Flights of Fancy

By Deborah Pompano

This soaring chickadee project is a perfect way to practice your burning and painting skills. Most of the design consists of basic line work, which you can enhance as desired with shading and your preferred blend of watercolor paints. My version uses vivid jewel tones to give the effect of a blustery, moonlit night in early November.

Burning and Painting

Place the pattern on the blank, and carefully follow the pattern lines using graphite paper and a pencil. Outline the large foreground leaves, stems, berries, and bird with a small writing nib on the medium heat setting. Using the same nib, reduce the heat setting and outline the smaller background leaves and the moon. Then use a shading nib to add depth to the feathers, face, berries, and leaves. Sign your work with a writing nib of your choice.

Add paint. Keep the watercolor paints somewhat diluted so your woodburned lines show through. Blot the paint with a clean paper towel anywhere the color is too thick. Once dry, spray on light coats of a clear satin lacquer. Display as desired.

Materials & Tools