| Gourd Wood Burning |
From "DIY Crafts"
episode DIC-157 |
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Cheri Oshinsky is an artist who transforms gourds into all sorts of clever items, including a fun and easy goldfish bowl. Instead of putting a real goldfish inside, however, Cheri burns the images of a fish and bubbles onto the side of the gourd. Materials:
Gourd (select one that sits evenly and has a nice, round shape)
The Gourd Unit by Nibsburner®
Nibsburner tips
Hacksaw with a very fine blade
Small stiff-bristled brush
Pail and water
Copper scrubber
Fine-grit sandpaper
Clear tape
Tracing paper
Pencil
Graphite paper
Brushes--#4 round, #4 flat
Aleene's® Glazing Medium
Aleene's Gloss Varnish
Aleene's Premium Coat Acrylic Paints in the following colors: True Orange, base coat; True Poppy, shade color; True Apricot, highlight color; True Yellow, highlight color; True Lime, light plant color; True Green, deep plant color; White, highlight color and spots on fish - Gourds are mostly water and are therefore subject to mildew. Hang your gourd in a plastic-net bag to dry for several weeks. Clean the gourd by soaking it in a pail of water. Rotate the gourd occasionally to wet all sides, then scour the skin with a copper scrubber. Let dry and sand lightly if necessary.
- Use a fine-toothed hacksaw blade to remove the top of the gourd (figure A).
- Sand the cut edges. Remove seeds and the inside of the gourd with a stiff brush. Sand inside if needed.
- Create your pattern on the tracing paper.
- Put graphite paper behind the tracing paper, and transfer the pattern onto the gourd by tracing over the pattern lines with a pencil (figure B).
- To wood-burn the goldfish, plants and small stones, use tip #1-D at a medium temperature. Keep your lines fine but dark enough so that once you add color the lines will show through. To shade plants and small rocks, use tip #SP-1 (figure C).
- Mix one part each of the glazing medium and the various acrylic colors, and apply thin washes to create the desired effects. Let the piece dry (figure D).
- Wipe with a tack cloth, and apply one or more coats of glossy varnish.
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