feel free ... back in just a moment or three.

[Irish]

For today's session I want to begin by creating a practice board. As a teacher I can not stress the importance of doing a practice board before beginning a project that might use a new surface, a new pen tip, a new texture, a new temperature setting, or a whole new burner system.

Practice Board:
As with any new burner, new wood, or new pattern theme I create a practice board before I begin work on the actual project.

This allows me to establish the temperature settings for each pen tip for the graduated tonal values that I will need to create the burning. Whenever possible I prefer to do the practice on the same media that I will be working the project. However for this project I chose birch as it has hard surface that requires higher temperatures to create the palest tones.

With any burning I want as comfortable a hand grip as possible, the Optima pen are perfectly designed to be held as if you had a pen or pencil in your hand. The foam grip allows for a very secure but light touch finger grip. The wire tip points are well positioned from that finger grip area, so I never felt as if I needed to scrunch-up or stretch to bring the tip to the wood to make a burn stroke.

1. Using a ruler and pencil mark a grid of 1" square onto your board, five columns long and five rows deep. Each row will be used for one of the pen tips.

row 1: PH19M medium ball tip pen
row 2: PH18M spear point shader
row 3: PH12 hd rounded skew
row 4: PH17 coarse hair tip
row 5: texture tests


2. Working a simple cross hatch pattern of fine lines tightly packed and working with your ball tip pen, set your temperature setting at a low number. I chose to start at my first left hand squares at a setting of 3.

3. Fill the first left hand square of the first row with tightly packed diagonal lines.

4. Move into the second square of the row, turning your temperature setting up to of 4.

5. Fill this row with tightly packed diagonal lines.

6. In the third square, using the same line pattern set the temperature setting to 5.

7. Continue filling each square of this row, adjusting the temperature setting to one higher number.

8. Work through the top four rows of your grid, using the same temperature setting that you have established for that column.

At this point you will have four filled rows, with each square burned using one pen tip at a specific temperature setting. You can refer to this grid at any time in your project burning to determine which pen and what temperature will create the texture and tonal value you need for the area in the design which you are working.
For my practice board I discovered that the Optima has more temperature setting potential that I will ever need in my pyrography work.

9. In the fourth row of my practice board I have worked five texture patterns that I use consistently in my burnings. All of these textures were worked at a 4 temperature setting.

Random doodle - medium ball tip pen
Cross hatching - medium ball tip pen
Scrubby stroke - medium ball tip pen
Dot pattern - medium ball tip pen
Wide shader strokes - spear point shader


Pen Grip - I use a writing grip for most of my pen work. This places the foam pad of the pen, loosely held, between my first two fingers on the top side of the pen and my thumb on the bottom side of the pen. You will see that I have my fingers centrally positioned between the top and bottom edges of the foam.

Find a hand position that is comfortable to you ... you will be working in that position for an average of an hour or more per burning session. I allow my wrist to lightly rest on the wood with my fingers positioned on the foam so that I do not have to 'stretch' my fingers to have the tip meet the wood.


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Susan

[Irish]

Practice Board Pattern:


1. Print a copy of the practice board flower pattern. Using a soft artist's pencil, #2 or higher, rub the back of the pattern paper with graphite to create a solid pencil covered area.


2. Irish_flower_00 Place the pattern paper on your practice board with the graphite back against the wood. Tape the pattern into place and using an ink pen trace along each of the pattern lines'


3. Irish_flower_01 Referring to my practice board my first burning steps are done using the rounded skew and a low temp setting of 3. Use a shading stroke, created by laying the side of the skew along your pattern line then pulling the skew through the area to be shaded. Shade each outer petal where it touches the flower center. Shade the center petals where they touch the outer petals.


4. Because this tool tip, the rounded skew, has a rounded belly along its sharp edge the pen strokes do not leave harsh, crisp tool edge lines. Instead that belly curve automatically creates a smooth graduated burn along the outer edges of the stroke - perfect for blending layers of shading.


5. Irish_flower_02 Turning the temp setting up to 3.5 I have worked a second layer of shading to both petal areas of the flower using the rounded skew. These series of shading strokes is worked from the circular line where the two areas of the flower petals touch out into each petal. So for the outer ring of petals the stroke is pulled from the center ring line towards the outer edge of that petal. The inner petals are worked towards the center of the flower. Allow a small gab between the shading strokes to create a 'white' vein area.


6. Irish_flower_03 Work the outer edges of all of the flower petals using the rounded skew and a low temp setting of 3. Pull this series of shading strokes along the edge of the petals. Work a second layer of shading to the outer petal edges with a slightly higher temp setting of 3.5, pulling the shading stroke towards the center ring line.


In the photo for this step you can see that I have placed the tip of my skew at the intersection point of the two petals with the belly area of the skew on the lower petal that is being shaded. As I pull the skew towards the center ring the pen tip will automatically roll into the curved belly area of the tip.


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Susan

[Irish]

Practice Board Flower cont.:

7. Irish_flower_04 To create the shading inside of the leaves I am using the spear point shader at a medium hot setting of 5. Place the tip of the spear at the pointed v of each leaf section then pull the spear quickly towards the outer edge of the leave. This is not a touch-and-lift stroke, but a touch-and-pull to create the paler shaded tones near the center of the leaf. Allow a few unburned 'white' line areas between the leaf sections.

8. Irish_flower_04A As you work these areas with your spear shader note that Optima's spear has a double curve to its 'flat' belly. There is a slight curve from the tip point to the back edge of the pen and a curve from side to side. This wonderful little feature gives you graduated shading on all sides of your stroke ... no harsh pen tip lines are created when you use the spear point shader!

9. Irish_flower_05 I have lowered my temperature setting to 3. Use the same touch-and-pull stroke to shade along the outer edges of each large leaf. Pull each stroke through to the center of the leave so that the graduated shading on these strokes overlaps the shading done in step 8.

10. Irish_flower_06 Returning to the rounded skew at a setting around 3.5, use the skew's tip to create fine lines along the sides of the branches, the leaf sections, and to establish the fold lines in the petals.

11. Irish_flower_07 To create a few very dark detail lines I have turned my temperature setting up to 4.5 on the rounded skew and re-burned some, but not all, of the lines worked in step 10.

12. There is no outlining step in this sample burn! Nature does not have outlines ... nature, as our flower, has areas that are dark, medium toned, and very pale areas along it's edges. Only coloring books, comic books, and line art patterns have outlines.

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Susan

[Irish]

Here's a close-up of the practice board flower pattern.

Susan

I'm going to take a few moments over on the Wood Carving Illustrated Message Board and catch up to the postings there. If you have not visited our sister board, devoted to all styles of wood carving, please drop by and register. I'll be back in about an hour or less - 10:40AM EST now

[Sunlion]

Very nicely done so far Susan.

I must give this a go at some point, too much on the go just yet, but will certainly play catch up later. I have the Colwood detailer and am waiting on two new tip holders from US. Maybe give it a go when they arrive. as they are similar machines and tips with the looks of them.


edit:- p.s. the padding does look quite thick, I am used to the cork padding on the Colwood, and none on the Janik, hard to tell from the pictures, but how do they compare in width of your grip and ease of grip to the Colwood if you can racall. I know I have to adjust quite a bit when changing from Colwood to the Janik for example.

[Irish]

I have a wonderful Colwood Detailer that I recently used to create my newest pryo manuscript, Arts and Crafts Pyrography. I love the cork handles of the Colwood as they give me a strong, firm grip without out having to choke down on the pen with extra finger pressure. My Colwood has allowed some heat to transfer to my fingers but I would describe that as a 'warm sensation' not as a hot pen as with my third non-Colwood, non-Optima unit.

Now, as you will read later in this seminar, the Optima's foam grip is really super thick yet soft. I was taking notes throughout the burning on the performance of the Optima and it was not until I began editing the text that I realized that no once ... not even close .... did I ever feel the heat of the pen in my finger tips. Not once and to the point that I didn't even notice how extremely cool the grip stayed throughout the hottest of burns. Nor did I ever have the feeling that I needed to 'stretch my fingers' because of an over tight grip.

Now I believe that with trying any new system there is a natural adjustment period - moving from one burner's personality to another.

And I do know that your Colwood will create a very nice pyro burn for you.

Susan