Pyrography Nibs/Tips - How Many Do You Need?
@kennilworthy-thisp asked, "Do you use different nibs to get different effects? I'm still just using the one nib..." (I tried to respond to the question via the reply box, but it wouldn't upload my photos for some reason).
I definitely use multiple tips! In fact here's (almost) my entire nib collection. There is one that I forgot to put in there, but I've included it in the second photo because it is actually one of my favorites.
Please forgive the poor photo quality, it is an overcast day and there is no light in my apartment.
Now, before you think, "Oh man! I didn't even know I needed that many tips!!" ... You don't. In fact, I'd strongly discourage purchasing this many until you understand exactly why you feel the need to purchase each tip. I'm sure Colwood is very happy for my business, but I honestly don't utilize half of these tips on a regular basis. Many came with my purchase of the Super Pro II. Some came as gifts from my family. And I've added a few when I would realize I needed a different nib to accomplish what I wanted.
I very easily reduced my necessary nibs down to five. On any given project, I probably will use more tips because I do have them available and they will help accomplish what I want, but I use these ones the most. Think of it like a painter- There are so many paint brushes available, and your ability to get the most out of your brushes grows with your skill set, but you don't need the vast majority to create a beautiful painting. Also, what is right for me may not work for you - each style of burning will be complemented by certain tips.
Here are my favorite nibs:
The leftmost one is great for high detail. It can essentially work as a pencil, great for rounded lines, writing, and stippling.
The second on the left is one I like to use for hair/fur, some shading, and bark. The rounded tip will not dig into the wood, and I find it very versatile.
The middle is bent so far you can't really tell the shape, but it is similar (although larger) the one on the right of it. However, with the bent shape and the large surface, I mainly use this one to accomplish the dark backgrounds I tend to favor. That's also why it looks so burnt!
The second to the right is ideal for smooth shading. I recently added this one based on a video of ser-pyro shading. Suzy is easily the best I've seen when it comes to realism. Her shading is controlled and perfect, and I'm constantly in awe of her work. Some day I'll get there! When I saw her shading with this one, it clicked, "Oh my gosh, why wasn't I using that before?!" And since then, my shading has improved greatly.
Finally, I love my flat-edged nibs. I have three different sizes and I use them all. This is the medium-sized one. I like to have the outline of my subjects cut into the wood. I enjoy the visual impact of the slice, and so I use these sharp tips at a high heat in order to create that. I use the smallest on details and I've recently used the largest one on a coffee table I'm working on. So all three come in handy pretty regularly.
I wouldn't classify my collection as a waste of money. Far from it- each tip does bring something specific to the table and they can break (although I've only had one break so far), so even the doubles are helpful. However, I think you can accomplish most of what you want/need with just the few I've described here.
Another note: I haven't been regularly doing pyrography until somewhat recently (like the last six months). Before that, it was sporadic - I might have only sit down once a month to work on my pieces. I've noticed that practicing is the #1 way to improve the shading and line work that you do. It sounds obvious, but I feel like when I first got into pyrography I felt that if I purchased more nibs, I'd increase my ability. That only came with regular practice - and I'm still working on my discipline!
Any other pyrographers want to share their favorite nibs (and why)?
