6. Dark Background

Right now you can do aerial perspective or far distance! What about near distance or background? In other words, whatever is immediately behind the subject in the foreground. The contrasts between objects in foreground are very strong, so you have very hot deep burns and some others very light cool burns. This contrast helps to suggest deep dark foliage or just uninteresting backdrop, with the subject being thrown forward by its contrasted light, detailed surface.

Filling in with a very hot wire or point, all the background is very time consuming. Mostly people do a subject and leave the background white, I do it myself, but if you want to throw the subject forward and make the viewer look where you want them to, a dark background is best!

Some pyrography machines have different size points or shape wires to do big areas. Find out about this, because it will make a lot of difference to the time it will take you. Change back to an ordinary size point or wire, when you do the background which is next to the edge of the subject. Fur, especially, needs to be hairy and detailed around the edge.

Exercise 6

Copy, trace or draw your own subject in a dark background onto the sandpapered plywood. Fill in the background with the appropriate point or wire at a very hot temperature. Hot enough to burn the surface of the wood away, but not so you have a red hot wire and lots of smoke! When you get near to the edge of the subject or the foliage in the foreground, change back to an ordinary wire or point. Just do a little of the dark next to the edge of the subject. This means you are more in control for an edge of fur or feathers etc. When you do the texture on the subject, turn the heat of the point right down to a cooler temperature and then do all the details. If you do the subject too dark it will disappear into the background!