Turning a Mallee Burr Bowl — Texturing & Airbrush Colour

A Mallee burr from Australia is about as dramatic as anything you can put on the lathe. Dense, knotted, full of character in a way British hardwoods rarely manage. This piece wanted to be low and wide, keeping as much of the natural surface as I could.

In the film I turned the bowl, textured the outer rim, then built colour with an airbrush, laying ink washes in layers and working with the tones already in the burr rather than painting over them. The texturing and the colour together bring out a depth the surface wouldn't show under a plain finish.

If you fancy working with Australian burrs, or you're curious about combining turning, texturing and airbrush colour on a decorative piece, this walks through the whole thing.