To begin building my skills with the woodburning tool, I tried out some simple shapes and lines. Given my interest in birdwatching, it made since to start with a sketch from my Audobon Field Guide--one of the more common birds in the Louisville area, the Carolina Chickadee. First, I sketched the general lines freehand. Since this bird has many blocks of solid color, feather detail was less important to make it recognizable. Simple wide hatching helps me keep track of darker areas.

I only used one tip for this piece--the chisel point. This tip made it difficult to shade, so the edges aren't always clean.