How To Create A Fish Using Driftwood and Finish with Pyrography and Acrylic

The thing to do is to, try to see a piece of driftwood as the artwork it could become, after you add a minimal amount of artistry. When you are combing a beach or riverbank for pieces of driftwood allow your imagination to run wild. This is great fun and is also a very healthy practice for your inner child. I make a game of it. Some days I hunt for only one type of driftwood. I will go SNAKE hunting, FISH hunting, BIRD hunting and so on.The important thing is to really use that creative side of your brain and imagine.

I do not always pick up each piece as I go. Sometimes I will carry a piece of driftwood around if it is small enough. I explore the feel it has. I seek the texture and the curves, the grain and the possibilities of the piece with my touch. I might carry this one piece around only to reject it for another on the final roundup.This is when to let your imagination take charge.

Try to visualize as you explore. Do this from a distance as well as when you are holding it. Turn the piece over and look at it with squinted eyes. This is a useful way to view as it eleminates detail. Adjust your eyes as you squint, trying to change the image before you without blocking it completely out. Now let your imagination run your thoughts. With practice it becomes easy to find the critter inside the raw driftwood.

It is best if you can clean the wood up and dry it, avoiding a need to put an effort into changing the piece by sanding, cutting, or some other altering action. Keep it simple. When you start to burn and paint let the artistry expound on the form with minimal application. Add just enough design to make your fish come to life. This approach enhances the truth of the driftwood and creates the most interesting works of art.