Aliehs In reply to FlyingRam [2016-08-28 14:42:01 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!! ♡

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Aliehs In reply to ArthurMarkus [2016-08-28 14:41:45 +0000 UTC]

Hi there ♡
I haven't stopped burning, I just have a lot going on in my life these days and have been experiencing a terrible art block for the last 2 years. I have managed to do a little art here and there but just haven't had much to share

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Aliehs In reply to ElinLewis [2014-06-12 18:17:14 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome <3

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Aliehs In reply to RhiannonWoolf [2014-05-18 12:56:00 +0000 UTC]

Aww thank you so much <3 I am glad you like my work!

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Aliehs In reply to KenazArt [2014-04-08 06:34:38 +0000 UTC]

Derp XD You are forgiven! Of course I am going to fave your stuff!!! Its beautiful!!!! <3

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Aliehs In reply to KenazArt [2014-03-18 00:49:51 +0000 UTC]

You are most welcome! I wish I had more time to view your gallery earlier but I will be remedying that after I send this

Thank you for the kind words! I don't think my work is all that realistic XD
And you know what? Thats ok
I put my own spin on things that makes up my own style, so theres absolutely nothing wrong with having your own way of doing things!

I honestly think your prior knowledge of inking greatly influenced your quick ability to produce such amazing burns!!! I tell people all the time who are unfamiliar with burning that if they dabbled in pen and ink or graphite work previously, pyrography will be something they will pick up fairly quickly because you can use almost all the same methods to create amazing pieces. You are obviously a quick study What got you into woodburning? I am certainly glad that you did

Color is so very tricky and is best to do in subtle ways or else it distracts from all the lovely burning you did! But if its subtle color you want, I would recommend watercolor pencils or just regular tubed watercolors. I'm always playing with new ideas and have even branched out to Gel pens a little, but I like watercolors because they are transparent enough to just lay on top of your burn and basically tint it I know other burners like to use oil pencils but I am not overly fond of the end result =/ Its too thick to me and covers up too much.

So really, anything that you can thin out to be transparent would work good, but even then you have to be careful with what you use. Warmer colors seem to work better and blend really well, whereas cool colors can sometimes bring the grain of the wood out....its really a lot of trial and error and sometimes even a bit of a gamble (which believe me....I have done and lost before ). If you use colored pencil just keep a light hand when using soft woods or you will get unwanted indentations. And if you choose to put a finish on it, I recommend at least 2-3 coats of a spray finish first before using a brush or else you will smear color all over the place and make a big mess!

I noticed you are also on Facebook (I liked ya ), you should really check out Woodburnings by Ken Potter on there. He is my absolute favorite pyrographer and he likes to use LOTS of color and various different mediums to get his colors. Hes got a very colorful personality and some of his subject matter may not be everyones cup of tea...but he is amazing If you like any of my work, you will LOVE his stuff

Gosh this got super wordy XD sorry about that!! I hope I have helped you out a little and given you even more encouragement to start experimenting with color! You have beautiful burns the way they are already, I am interested to see how you throw color into the mix Maybe we could even do a burning trade some time!! 

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KenazArt In reply to Aliehs [2014-03-18 18:45:36 +0000 UTC]

The rose, dogs, wolves and a lot of the portraits are very realistic in my opinion, but I must agree, you definitely put your own flare on things! I love how creative you are with the burning, colour combinations and the furries have a charm of their own! (: I completely agree! As much as I love the ultra realism, and don't get me wrong, it is very impressive, I feel a lot of it lacks artistic character, and that's what I personally love about art.
Thank you! I agree, having a bit of drawing know-how definitely helps, but learning to burn is almost like learning to draw all over again. The tool takes a lot of getting used to. I spent about a week trying to do a small love heart that wasn't sqiggly haha. But yes! it has definitely helped me progress much faster having a little prior knowledge, it was just getting going that was the trouble! lol
Wellll.. (i'll try not to write an essay!)
I got diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos about 2 years ago, and have been going downhill since. I used to be very active, running, horse riding etc, but now I'm very limited to what I can do. I had also dropped out of college studying applied sciences, and was looking for a career choice. I could never work full time, so college seemed pretty worthless.. I also didn't have a clue what I wanted to do, and didn't fancy 'wasting time' in something I wasn't sure about.
Started going more downhill, till the point I was bed/house bound most of the time. My partners mum is very arty/crafty (has dabbled in a bit of everything) and she suggested pyrography after seeing my ink drawings that I had done to pass the time in bed. She got me the tool for my birthday, and here I am! lol I hadn't done any kind of arty things since I was 12 at school, but I have put in so many hours it's unreal, art just seems to have taken over my life now, which i love! lol I'm hoping to eventually start my own small business. So far, most of my pieces have been commissions and I've managed to make a little pocket money. (: I love being my own boss, it also fits really well with my health problems. I'd hate to let people down and constantly be off work, as random dislocations and other things are a part of EDS (currently recovering from a dislocated knee last week lol)
How about you? (:
Thank you sooo much for all the advice and info, it has really helped (: I think I will start with adding highlights with my white pencil and go from there... I don't have many artistic supplies yet so I think i'll invest in some watercolour pencils first.
Thank you for the like on facebook! I will check out Kens page (: are you on facebook?
Yeah.... sorrry... my reply was super long too. Probably longer than yours, so don't worry!
You really have helped so much! And I think that could be arranged.... (:

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Aliehs In reply to KenazArt [2014-03-19 06:22:31 +0000 UTC]

I get close, but I still think most of my stuff posesses a kind of...I don't know...cartoonish vibe? I don't know XD I have never claimed to be an art expert and knowledgeable in all the fancy terms, I just try to make pretty things and have a lot of fun in the process
I agree completely with your comment about feeling like you have to learn how to draw all over again!! Manipulating the burner really is a challenge, as is working with what appears to be a surface that will only allow you to do straight lines The very first woodburning I ever did was a wolf(should be the very first burning in my woodburnings folder) and you can tell how I struggled with figuring out how to make curved likes because most of his fur is almost straight XD I added the dream catcher around him later when I was more comfortable with the burner but it was still quite the challenge  Out of curiosity, what type of burner are you using?
I really don't mind reading a long message! People tend to leave such short comments (I am not one to talk!) or no comments at all under art on a lot of the galleries I post to so I welcome the chance to have an actual conversation <3
Your story is very inspiring, I can't imagine how hard it was/is to adjust to such a life changing situation, but its nice to know something as positive as rediscovering your love for art came out of it . I am very happy for your success and hope it keeps growing!! It definietely deserves to! I did a little journal feature to promote your gallery and shared your Facebook page with my friends (one of which really liked your work!) so hopefully even more people start seeing your lovely art and keep you busy It really feels good to be able to share your gift with others, knowing that something you love doing can bring such happiness to someone else....and get paid all at the same time! Its too bad the world doesn't run on positive energy or happiness, because if it did I am sure we would be very rich people
How did I get into burning?
It started 7 years ago, wow...it really doesn't feel like its been that long! I'm really not good at many things....mostly due to having hardly no self confidence/low self esteem/social anxities, but art was something that I was always recognized for in school and have always been passionate about. I've been drawing "animal people" since I was in 2nd grade XD And it was always a fox princess on a doorstep to a house LOL! It wasn't until High School that I even heard of furries and that there is a whole community out there full of them and began to really develop my style and love for these strange furry characters.
Anyways.....My Grandfather was the one that introduced me to burning
He is kind of a jack of all trades like your  partners mum He makes beautiful, wooden boxes and was looking for a way to decorate them. He heard about a pyrography class the local carving club was having, so he took it and has been burning ever since! The more burnings he did, the more curious I got and couldn't help but see the advantage in the realistic look burning fur could meld with my love for drawing furries. I have burned a lot of images from photographs, even other artists work, anything that I think looks like it would be fun or challenging or I might end up learning something new. But ultimately, I would like majority of my gallery to be filled with original art, from start to finish. You feel proud when you challenge yourself with a difficult subject, but it can't compare to the pride you feel in something thats completely original and all your own
Which is another thing that makes your work stand out all the more! A lot of the pyrographers you see just recreate things, taking an exsisting image and producing their versions of it. I am not looking down on them by any means! Make no mistake! Every burner has their own skills and their own ways of burning,  and no two burners burn alike! It is just very refreshing to see new things, fresh things, ORIGINAL art I am looking forward to seeing what you do with color, and I am glad my experimental knowledge has helped you If you ever need advice I am more than willing to try and help you out, but I think you already have a really good idea of where you are headed and I can't wait to see what comes next! <3

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KenazArt In reply to Aliehs [2014-03-22 00:16:43 +0000 UTC]

I love how helpful you are! (: I've struggled so far with helping people with their questions. I find about 10% of pyrography is instructions/advice, and the other 90% is just practice and creating your own style of doing things (: Your tools of the trade post was really helpful! I'm pretty sure the razertips have extra small pens and big foamy grips too, I think they're very precision orintated. I had a look for the Colwood Cub but I can't find any in the UK :/
Thank you! I've got a variety of different pyro and stamping tips, but not sure how long they're going to hold out lol. There's a really fine thin pointy one, like a pencil tip. One the same but a bit thicker, a larger rounded one I use for shading (bit like a ball tip) and a few others, but I mainly use those 3. As for the 2 temps, I usually just change my speed or switch it on/off or between heats and change again as needed. It's just a cheap tool to get me started anyway, I don't think they're built to last! Haha I love the shading x) have to say the tedious, precise line work is what I hate most lol. I'm actually really looking forward to working with foam, my pen is plastic with a rubbery grip, not comfortable at all! I'm really lucky though because my grandparents and parents have said they will both chip in for a professional machine for me, after my hobby one is goosed (providing I liked pyrography and got on well with it and stuff)

I haven't worked with paper yet, I've seen a few of them though, beautiful! You do need special paper though right? I can't wait to see the pieces you're working on! Oh and I have only tried a line on leather so far. The smell put me off and I haven't had any leather to try on... Not that I'm complaining but I would love to try again in future. Will just need some nice incense burning under my nose lol
Hahaha aww, I can completely sympathize with you there. I'm the same! I'm always trying to 'set the mood' to get creative, which usually involves cups of tea/coffee, fluffy jammies, smelly candles, curtains closed, little lamps and music on (: I'm definitely a nesting type I go through the same horrible spells, every thing you do just doesn't look right, and it ruins your motivation. Nothing like getting in 'the zone' and powering through a piece! Makes you feel so good (:

I loooove foxes so much :3 hoping the price of a fennec comes down a bit in the coming years, don't fancy splashing out 2-3k for one! lol Flying squirrels are much more affordable (and equally fun, if not more so.. they fly lol) for the mean time. Apparently they are also massive characters, and form a really strong bond with their owner :3 I'm so excited! A woman opening an exotic pet shop near me got in touch about asking to stock a few of my boxes. Just trying cheapish ones to begin with (i'll be getting £25 per box) and see how they go. BUT, she has a shops license and can get in touch with flying squirrel breeders for me! (: I love ferrets too, I think that's a pretty fair deal, just make sure and keep them well apart! lol and I'm pretty sure the girls can die if you don't breed them, which is just a really good excuse to play with baby ferrets really xD. A good family friend has shiba inus too! They're soooo gorgeous. Definitely foxy little pups! I'm not sure on names yet, but i've gotten in touch with various breeders, and apparently it's best to get them JUST before they are completely weaned from their mother. Like, at the stage they are eating on their own, but still 'topping up' with milk. So you feed them a milk and cream mix along with their food, and keep them in your pocket when they're sleeping so they bond with you. Hoping to get an unrelated girl and boy and have babies in future. They don't breed often though, they're really picky about their mates! lol Needless to say I'm super excited haha

Pinterest is faaab! It's definitely better than losing all your stuff, time and time again! haha awesome! I've really enjoyed chatting too (: should totally add me on facebook or something, a bit easier chatting there (:

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Aliehs In reply to KenazArt [2014-03-22 02:11:39 +0000 UTC]

This is very true XD Friend request sent  

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KenazArt In reply to Aliehs [2014-03-21 01:19:37 +0000 UTC]

I think a lot of your work does have a sort of cartoonish vibe x) very fun! And yuup, me too. I just love making pretty things and having a blast doing it (:
No waaaay is that your first burning. You can't tell you 'struggled' at all! Well done, it's amaaazing!
2 temp craft burner at the moment, but I've got my eye on a razertip machine for sometime in future.. you?
It is lovely having a proper conversation, especially with someone that has similar interests (: I'm usually really antisocial offline, I love my 'me' time. Company tends to exhaust me after a while lol
So lovely of you to do something like that for me! Thank you so much (: You're so incredibly sweet!
Brilliant! Really glad you got into burning too Do you like foxes? I've loved fennec foxes for years, one of my favourite animals. I hope to own one some day! But in the mean time, I'm going to focus on getting a pair of captive bred flying squirrels (:
Ahh I hear you there, I've had anxiety problems for years. I'm absolutely terrible with phonecalls lol. need to gear myself up, it's ridiculous lol.
I completely agree, that's what I love best about original designs. It's completely from within the artists mind. I've got a huuuge inspiration folder on pinterest, about 450 pictures! lol I definitely enjoy original artwork the most, it always has so much character and creativity to it (:
You have helped me soooo much! Thank you again (: I can't wait to start experimenting! I completely forgot to say, I have experimented using wood stain. On the snake box, I used a little mahogany to bring out the reddish tones of the snakes tail (: It isn't too adventurous though! lol
I can't wait to see what you upload next either! Do you have any projects going on just now?

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Aliehs In reply to KenazArt [2014-03-21 20:49:56 +0000 UTC]

I don't mind helping one bit!! I get excited to see more burners!! And if anything I have learned or can offer can help someone else, I am all for it When I started posting my burnings I didn't realize how little people knew about wood burning and was always getting asked questions so I decided to make a Tools of the Trade type thing to show others what I use and try to give as much information as I can. You might wanna check a couple of the links out that I have posted underneath that are to sites that sell burners. aliehs.deviantart.com/art/Tool…
I am not super familiar with all the different brands of burners so I looked up the Razertip to see how much its going for. If you want something really affordable I would suggest the Colwood Cub. According to the site I shared, its only $63 something? And was actually the very first burner I used and still have it! It does the exact same things as the Razer or the newer one I have now, its just smaller, doesn't have a pen rest, and can only plug one fixed pen in at a time. Having the ability to plug in two pens at once is nice and can be very conveiniant, but I honestly forget I can do it half the time LOL And as far as tips go, seeing how skilled you are already with the burners you are using, you could easily get away with using only a handful of tips to achieve the wide range of techniques you would like to use The best thing about the Cub is you will easily make your money back on it after selling some burns so it almost pays for itself
STAY AWAY FROM CORK PENS!!! Do yourself a huge favor and stick with foam, MUCH more friendly to your hands The cork ones are so hard and uncomfortable, combine that with the heat they produce I don't know how anyone can stand to use them without some kind of hand protection. Maybe I just have a low heat tolerance and I like to burn dark like you which means high heat
No matter what brand you end up choosing to get, I can almost promise you that you are not going to regret spending the money or ever want to use the old burners again XD Having all that control does wonders, and considering how well you managed before I am even more excited to see what you do with a burner like that
Also...have you messed with paper at all? I saw you mentioned leather but was curious if you messed with paper yet. I would give that a try too Thats one of the things I am hooked on at the moment, mainly because you don't have to do any sanding and thats my least favorite part about burning LOL However, I am finding that paper is so much more challenging and time consuming...I have 3 of them started right now and seem to get to the point where I have to do a lot of time consuming stuff and just...stop XD But as far as having things I am working on now...the list is so long.....so very long....I am behind on a bunch of stuff and always seem to be playing catch up. Its my own fault most of the time, I get into these very dark moods where it seems like my brain tries really hard to discourage me from doing the things I enjoy the most, I don't know why =/ I envy these artists who can pump out art almost every day or even multiple times a week. Sometimes a creative streak will take hold of me and I will stay up for days just doing art or getting very little sleep and then I will go weeks without being able to sketch a single thing because I hate how everything looks LOL Way too overcritical of ourselves....and mood sensitive to our art
I LOVE FOXES!!!!
My fursona, Ali, is a fox <3 I couldn't agree with you more on both fronts! Having a pet fennec or flying squirrels!! I really would like to try having a ferret but my husband is not keen on the idea....he wants a snake which I am not keen on either so the deal is the day he can have a snake is the day I can have a ferret But we both share a love for cats and have two that have been with us for over 10 years. They are our furry children <3 But recently we bought our first house and now have a fenced in back yard so the idea of getting a dog(s) is a repeated subject. We are really hoping to get ourselves a pair of Shiba Inus They kinda look like foxes!! And already have names picked out: Kitsune and Shogun XD. Unfortunately they are very expensive and the closest breeder we have found is in another state or on the other side of the state we live in now. It probably won't happen anytime soon but I am hopeful that it will one day What would you name your squirrels??
I am guilty of piling up refrence or inspirational art/photos too XD Pinterest sounds like a better way to keep it all instead of storing it in folders and losing it all if your computer dies....like mine did XD Just gotta start over!
We sound so much alike but I guess its not too surprising considering all the things we have in common . I am happy to have met you and really enjoy talking with you! I am really not that social online either but lately I've been putting forth the best effort to really try and connect with other artists and establish friendships, and what better way to do that than through art? Its just funny because you and a few other artists I have recently been chatting with all live in other countries XD I guess I am destined to have close friendships but at long distances XD

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Aliehs In reply to DanielDGriffiths [2014-02-18 22:06:33 +0000 UTC]

You are more than welcome! Your words really pulled at my heartstrings <3

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Aliehs In reply to CakeUpStudio [2014-01-26 23:43:10 +0000 UTC]

It is so freaking awesome and full of win, how could I not???

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CakeUpStudio In reply to Aliehs [2014-01-27 14:20:00 +0000 UTC]

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Aliehs In reply to TheTurnerPack [2013-12-26 20:09:41 +0000 UTC]

I did!!! Thank you very much <3

I hope you had a wonderful one as well!

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Aliehs In reply to LUKAS-87 [2013-12-26 13:52:23 +0000 UTC]

You are most welcome!

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Aliehs In reply to snazzie-designz [2013-12-20 13:07:23 +0000 UTC]

Thank you <3

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snazzie-designz In reply to Aliehs [2013-12-20 19:50:14 +0000 UTC]

My pleasure

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Aliehs In reply to snazzie-designz [2013-12-18 08:58:15 +0000 UTC]

Awww thank you so much!

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snazzie-designz In reply to Aliehs [2013-12-18 23:05:45 +0000 UTC]

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Aliehs In reply to cYbercatz13 [2013-12-17 05:50:54 +0000 UTC]

You're most welcome!!!

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