Quick-Start Woodburning Guide

QUICK-START

WOODBURNING
GUIDE

Michele Y. Parsons

Author of Leather Pyrography

Contents

What Is Pyrography? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Types of Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Care of Equipment and Materials . . . . . . . . . . 18
Preparing to Woodburn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Techniques for Woodburning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Coloring Woodburning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Finishing Woodburning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Other Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
About the Author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

What Is Pyrography?

Pyrography is another word for woodburning, but the term woodburning
is only used when burning on wood.

Pyrography in Latin means
“fire” (pyro-) and “writing/

drawing” (-graphy).

When you are burning Woodburning is one of many pyrography techniques.
patterns, text, or images
on materials, such as
gourds, leather, cork,
canvas, tagua nuts, bone,
or paper, the proper term
is pyrography.

One of the most
popular materials that
people burn is wood.
Because it’s the go-to
material, people often
refer to all of pyrography
as woodburning, which is
incorrect. It’s best to only
use the term woodburning
when referring to burning
on wood. In the end,
though, whatever you
want to call it, pyrography
is an excellent craft to
learn and wood is a good
place to start.

4 Quick-Start Woodburning Guide

Pen Tip Categories

Woodburning pens are grouped as a skew, but its primary purpose
into four categories by their usage: is to be used upright as a shader.
writers, skews, shaders, and branding/ Categorizing pens by their primary
specialty. Although a pen can be purpose makes it easier to select them,
used in a variety of ways, its category especially when some manufacturers
designation is based on its designed make as many as 900 pens from which
primary function. For example, a to choose.
shader pen can be used on its side

Writers

Writer pens have a rounded tip that burn Writers’ rounded tips allow them to move in
lines with soft edges. The tip can can be a any direction, such as in circles and loops.
round endpoint, bent wire, or ball. This allows
it to glide over the surface without getting
caught in the wood grain or texture.

Types of Equipment 13

Care of Equipment
and Materials

Burning causes carbon to build up on your pens, which causes
uneven burning or carbon smudges that do not erase. To achieve the
best burning, you will need to clean and polish your pens.

Cleaning and Polishing Your Pen Tips

Wipe your pen tip on a piece of denim when you notice black specks (carbon dust) while
burning. Protect your table or project by placing the denim on a scrap piece of wood or heat-
resistant silicone mat.

18 Quick-Start Woodburning Guide

Putting Your Design on the Wood

You can use a soft graphite pencil (2B to 6B) to draw a pattern directly
on the wood, or you can transfer your pattern onto the wood using the
following method.

Transferring a Pattern

Tape your pattern in position in two places on the same side to avoid the pattern shifting.
Place a piece of unwaxed (lighter gray in color) transfer/graphite paper under the pattern,
graphite side down.

Do not use waxed (very dark black) use carbon paper (the old typewriter
transfer/graphite paper because it duplication paper). Carbon paper will
is hard to erase when you are done transfer carbon lines that, once heat is
burning your project. Also, do NOT applied, will not erase.

Preparing to Woodburn 23

Pen Speed

When using a one temperature burner, The speed of your pen stroke makes your
create lighter lines by burning faster or line light or dark. The faster you move your
burning while the pen is warming up or pen, the lighter the line will be because
cooling down. the pen does not spend enough time in
contact with the wood to burn it dark, and
vice versa. Changing the pen speed while
drawing a line will make it appear unevenly
light and dark in places.

Avoid burning really fast and then turning A slow and consistent speed burns better
the heat up higher to make a darker line. This lines. When used in conjunction with
will not only make your fingers feel hot but it adjusting your temperature dial, you will be
will also produce blobs. able to adjust the tones from light to dark
as needed.

28 Quick-Start Woodburning Guide

Shading

There are several techniques for creating shading in your pieces.

Smooth shading Cross-hatching
Shader pens are designed to produce flat, You can also create shading using either
tonal shading. Tones are the different shades writers or skews by creating parallel lines.
of brown and black that burning produces. This method is called hatching (parallel lines
in one direction) or cross-hatching (parallel
lines in two different directions). If the lines
are closer together, the shading will appear
darker. If the lines are farther apart, the
shading will appear lighter.

Stippling Scribbling

You can create shading using a writer pen by stippling (creating overlapping dots) or
scribbling (creating overlapping looping circles, similar to writing a lower case e or o). For
dark shading, overlap the dots or loops a lot. For light shading, spread out the dots or loops.

Techniques for Woodburning 41

Coloring Woodburning

If you decide to add color to your project, burn the natural wood, add color,
and then add the finish. This sequence is necessary so you are not burning
color or finishing products, both of which would release toxic fumes into
the air. Color is added before the finish so that the finish can help protect
the color.

Dyes and markers will soak into
the wood and will not hide the
burn. Very diluted acrylics, oils,
and watercolors will also allow
the burning to show through if
applied sparingly.

Thicker pigmented paints
and colored pencils will hide
the burn.

52 Quick-Start Woodburning Guide

Finishing Woodburning

Sealing your woodburning with a finishing product will protect the
wood, the woodburned design, and any color. A variety of wood-
finishing product can be used to seal your project. However, there are a
few things to consider.

Some finishing products can alter the wood so that it is hard to see your woodburning. Test
your finishing product on a similar piece of wood before applying it to your project.

Finishing Woodburning 55

Troubleshooting

If you are having trouble with your equipment or woodburning, this
section will help you troubleshoot some basic issues before you contact
or send your equipment to the manufacturer. Refer to your woodburner’s
user manual for additional troubleshooting advice.

Issue: Blobs on the Wood Issue: Bending or Breaking Pen Tip

If your pen is leaving lots of blobs on If your pen tip keeps bending
your wood: or breaks:
❏❏Check your burning technique for ❏❏Check your burning technique for

your pen speed on page 28. skews on pages 35–36.
❏❏Check your burning technique ❏❏Check your burning technique for

for your pen pressure on page 31 your pen pressure on page 31.
and 42. ❏❏Check that your pens are stored

properly. See page 20 for pen care.

58 Quick-Start Woodburning Guide

EANThe Ultimate Crash Course in Woodburning

Quick, simple, and easy-to-read, this beginner-friendly guide is
the perfect starting point for introducing yourself to the hobby of
woodburning! Jump right into learning about the basics, safety,
equipment, burning and finishing techniques, and other foundational
topics necessary for being successful in the art of woodburning.
Also included are further reading suggestions so you can apply and
practice your newfound skills with exciting projects! This accessible
and insightful guide will help you understand everything you need to
know about woodburning and start burning the right way, right away.

♦♦ Provides a complete overview of woodburning basics, safety, tools,
techniques, pattern transferring, and more.

♦♦ Features expert guidance, high-quality photography, and helpful illustrations.

♦♦ Includes further reading suggestions to practice skills and complete projects
from reliable resources.

♦♦ Author Michele Y. Parsons is a pyrographer, woodcarver, instructor, founder
and owner of Parsons Wood Artistry, and author of Leather Pyrography.

“A fantastic, in-depth look at the equipment, techniques, and basic skills
needed by both the new pyrographer and well-experienced wood burner.
Michele covers the technical aspects of our favorite craft with clear, easy-to-
follow instructions. A great read for any pyrographer.”

—Lora S. Irish, Pyrography Artist, Author of Little Book of Pyrography

$9.99 US | $11.99 CAN

ISBN: 978-1-4971-0084-8
50999

9 781497 100848