In this tutorial I’m going to explain how to create a Nativity scene using pyrography and watercolors.   This is a super easy project that can be done on wood or watercolor paper.  The pyrography portion of the artwork is very basic and can be done with a crafter burner; even one without a temperature control.  Not only is the project easy to do, but it’s also fun.  Plus, you can customize it to your personal preferences. 

Click on the image to the left to watch a YouTube video version of the tutorial. 

Now, let’s get to work.

 

SKILL LEVEL: 1

 

MATERIALS NEEDED:  

• Writing tip
• Shading tip
• 6 x 8 inches (15.2 x 20.3 cm) piece of wood
• Attached pattern (can enlarge or shrink as needed)  Nativity scene pattern
• Watercolor grounds*
• Watercolor paints**
• Paint brush

* I’m using the Daniel Smith brand of watercolor grounds.  I’m sure that any brand will work just fine.  Here’s an Amazon link to the product:  Daniel Smith Watercolor Grounds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

** I’m using Cotman watercolors by Winsor & Newton

 

 

 

 

 

I bought the set of 24 half pans on Amazon.  Here’s a link to the product: Winsor & Newton 24 

About the design

The artwork for this project was based on a stencil. 

 

 

 

 

 

I traced the stencil image onto a piece of paper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I made the changes I wanted. For example, I made Joseph’s face one solid piece, added slats on the crib, and drew in the stained-glass lines.  There were a few other changes, but that isn’t the point of this paragraph.  Instead, the purpose of this was to point out how easy it is to use stencils in pyrography. 

Art Goals

I have 2 goals with this artwork. 

• To mimic the look of stained-glass.
• To have the color get lighter the closer you get to the star. I wanted it to seem as though the star was illuminating the interior of the manger. 

STEP 1 – PREP THE WOOD

Wood burning is much easier if you take the time to prepare the wood surface.  Always smooth the wood surface by sanding it with at least 220 grit sandpaper.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then thoroughly wet the board by misting it with water or running it quickly under the sink faucet. 

The board should be damp to the touch, but not soaking wet.

Let the board dry and then sand again.

 

 

 

This piece of plywood board is broken up into three sections.  The far left section is how the board looks without any prep work.  The board has a rough texture.   The middle section of the board shows how it looks after it was sanded, and the surface is a lot smoother.   The right section of the board shows it after it was lightly misted with water and allowed to dry.  Notice how rough the board looks, but a quick sanding will remove that and leave an ultra-smooth board.

Doing the 4-step process (sand, mist, dry, sand) produces a super smooth surface, and the smoother the surface is the better the burn results will be. 

STEP 2 – PYROGRAPHY

The first thing we will do is the pyrography.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use a writer pen tip and burn over all of the trace lines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burn the lines to a dark brown or black color. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How thick you make the lines between the pieces of ‘glass’ on the background is completely up to you.  The lines represent the lead that is used in stained-glass art. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found it helpful to burn in little spots of dark color between the support beams on the manger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The reason is that it makes it easier to differentiate between the background and the support beams.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I burned a squiggly lines between the support beams on the roof. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After all of the trace lines are burned over, then rub a pencil eraser over the area to remove any residual graphite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Switch to a shader pen tip and burn the area between the support beams to a dark brown or black color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m only burning along the edges that I can easily keep the pen tip in optimal position.  This will ensure the edges stay crisp and clean.

 

 

 

 

 

Continued work.

 

 

 

 

 

If you are right-handed, the easy edges will most likely be the opposite of mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the easy edges are burned along, then rotate the board and burn along the remaining edges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You might be able to see a touch of smoke coming from the pen tip.  I have the heat set pretty high, but not so high that I get overburn.   Overburn is when the wood around the pen tip discolors instead of just the wood under the pen tip.

 

 

 

 

The very last thing I did was burn the border around the edge of the wood.  I have a tutorial that goes into detail about creating border frames.  The tutorial covers how I get a straight line, and different types of borders.  Here’s a link to that tutorial:  BORDER FRAMES

 

 

 

 

 

When I burned along the bottom of the board, I darkened up the entire area under the scene.

STEP 3 – APPLYING WATERCOLOR GROUNDS

As I mentioned before, I’m using the Daniel Smith brand of grounds.

The grounds are a thick white paste.   Per the jar instructions, they can be used straight from the jar or diluted with up to 10% water. 

 

 

 

 

I put some grounds onto a plastic lid and added some water to thin them just a bit.   Thinning the grounds makes applying the first layer easier to do.

 

 

 

 

 

Next, I misted the board with water.   If you look closely, you can see areas where the water has beaded up on the surface.

 

 

 

 

I used a clean paper towel to wipe off the surplus water.   The goal is to get the slightly damp to the touch.   The reason is that the wood wants to absorb the moisture from the grounds, so having a damp board helps prevent that from happening.  Plus, it makes it easier to apply the first layer of grounds.

 

 

 

 

Use the brush of your choice and apply a thin layer of the watercolor grounds over the entire surface of the board.

 

 

 

 

 

Continued work.   Make sure to thoroughly clean your brush promptly after applying the grounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s how the board looked once I was done.   Now let it dry for a couple of hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the grounds are dry, they become more translucent.  The grounds impart a texture that is slightly rough to the board.

 

 

 

 

 

I very lightly sand over the board using 240 grit sandpaper to smooth out the texture.   

I can’t emphasize enough the need to sand lightly.  The goal is just to smooth out the surface a little, but not remove the grounds.

 

 

 

 

Apply another light layer of grounds.    The jar doesn’t say you need more than one layer, but I’ve always applied two thin layers versus one thick layer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This layer I apply straight from the jar, but it can be thinned out if you prefer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let it ground dry and lightly sand over the board one last time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s how the board looked once I was done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really dislike the whitish hue some of the dark burn areas have.   Yellow arrows are pointing to a few of the really noticeable spots.   

I tried scraping the grounds away with a sharp knife, but that didn’t work.

 

 

 

 

I discovered that if you wet the grounds, then they could be removed.   So I brushed a little water onto the board and let it set for a few seconds.  The layer of water was very thin. 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, I used the edge of a knife to remove the grounds from the dark burn areas.  The grounds actually remove very easily this way.  

Out of curiosity, I did try to remove the grounds from the unburned wood just to see what would happen.  Even when the board was damp, the grounds stayed firmly in place, so that was a good thing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s how the board looked after I was done.  Now the grounds need to cure.

Let the board cure for a minimum of 24 hours before you apply watercolor!   The jar says 24-48 hours and I’m sure the time range is dependent on the thickness of the grounds.   I let my board sit for a few days.

 

 

 

Why Use Watercolor Grounds

Basically, it turns the surface of the wood into watercolor paper.  This allows the color to sit on the surface and be manipulated versus penetrating and staining the wood.    

The photo shows a test board and the left side has been coated with watercolor grounds.

 

 

 

 

When color is initially applied, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between the two sides.

 

 

 

 

 

The difference becomes evident when you try to re-work the color. 

In this photo I loaded up a brush with water and I’m trying to move the color around on the untreated side of the board.

 

 

 

All that is happening is that the excess color is spreading around the board, but I can’t remove the color.

 

 

 

 

 

Repeat this on the treated side of the board, and you’ll discover that the color quickly reactivates and you can manipulate it; including removing most of the color. 

I say most of the color, because I have noticed that some colors tend to leave some residual pigment.

 

 

 

I added more color to the test board and let it dry.  In fact, I let the board side for 2 days, so it was very good and dry.

 

 

 

 

 

Using a clean wet brush, I was able to activate the color on the treated side.  Not only could I move the color around, but I could even remove a considerable amount of the color.

 

 

 

 

 

The untreated side didn’t budge.  The color had been absorbed and stained the wood.

 

 

 

 

    

About the Color

As I said before, I’m using Winsor & Newton watercolors.  At the beginning of each step I list which colors I used for that step.   As I am clueless as to what sort of color you’ll get by looking at the pans, I tested each color out on a piece of paper.

 

 

 

 

All of the colors were applied directly from the pans.  I did not create custom colors.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instead, I layered the colors.   I would apply one color, and then dabble in different colors over the top or around the edges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I said, I tested out the colors on paper.  The colors I liked I made note of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I did a color swatch detailing how I created each patch of color.  I listed the colors in the order that they were applied.  

I tend to work in small areas and let the paint dry for two reasons. 

The first reason is that this helps ensure that the paint doesn’t bleed into areas I don’t want it to go. 

That second reasons is that for some reason paintbrushes hate me, and nothing delights them more than ruining a painting.  Working in small areas and let the paint dry before continuing on helps thwart the paintbrushes evil plans for my painting.

For those of you who have a good relationship with brushes, you will probably be able to do the entire painting in one sitting.   Whereas I spent several days working very slowly.  In total I only spent 1 hour painting, so it didn’t take long even for me.   

 

STEP 4 – BACKGROUND

The first thing we will do is paint in the background. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the outer background I used ultra marine blue (660), purple lake (544), and alizarin crimson (003).

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the middle background I used ultra marine blue (660) and Chinese white (150).

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the inner background I used Chinese white (150) and ultra marine blue (660).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Begin by applying a layer of ultra marine blue to the background. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s how it looked after I applied the blue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, dab in purple lake along the left edge of the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t care for how pale the blue was looking, so I added more ultra marine blue to the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I dabbed in a little more purple.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After that I dabbed in alizarin crimson along the left edge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To make sure the color stayed in the blue-purple range, I added a bit more of the blue color over the left edge.  I also blended the color a little bit on the board using a circular motion brush stroke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, repeat the process on the right side of the board.

 

 

 

 

 

In this photo I’ve already applied the purple and I’m currently applying the red to the right edge of the board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I added more blue and lightly mixed it into the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apply blue to the upper portion of the sky.  

Since I’m videotaping my work, I’m trying to keep my head out of the camera.   This makes it hard to see the top portion of the board well, so that’s why I rotated it.

 

 

 

 

Finishing up with the blue.

 

 

 

 

After blue has been brushed onto the background, then dab in the purple lake and alizarin red colors along the edges of the board.

 

 

 

I only used the ultra marine blue on the little spots of background that peeks through the rafters.

 

 

 

 

Begin by applying the ultra marine blue to the middle background.  

 

 

 

 

 

Then switch to Chinese white and apply it to the inner background.  Also, overlap the white onto the blue that is closest to the star.  This is the transition area where the star begins to illuminate the interior of the manger.

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, apply more blue to the transition area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extend the blue color to the inner background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t forget to apply blue to the touch of background that shows on either side of the crib.   I used straight ultra marine blue on this area.

STEP 5 – THE STAR

Now’s let’s paint in the star.  I kept it very basic using Chinese white (150) and lemon yellow (346).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apply a layer of Chinese white to the entire surface of the star.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then dab a little lemon yellow on the outer edge of each point on the star.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finishing up the star.

 

 

 

 

 

 

STEP 6 – THE MANGER

Next up is the manger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the roof I used Indian red (317)

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the support beams I used raw umber (554), and burnt umber (076).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The roof tiles are super basic as all they have are a layer of Indian red on them.

 

 

 

 

Next apply raw umber to the right support beams on the manager.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then dab burnt umber along the right edge of the support beams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If needed, apply more raw umber.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now apply the raw umber to the left support beams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, dab in burnt umber along the left edge of the beams.   Add more raw umber if needed (I didn’t bother with a photo).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, apply the raw umber to the roof support beams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then dab in burnt umber along the upper edge of the beams.

 

 

 

 

 

Apply raw umber to the roof beams.

Note that I rotated the board just to make it easier for me to see what I was doing while at the same time trying to keep my head out of the camera.

 

 

 

 

Lastly, dab the burnt umber along the upper edge of the beams.  In the photo, the upper edge appears as the lower edge since the artwork is rotated.

 

 

 

 

 

Finishing up.

 

 

 

 

 

STEP 7 – JESUS & THE CRIB

In this step we’ll paint in Jesus and the crib.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Jesus I used Chinese white (150) and burnt sienna (074).

You can easily control the color of the skin by altering the ratio of white and sienna that you apply to the board. 

 

 

 

 

With the straw I used Chinese white (150), yellow ochre (744), and raw umber (554).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The crib was colored in with raw umber (554) and burnt umber (076).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Begin by applying Chinese white to Jesus’ head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next apply a layer of burnt sienna.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then apply Chinese white to the straw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After that apply yellow ochre over all of the straw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, dab in raw umber along the bottom edge of the straw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then brush raw umber unto the crib slats and frame.

 

 

 

 

 

Switch to burn umber and dab it along the upper and lower edges of each slat.  Also dab the color along the outer edges of the frame.

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s how the crib looks so far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If needed, apply more raw umber to the slats.

STEP 8 – JOSEPH

Now let’s take care of Joseph.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the flesh I used Chinese white (150) and burnt sienna (074).

 

 

 

 

 

 

With his hair I used burnt umber (076) and payne’s gray (485). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The robe was painted with burnt sienna (074), Indian red (317), and cadmium yellow pale (119).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Begin by applying Chinese white to Joseph’s skin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next apply a layer of burnt sienna over all of the skin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Switch to burnt umber and apply a layer to the hair.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then dab in payne’s gray along the back half of the head.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apply burnt sienna to the robe.  I worked on the upper portion of the robe first.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, dab in Indian red along the back and lower edges of the robe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dab a little cadmium yellow pale along the upper and front edges of the robe to create a highlight from the star.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repeat the coloring process with the lower portion of the robe.  Begin with the burnt sienna.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then apply the Indian red to the back edge and the lower quarter of the robe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s how the robe looks so far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If needed apply more burnt sienna.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, dab in a little cadmium yellow pale along the front edge of the first two robe sections.

STEP 9 – MARY

The last thing we need to paint is Mary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The flesh was created using Chinese white (150), and burnt sienna (074).

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the hair I used burnt umber (076).

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the robe I used Chinese white (150), lemon yellow (346), cadmium orange (090), and cadmium red pale (103).

 

 

 

 

 

Begin by applying Chinese white to Mary’s skin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next apply a layer of burnt sienna to the skin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then apply burnt umber to the hair. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brush Chinese white to the upper two-thirds of the robe.  I didn’t apply white along the bottom of the robe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, apply a layer of lemon yellow over the entire robe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Switch to cadmium orange and apply that to the back and lower edges of the robe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s how the robe looks so far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now apply cadmium red pale to the lower portions of the robe and to the shoe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If needed add more lemon yellow to help the colors blend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t care for how dark the front of the robe got, so I used a clean brush and removed most of the color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, dab in a little Chinese white along the upper edges of the robe.

STEP 10 – SIGNING

The last thing to do is sign the artwork.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used a permanent fine tip mark to sign my name.  I didn’t burn in my name because you should never ever burn over color.   

By the way, I’m using a photo from the colored pencil version of this project because I didn’t record myself signing the watercolor version.

Because color has been added to the artwork, always use a spray on wood finish or sealer for the first layer.  After that you can use a brush on type if you prefer.

 

 

 

Can you mail wooden postcards?

I refer to this series as Christmas postcards because the small rectangular shape of the wood reminds me of postcards.  On the back of each postcard artwork I put the title and number.  Keep in mind that you can easily put something else there.  Your favorite poem, Christmas saying, prayer, etc.   

Recently I was asked if the wooden postcards can be mailed.  What a wonderful question!  The answer is yes. 

All you need to do is put the mailing information on the back.  I would use a permanent marker for this, and I’d write the address on before finish was applied.  After that, just take it too your local post office to pay for the postage.      

Would I personally mail a wooden postcard?  No.  

The reason is that I think the artwork would get damaged.  If I used heavy cardstock or watercolor paper instead of wood, then I might mail it. 

More likely, I would take a high-resolution photograph and print the artwork out onto heavy cardstock.  That way the original artwork isn’t damaged, and any number of postcards can be quickly and easily created.

IN CONCLUSION

That’s it for this blog.  I hope you found the information helpful and will try the artwork yourself.  I’m sure that many, of not most, of you will do a much better job painting than I did.  I’m not good with a paintbrush, so I tend to avoid using them.

I’ll answer some final questions before I go.   The artwork was burned on birch plywood.  It measures 6 x 8 inches (15.2 x 20.3 cm), and it took me 2 hours to create it.  Obviously that doesn’t include curing and drying times.

Until the next blog,

Brenda

Nov 23, 2021

Want to subscribe? 

• Click on the “Leave a Comment” field at the end of any post (blog) and a subscribe option will appear.
• Put something in the comment field (if you put “test” or “just subscribing” I won’t make your comment public)
• Fill in the sections for your email address and name, and then click on the “notify me of new posts via email.”
• You will get a confirmation email from WordPress confirming you want to subscribe.
• Click on the confirm button in that email and you’re done.

Please note that I do not send out emails.   If you have a WordPress account there is a way to subscribe within the WordPress system, but I cannot provide specifics on how it works as I don’t know.