LSIrish.com free printable patterns for wood carving, pyrography

Nov 1 2013

Ceremonial Mask Pyrography Project

2 Comments / Pyrography Projects / By irish

Starting Monday, Nov. 4th, I will be sharing my latest pyrography project with you in this free online wood burning class – Ceremonial Mask Pyrography Project. This is a 17 step project that includes lots of photos, lots of instructions, and lots of wood burning basic information. I hope that you will join me. Please share with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and your favorite pyro forum that we are holding an Online Seminar here on my blog so that they can join the fun!

Ceremonial and Ritual Masks use strong geometric line patterns and abstract shapes to create the facial features and to express emotions that are proscribed to the myths and legends of the culture. Often they are carved from wood with open holes for the eyes and mouth of the mask. Raffia, dried reeds, nuts, seed pods, and even sea shells may decorate the geometric patterns on the mask or surround the outer edge of the wood shape. Animal hair and fur has historically been added to enhance the human or animal impressions they portray.

Ceremonial Mask Pyrography Project 1
Ceremonial Mask Pyrography Project 2
Ceremonial Mask Pyrography Project 3
Ceremonial Mask Pyrography Project 4
Ceremonial Mask Pyrography Project 5

They make a perfect subject for any pyrography project. My sample pattern is worked from the Masks Pattern Package, available at ArtDesignsStudio.com. But Wait! We are working on a special Project Bundle just for you that will include my new 36-page Introduction to Pyrography e-book which covers the basic techniques used in any wood burning project and my new 24-page Ceremonial Mask Pyrography Project e-project which gives you extra large, extra clear photo images of every step used to complete this mask burning – all bundled up with three Irish Pattern Packages, perfect for use in with this technique.

As soon as we have our Project Bundle posted I will post its announcement here on the blog!

Get your burning tips bright and clean, gather your supplies, and chose your favorite wood species so that on Monday you can pull up your computer chair to my virtual classroom!

Take a moment and sign-up for my blog so that you can add your questions, ideas, and share your own techniques as we work through this step-by-step lesson plan.

Burning Supplies:
Variable temperature burning unit
ball tip or looped tip pen
spear shader pen
curved shader pen

Wood Pyro Blank:
* 9” x 9” poplar practice board
* 9” x 9” poplar pre-cut heart

Pyro Pen Cleaning Supplies:
leather strop
rouging compound
1500 grit emery cloth

General Supplies:
220- or 320- grit sandpaper
clean, dry dusting cloth
graphite paper
#2 to #4 soft pencil
ruler
masking or painter’s tape
8” square of brown paper bag

Optional Finishing Supplies:
watercolor paints
watercolor colored pencils
spray polyurethane or acrylic sealer

* This project was worked in poplar, but any non-toxic wood can be used, including basswood, birch plywood, and mahogany. Also consider working this Ceremonial Mask of natural toned chipboard as a scrapbook album cover or on vegetable tanned leather as a cut out wall display. You may wish to work a dried craft gourd, cut to become a sand candle vase. Whichever wood or burning surface you chose, we will work a Reference Guide Sepia on the same material.

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Sep 17 2013

Wood Spirit Gourd Masks

Gourd Art / By irish

Let our patterns spark your imagination today!

It’s gourd and pumpkin carving season around the studio. While cleaning up from one of my current gourd art projects, Basket Weaving, Braided Raffia Gourd Rims, I came across the leftover, cut-out section of gourd. As a wood carver and pyrographer I often create and use practice boards in my teaching. This small section of gourd seemed perfect for just that purpose.

Soon I had an acrylic under-painting with colored pencil wood spirit face worked up … but what to do with it. The face painting came out so very well that I didn’t want to just ‘take a photo then throw it in a box for storage’.

Some hot glue, copper foil, electric wires, vintage and damaged jewelry pieces, some thick cotton yarn, and a pair of old glasses quickly turned a practice gourd scrap into an Urban Warrior Gourd Art Mask.

To learn how to make your own Urban Warrior Steampunk Mask please visit our newest free, online project, Wood Spirit Gourd Mask.

Both the Urban Steampunk Warrior Mask, shown, and the Wood Spirit Gourd Mask free project are worked from our Fun Wood Spirits pattern package ,available at ArtDesignsStudio.com. While you are visiting our line art craft patterns website please note that our Halloween pattern packages have just been posted.

Halloween Scroll Saw 1 – 21 scroll saw ghouls, pumpkins, zombies, and more.
Halloween Scroll Saw 2 – 21 scroll saw cats, bats, rats, witches, ghosts and more.
Pumpkin and Fun Halloween Pattern Package – 71 fun designs for the very young Trick or Treaters.

When you get your’s done, please drop me an image through our Contact Me page. I would love to start an Urban Warrior Mask gallery to share ideas.

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Jul 13 2013

First Carving Project

Woodcarving / By irish

Your First Carving Pattern was my first published free tutorial, 1998. Today I have updated this classic carving project, bringing to this article over eighteen years of wood carving book authoring experience and wood carving joy.

It is ready for online reading or download our 22 page free e-Project which focuses on the basic terms, carving woods, beginner’s tool set, basic cuts and strokes, walks you through your First Carving Pattern Project, plus three extra free patterns.

Please, bookmark our site! Over the next few weeks you will lots of updates, new revised articles, and tons of new patterns.

First Carving Project Read More »

Jul 5 2013

Marker Quilt Squares

Quilting / By irish

A nice selection of permanent colored marking pens are a great media to express your creativity on your next quilt, pillow, or tote project.

Supplies:

100% cotton fabric
Assorted color selection of permanent marking pens
Fine point black permanent marking pen
1″ wide masking tape
clip board
printed pattern – Mushroom Wood Spirits

Do a test square on the fabric you will be using before you begin painting your quilt square. Some brands of colored permanent marking pens can make other brands bleed.

1. Begin by choosing a pale color fabric. You can use a solid, tone on tone, and even a pale colored print. Cut your fabric to the size of your quilt pattern instructions plus 2″ on the wide and 2″ on the length.

2. Tape your printed pattern to the center of your clip board. Center the fabric square over the pattern, fold the excess fabric to the back of the clip board and using masking tape secure the sides. You will see the printed pattern lines through the fabric.

3. Permanent markers not only come in a nice, wide range of colors they are also available is several sizes of pen tip widths. For my mushroom tote and quilt square owl I used medium sized tip points for the main coloring and a fine point black marker for my outlining and detailing.

Since the marking pen colors are translucent some of the color of the fabric will effect the final color of each area of your painting. If you are working on a pale green fabric with a bright yellow marker the area will become a bright yellow-green color. You can use a scrap of your fabric as a test square for each color that you want to use.

4. Begin each area with your palest color, then add layers of gradually darker colors to create realistic shading and gradual changes in color. You can work several layers of marker color over one area, allowing each area to dry for a few moments to intensify the final color tone.

5. Complete all of the color work then let your fabric dry thoroughly. Now use the black fine point marking pen to add your details, outlines, and to sign your artwork.

6. Set your colored art using a dry, cotton setting on your iron. That’s all you need to do to turn any pattern into an original painted quilt square.

When you get your’s done I would love to see it!!!!!

My sample is worked on a finished block size of 8″ x 11″ with 2 1/2″ orange boarders. The Sides of the tote were cut at 3 1/2″.