The art of pyrography -- burning designs into wood and many other materials -- can add a special touch to any project, including wooden trunks and jewelry, wildlife carvings, leather pictures, and paper collages. In this book, Al Chapman will explain the different tools and mediums that can be used, and will show you in detail how to use them for different effects. You will learn several methods of transferring a pattern onto your piece of wood or leather, how to give depth to your pictures with crosshatching, stippling, and flat-edge shading, how to make realistic-looking fur, and how to add shadows and highlights. Chapman's extensive experience with these techniques allows him to give you helpful hints for keeping your pictures realistic looking, with subtle and graceful lines. You will also learn how to use your pyrography techniques on paper, a technique that is useful for borders, collages, or decoupage.

Santos, the folk art of the Santero (maker of saint images), are depictions of religious figures in the form of bultos (carvings in the round) or retablos (paintings on wooden panels). The Santero is usually a self-taught craftsman who utilizes handmade tools to fashion representations of the saints dear to his family and community. These figures and objects are usually made from pine, aspen, cedar or cottonwood root. Yeso (gesso) is first applied and the paints made from vegetal and mineral products are used to finish the piece. This book makes a good companion to "What is a New Mexico Santo?" by Eluid Levi Martinez, also published by Sunstone Press.