All About Wood Burning

What is Wood Burning?

Pyrography aka Wood Burning— derived from the Greek “pur” (fire) and “graphos” (writing) which basically means drawing with fire.

Materials

Tools & Techniques

Wood Burning Pen

Comes with interchangeable bits that give you different lines and textures when used. You do not want to push down hard on the pen because darkness and lightness is controlled by time/speed, NOT pressure.

Safety Guidelines

Keep a wet paper towel on hand to wipe off the end of the tip every once in a while as residue from the wood builds up.
Wear gloves and a mask to protect yourself from potential burns and smoke inhalation.
Be mindful of safety. The tip gets extremely hot — several hundred degrees F, at minimum, in fact. So when the tool is plugged in, always be mindful of where the hot metal end is. Be sure it isn’t touching anything and always have it resting on the metal stand when not in use. NEVER touch the metal of the pen when it is HOT!
As you work, use 320-grit sandpaper on a solid block to lightly brush away any residue or buildup from the tip of the woodburning pen. If you do this while the tip is hot, avoid holding the sandpaper in your hands or touching the paper more than a second.
When changing tips, UNPLUG the tool and wait a few minutes.
Use a small pair of pliers to remove hot tips safely and easily. Place hot tips in a small glass or metal dish to cool. Even though cool tips can be handled safely, use pliers to insert them into the barrel of a hot tool.
Keep the woodburning pen away from the cord or any flammable materials.

Required Practice

Materials:

Wood Burning Pen
Wooden Surface
Carbon Transfer paper
Tape
Pencil/ Pen
Sandpaper
Wet paper towel
Wood Stain, if necessary

How to Practice:

After reading over the information, you need to simply get familiar with the tool.

Heat up the Wood-burner: Let the pen heat for 4-5 minutes before wood-burning. Always place the pen on its holder. Once the pen is heated, you may begin tracing your picture.
Get a piece of scrap wood that has already been burned (DO NOT GRAB A PIECE OF GOOD UNBURNED WOOD!!!) and test out “drawing” on the wood with the various tips just like you would with a pencil.
Be sure to let the tool cool down for 5 minutes before changing out tips; it’ll then have to be heated up again for a few minutes.
The key is to go slow and steady. If you’re jerky, it’ll show. If you go too fast, the wood won’t really burn like you want it to.

Sketch

Directions: Using your artwork planning form, begin sketching your idea. Think about a variety of lines (hatching, cross-hatching, stippling) and black vs. white areas. Label the techniques/bits you plan to use.

How to Begin

Directions:

Find a piece of wood to use. Sand it down with sandpaper if the surface is rough OR stain/paint it with the color of your choice. Let dry.
Lightly sketch your idea onto the wood.
Plug in the heat gun and let it heat up for 5 min.
Begin by working with one tip at a time.
Unplug the heat gun and let it cool down for 5 min.
You can leave it to cool on the counter as long as it is sitting in its metal stand.

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