Pyrography Magazine 2016

Pyromaniacs! THE Guide to Woodburning as Art

Pyrography
2016
The Art and Craft of Woodburning

275+PHOTOS

PyrographyBeautifulProjects
& the Newest Tips

Celebrate
Handmade!

Satisfying your

Pyrographycreativeitch
Fresh ideas
and designs

 Burn Your Sneakers
 Heirloom Eggs
 Ugly Gourds

Pyrography Walking Sticks
DISPLAY UNTIL JUNE 6, 2016

A Special Interest Publication of
Woodcarving Illustrated

Pyrography
Pyrographyin this issue

16

48 88

DEPTS. INSPIRATION

4 Editor’s Note 16 Beauty Appears TECHNIQUES
6 News and By Kathleen Ryan
Artist Juan Carlos Gonzalez says that 34 Tinting Technique
Notes patience is the key to pyrography By John Noffsinger
10 Tips and Combine burning, bleach, and dye
20 “Why Not” Wood Burning to create delicate color
Techniques By Kathleen Ryan
109 Advertising Fay Helfer combines pyrography with 36 Add Realism with Texture
natural pigments to create artwork By Michele Parsons
Directory inspired by nature, humor, science, and Techniques to create the look
112 Glowing lighthearted randomness of textures using a burner

Reviews 24 Frost in the Forest 40 Making Word Art
By Kathleen Ryan By Danette Smith and Mindy Kinsey
Environmental artist Stuart Frost uses Turn your favorite letters, quotes,
pyrography to transform trees into and names into trendy art
towering artworks

28 Pyrography Gallery

29 Artist Profiles
Meet artists Tonya Allan & Apolonija Šterk

2 PYROGRAPHY

PROJECTS 62

44 Hot Ideas 79
Simple ways to use pyro
in your home décor 79 Burning on a

48 Making a Keepsake Walking Stick

Basket and Eggs By Jo Schwartz
Add a personal design to
By Michele Parsons this hiking necessity
Start an Easter tradition by burning
personalized eggs for your family 80 Khokhloma Folk-Art Plate
By Larisa Sviridova
53 Owl Pendant Adapt traditional Russian
By Tonya Allan patterns for pyrography
Decorate this feathered friend
with whimsical designs 84 Woodburning a Fairy Cottage APPENDIX
By Steve Russell
54 St. Patrick’s Day Carve a simple house from cottonwood 101 What Do You
bark and embellish it with a woodburner Burn?
Gourd Ornament
88 Nesting Birds 102 Top
By Jenn Avery By Henriette Corbeil Beginner’s
Use embossing powder to add Welcome spring with Woodburners
durable color to a burned design caricature birds
104 Before You
57 Whimsical Bird Houses 92 Pyro-Tangle Clock Burn
By Henriette Corbeil By Jo Schwartz
Combine various shading techniques Fun, easy project lets you practice 106 Play It Safe
to portray these realistic birds pen strokes and play with shading 108 Building a
and fantasy houses
Basic
62 Making the Most Pyrography Kit
110 Keeping It
of Flawed Gourds Clean

By Ralph and Mary Gonzales 96 Backyard Wildlife Check out Pyrography on
Imperfect gourds make perfect By Kelly Dean Facebook
landscapes for fantasy creatures Nature photos provide Follow us on Twitter,
woodburning inspiration twitter.com/pyroonline
67 Make Your Shoes Stand Out
By Michele Parsons
Burn a unique design on canvas shoes

72 Woodburning a Sparrow
By Sharon C. Bechtold
Use a light touch to create
realistic feathery texture

74 Country Roads
By Carol Wallace
Capture the heart of America
with these five tranquil scenes

www.pyrographyonline.com 3

Beauty
Appears

Artist Juan Carlos Gonzalez
says that patience is the key
to pyrography

By Kathleen Ryan

For me, pyrography is more a
question of craftsmanship than art;
it is a product of patience and skill,
rather than inspiration and genius.
Many hours are spent in front of the wood as
I try to get as close to perfection as possible,”
said Juan Carlos Gonzalez, a pyrographer
from Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
A college friend introduced Juan to
pyrography in 1979. The creative process
intrigued him so much that he borrowed
his friend’s pyrography tool and began
experimenting on his own, eventually
purchasing tools for himself. “I had to learn
on my own, because at that time there were
hardly any publications about pyrography and no
Internet,” he recalled.
Encouraged by people who admired his work, Juan
perfected his art one burn at a time while working full-
time as a Spanish language and literature professor.
“My ability and security as an artist ripened slowly
over time, like a slow harvest,” he explained. “Each new
work is a new experience—a new lesson in a learning
process that never ends.”
Juan’s goal from the outset was to push the limits
of pyrography and elevate it to an art form. “For a
long time, pyrography was frequently considered a
‘decorative art,’ that is, a technique used to brighten up
Juan took the photo that became October at a
nearby park in late autumn. The piece is 231/2"
by 291/2" and burned on poplar plywood.

16 PYROGRAPHY

Above: Dawn is 231/2" by 30"
and burned on poplar plywood.

The “stopped time” feeling in
the original photo, taken by a
Cuban friend at the entrance to
a bakery, was intense to Juan.

Leopard, 113/4" by 173/4", is 17
based on a photograph taken by
a friend. Juan was inspired by
the hair texture.

www.pyrographyonline.com

“Why Not”
Wood
Burning

Fay Helfer combines pyrography with
natural pigments to create artwork
inspired by nature, humor, science, and
lighthearted randomness

By Kathleen Ryan

Win or fail, what keeps me going is
the excitement of trying new things
with unexpected results. I always
look forward to the next tangent,”
said pyrographer Fay Helfer. Fay’s artwork tests the
limits of both her tools and her talent with a style that
vacillates from realism to whimsical and nonsensical
to ethereal. Fay embraces a “why not” attitude that
enables endless creative possibilities.
Originally from St. Martin/Maarten, Fay earned
an MFA from Savannah College of Arts and Design
and launched a career as a freelance digital artist, only
to discover she was unhappy spending so much time in
front of a computer. In 2010, while living in California,
she responded to a Craigslist posting for free art
supplies and loaded her car with art paraphernalia,
including wood. “It reminded me of how much fun
I had with the woodburning kit my grandparents
bought for me as a child. So, I ordered one just like it
online, and I’ve been burning ever since.”
Fay began adding color to her pyrography a few
years ago. “I quickly found that paints didn’t work
for me because they just laid on top of the surface,
covering the burn marks. And burning on top of paint
is very toxic,” she said. She decided to look for natural

Heart Beet is pyrography on wood with pastel
and natural pigments from beet, indigo,
turmeric, and zinc. It measures 10" by 20".

20 PYROGRAPHY

Ivy and Robin is pyrography on
wood with pastel and natural
pigments from turmeric, indigo,
zinc, tannin, bone char, and
cochineal. It measures 18" by 24".

www.pyrographyonline.com 21

Frost
in the
Forest

Environmental artist Stuart Frost
uses pyrography to transform
trees into towering artworks

By Kathleen Ryan

A dead elm Stuart Frost backpacks through the woods
burned by with all of his equipment, climbs dead trees,
Stuart Frost. and transforms them into breathtaking site-
specific works of art. “I enjoy the process of
creating something new and unique. But what I like
most about burning images into trees is that it gives
new life to something that has died,” he said.
Originally from Bath, England, Stuart studied art
and earned a master’s degree in sculpture from The
Royal College of Art in London, eventually becoming
an environmental artist. His interest in pyrography
began while he was living in Portugal and experienced
a wildfire. His home was spared, but the lush landscape
around it lay in ruins. “Being surrounded on all sides
by the blackened and scorched landscape, I began to
consider the possibilities of taming fire with controlled
heat from tools, to say something more about the
effects of fire on nature,” he said. Stuart began by
scorching areas of cork with a soldering iron to re-
create the three-dimensional effects found on old
Portuguese ceramic tiles.
Later, while working in Denmark, the artist noticed
how the shadowy images of leaves from surrounding
trees flitted across the bare trunk of a dead elm. He
began thinking about how he might burn those fleeting
moments into the tree trunk. “I have to admit that, even
after submitting my first proposal, I was not entirely
sure how I would achieve it!” he said with a chuckle.
“But I felt confident that it was possible.”

24 PYROGRAPHY

A trio of dead trees was
the perfect canvas for
Stuart’s woodburning.

www.pyrographyonline.com 25

Tinting

Technique

Combine burning,
bleach, and dye to
create delicate color

By John Noffsinger

M any years ago, Getting Started
I struck a deal with a Choose a photo, and then turn or buy a
local woodworker named Jack platter or plate. Try to select a plate with
Zimmerman—I would clean his grain that will work with and enhance your
shop and he would let me use his photo. If necessary, enlarge the photo to
tools to make frames for my pictures fit the plate. I make copies in both black
and prints. Soon I was drawn to the and white and color. I refer to the black-
natural art of the grain within the wood and-white copy for tonal values and to the
and the many possibilities of wood as a original for color. Sand the plate (see Tip)
medium for art. Jack introduced me to the and transfer the design to it.
lathe and, later, recalled to me the works
of John Cederquist, which I had seen in materials & tools
Washington, D.C. John used aniline dye
and routed lines to produce imagery on MATERIALS: • Paper towels
handmade furniture. That reminded me of
learning pyrography in the seventh grade, • Maple or cherry platter, • Spray lacquer: satin finish
and suddenly it hit me—I could draw on purchased or turned
wood, combining fine art, color, and the
natural art within the wood. • Photograph TOOLS:

I developed the technique described • Sandpaper: to 800- or 1,000-grit • Woodburner and nibs/pens:
here to show my life and travels through
my camera on wood. I use bleach for • Two-part wood bleach, such as fine writing; burnishing
highlights, lightfast aniline dye for color, and Klean-Strip (kleanstrip.com) or
pyrography for darks, shading, and blending. • Paintbrushes: inexpensive
Pyrography is the foundation that makes Hoodbleach-190 (hoodfinishing.com) watercolor type
these images on wood possible. • Aniline dyes, such as Luthiers
Mercantile (lmii.com): colors to suit • Rubber gloves
I suggest you practice with the bleach your project • Fan (ventilation)
and dyes on scrap wood before applying • White vinegar • Basic pyro kit (see page 108)
them to your project. Use a fan and proper
ventilation to avoid breathing the bleach
and dye fumes. Also, wait several hours or
overnight after using the bleach and dyes to
give them time to neutralize and cure before
burning over them.

The author used these products for the project. Substitute your
choice of brands, tools, and materials as desired.

34 PYROGRAPHY

CREATING A TINTED IMAGE

12

34

1 Outline the entire image. Use low heat and a 4 Mix aniline dye with water to form

fine writing tip. Erase the lines. Then, decide which washes. Brush on a little bit of color. Use a
sections will be highlighted. Lightly outline those burnishing tip on relatively low heat to gently
areas again, completely enclosing each highlight shade from lighter to darker. Work back and forth
with burned lines. with color, pyrography lines, and shading to give
the image depth until you feel it is complete.
2 Bleach the highlights. Wear rubber gloves, use
5 Finish the project. When the work is completely
proper ventilation, and follow the manufacturer’s
instructions. Use inexpensive watercolor dry, spray it with a light coat of satin lacquer. It
paintbrushes to sparingly apply two-part wood gives a subtle sheen and lasting protection.
bleach within the outlined highlight areas.
Keep vinegar on hand to neutralize the bleach TIP
if necessary, and use paper towels to soak up ENSURING A SMOOTH SURFACE
any excess. Let the bleach dry, and then judge
the color of the wood. Use additional coats if Sand the wooden plate, and then wet the surface
necessary to reach the desired shade for the and allow it to dry, raising the grain. Sand it again,
highlights. Let the bleach dry thoroughly to ending with 800- to 1,000-grit sandpaper.
ensure it is neutralized before the next step.
A woodturner and teacher for many years,
3 Darken the image. Lightly burn over the image John Noffsinger says art has been his
passion as long as he can remember. John
again using the writing tip, gradually darkening lives in Annandale, Va., and his work is
the shadows and shading the lines. available through several galleries. Visit
John online at www.JohnNoffsinger.com.

www.pyrographyonline.com 35

HIDOEATS Cork Coasters by
Christine Backus of
WhereTheSmilesHaveBeen.com
in Huntsville, Ala.; contact www.
wherethesmileshavebeen.com.

Simple ways to use pyro Tree Mobile by Jody
in your home décor McKone of Twigs
and Blossoms in
S ometimes you don’t need a project Whitney, Ont.,
so much as an idea. Once you Can.; contact www.
see it, you can make it your own, but twigsandblossoms.
you need that first elusive spark of etsy.com.
inspiration to get going.

We gathered photos of ah-hah pyro
projects to provide those sparks. Add
your own artwork, style, quotes, names,
etc., and you’ll be off and running with
a new cool craft to decorate your
home or give as a great gift.

Frame by Connie Sue
Quinton of Jay, Ok.;
contact www.etsy.com/
Constersue.

44 PYROGRAPHY

Buttons by Mary Wheatley of
WoodenHeartButtons in London, Ont., Can.;
contact www.WoodenHeartButtons.Etsy.com.

Rolling Pin by Kimberly Hebert of Hammer by Amanda
Scratch and Burn in Wesley, Ark.; Franklin-Brown of Cove
contact www.etsy.com/shop/ Calligraphy
in Dorset,
ScratchandBurn. England; contact www.
covecalligraphy.co.uk.

All Who Wander Pendant
by Karen Barker of
Barker Wild in Auckland,
New Zealand; contact
barkerwild.com.

Slingshots by Mindy Bizzell of
Indie/bambino Toys in Astoria,
Or.; contact www.esty.com/shop/
IndieBambinoToys.

www.pyrographyonline.com 45

Making a Keepsake

Basket and Eggs

Start an Easter tradition by burning Getting Started
personalized eggs for your family The wooden basket and eggs need to be unfinished.
If a finish has been applied, sand it off before
By Michele Parsons woodburning. If the basket or eggs are a little rough in
places, smooth the surfaces with fine sandpaper. Type
I love that pyrography allows me to make the recipient’s name (and the year for the egg) on a
personalized pieces that can be passed down to computer and print copies in the desired size for your
future generations as heirlooms. I started an Easter basket and egg. Double check that you have spelled the
tradition in my family by making a personalized recipient’s name correctly! The worst thing you can
keepsake basket for each of my grandchildren; each do is spend hours making a gift, only to find out they
year I add a unique egg to every child’s basket. To spell their name differently.
make an object into a great heirloom piece, it’s
important to include their name, your name, and the
year on it so future generations can say something
like, “My great-grandma Michele made this for my
daddy in 2016.” The eggs can be displayed in their
basket or on wooden egg stands, which you can also
woodburn.

Burning on a Curved Surface

When working on a three-dimensional surface, you need
hand support to maintain good control of the pen. You can
obtain this hand support by stabilizing your drawing hand
on the object with your pinkie finger. Or, you can build up
the surface of the table to match the surface you are burning
on. For example, when burning the eggs, fold a hand towel
in half and roll each side toward the center. Place the egg
between the two rolled sides and rubber band the towel on
either side of the egg. To burn the basket handle, I placed the
handle on the edge of the table (to use the table for hand
support) and held the basket between my legs to keep the
handle against the table edge. You can also drape the basket
handle across the end of an ironing board and use the ironing
board for hand support.

48 PYROGRAPHY

www.pyrographyonline.com 49

Make
Your
Shoes
Stand
Out

Burn a unique TIP YOU NEED GOOD
design on canvas sneakers VENTILATION

By Michele Parsons Either burn the shoes outside, blocking
any breeze that might make the pen
C reate your own fashion statement by temperature fluctuate, or burn them
burning a design on your shoes. Add your while using a carbon-activated filter fan
name, flowers, Zentangle-type designs, skulls and to absorb the fumes.
crossbones, or whatever you like.
Canvas shoes are inexpensive and easy to burn. They are constructed
of thick, textured canvas, so, like when you burn on endgrain, lighten
the pressure a little when using a writing nib to burn a straight line. You
can use a skew nib on thick canvas, but take care not to push too har and
burn though the fabric. Nibs with ball tips also work well on canvas, even
the smaller balls. Cotton twill shoes also burn well, but to avoid burning
through the thin fabric, don’t use skew nibs or burn too dark. On any type
of shoe, avoid burning any stitching or rubber.

www.pyrographyonline.com 67

BURNING CANVAS SHOES

12

345

GETTING STARTED the tape and continue removing any excess
graphite. Using a pencil, redefine the pattern lines
Remove the shoestrings from the shoes. Scrub the and add the details.
outside of the shoes gently with mild soap and a
soft brush to remove any dirt, and then quickly rinse 3 Outline the fox, dog, and rabbits.  Use a rounded-
off the soap. Before washing my shoes, I stuffed
them with rolled socks to prevent excess water from heel skew nib. Do not to press too hard or long, or
running inside the shoes so they would dry faster. you may cut through the material. Burn the animal
Dry the shoes thoroughly. details with the skew nib.
Tightly stuff the dry shoes with something to
resist the pressure of the pattern transfer and the 4 O utline the leaves on the original pattern.  Use
pyrography nibs while burning the design. I rolled
a pair of thick socks and stuffed them into each a skew nib. Continue burning leaves up to the
shoe. Make sure you stuff the shoe enough to create stitching line, rotating the leaf shapes in a random
pressure against the shoe wall. pattern. Avoid burning the shoe stitching. Add
berry dots with a writing nib within the gaps
1 Photocopy the pattern to fit the shoe.  Trim it between the leaves. A ball writing nib works well
for round berries.
close to the design, and use graphite paper to
transfer the major shapes. Trace the leaves along 5 Shade the animals.  Use a shader nib. For the
the edges of the bushes near the animals, but do
not try to trace all of the leaves. Check the really small areas, like the fox legs, use a standard
transfer often. writing nib turned on its side.

2 Remove the excess graphite.  Use a tape pickup

(a piece of tape that you adhere and quickly lift)
and repeatedly press and lift the tape until it is
loaded with graphite and stops working. Replace

68 PYROGRAPHY

Khokhloma
Folk-Art
Plate

Adapt traditional Russian
patterns for pyrography

By Larisa Sviridova

W hether it is an enigmatic tangle of lines and
knots in Celtic cultures or the mysterious
drawings of indigenous American peoples, traditional
folk art is fascinating—the best expression of human
original imagination and creative skill. Plus, there
is plenty of research involved, which helps you
learn more about a particular culture. This project
focuses on my native traditional Russian handicraft
and national ornament: Khokhloma. I will use a
Khokhloma pattern and pyrography technique to
decorate a wooden plate.

Khokhloma Folk Art

The name Khokhloma comes from
that of a village not far from the
historical city of Nizhny Novgorod.
Khokhloma wood painting
handicraft is almost four centuries
old. The household items, such as
plates, spoons, cups, cutting boards, and other tableware, are carved
from wood and finished with multiple layers of different coatings.
As a result, the finished product looks heavier and quite metal-like
when, in fact, it’s a very light and delicate piece made of wood.
Traditional Khokhloma ornaments have three main colors: yellow,
representing gold and indicating wealth; black, signifying earth and
fertility; and red, meaning beauty. Historically, the main elements of
Khokhloma designs are flowers, berries, and birds.
A Khokhloma artist must have a very firm hand as no templates
are used during the creative process. Like in pyrography, every
stroke of the brush has to be balanced and precise. Once applied,
the line cannot be wiped off. Each piece becomes a unique piece of
art, although an experienced artist makes dozens of items with the
similar pattern in a day.

80 PYROGRAPHY

www.pyrographyonline.com 81

Woodburning a

Fairy
Cottage

Carve a simple house
from cottonwood bark
and embellish it with a
woodburner

By Steve Russell

I n April 2008, at the age of
55 and following in my dad’s
footsteps, I started woodcarving.
One of the first things that I
carved was a whimsical cottonwood
bark house, based on instructions
in Carving Tree Bark by Rick Jensen
and Jack Williams. After doing a few
using their instructions, I thought
there had to be a quicker way to detail
these houses without hollowing out
the backs and cutting the windows
and doors (even though I like the
way those houses look). So, I took
my woodburner and went to work.
One thing I quickly learned was that
I could put a lot of detail in my piece
in a short time, which is important
when I need to make a lot of carvings fast.

One idea for these houses is to place them in a Fairy
Garden. The first time I heard that such a thing even existed
was at my sister-in-law’s place. Then, a lady who operates
a greenhouse close by approached me at a local show and
said, “Hey, would you be interested in selling those in my
shop? I think they would really sell to people making ‘Fairy
Gardens.’”

I am often asked, “How do you see that house in a piece
of bark?” My answer is, I don’t see it. I just start cutting
on my band saw and I work with whatever comes out. In
other words, I don’t follow a pattern. Remember, these
are whimsical houses. Whatever you end up with will be
awesome.

84 PYROGRAPHY

Getting Started BARK HOUSE: CARVING THE HOUSE
You can start with a piece of
cottonwood bark in any size; I have
made houses as small as 3" (76mm)
tall. Cut the basic house shape with
a band saw. Be careful, because
cottonwood bark is irregular in
shape and can cause the band saw
blade to grab unexpectedly.

While you can use a variety of
nibs to burn these houses, I find
that a skew and a sharp writing nib
are all that I need.

TIP ARCHITECTURAL 1 Make two shallow cuts to set 2 Clean the gable. Use a V-tool and
DETAILS the height of the walls on the front a gouge. This step is optional if you are
and side. Use the band saw. The bark not comfortable carving. You can just
To help with your detailing, taking some should be flat on the saw table. Remove leave it flat and burn the detail lines.
pictures in your neighborhood of the about 1/4" (6mm) of wood from between
types of architecture that you like. There the cuts to form the walls. Then, cut the
are plenty of ideas right out your back roof and chimney to shape.
door. You can also search the Internet
or check your local building center for
literature on doors and windows.

BARK HOUSE: BURNING THE DETAILS

3 Burn the house trim and 4 Burn the windows. These 5 Burn the chimney bricks. Break
foundation. Then, add the door. Do windows are pretty standard looking, up the lines of bricks, which makes it
not worry too much about scale or but in the past I’ve done all sorts, easy to tell that they are bricks.
proportion. This is a whimsical house. including Victorian-style stained glass.

www.pyrographyonline.com 85

Pyro-Tangle

Clock

Fun, easy
project lets
you practice
pen strokes and
play with shading

By Jo Schwartz

I love to doodle and burn quirky shapes
onto all kinds of wooden objects. It’s relaxing
and makes a pretty, unique finished piece. Projects like
this are great for beginners because you get to experiment with pen nibs
and shading while making a nice project instead of a boring practice
board. And, you just incorporate any “mistakes” into your design, so the
end result is always perfect!

Don’t need a clock? You could plug the hole and use the piece as a wall
hanging, or add a lazy Susan kit to the bottom to make a table accessory.
Alternately, burn the design into a platter; a large, shallow bowl; or even
the seat of an unfinished chair.

92 PYROGRAPHY

CLOCK: ESTABLISHING THE DESIGN

1 2
Transfer the numbers (optional). You can purchase or burn the numbers, Burn the numbers (optional). Set the
or leave them off entirely. I selected a simple font for easy reading, enlarged temperature to medium-high heat, and use a medium
them to be a little over 1” (25mm) tall, printed them, cut them out, and placed spear shader for ease in going around the small curves.
them by sight, starting with 12 and 6. Use graphite paper and a red pen to trace
the numbers.

3 4
Transfer the pattern. Center the mandala over the clock hole and trace it Burn the mandala outline and any straight
using graphite paper and a colored pen. Look at the outline of the mandala to see lines. I use a skew blade; its straight edge helps
where you can begin filling in some of the areas with erasable pencil lines. Make straighten out any wobbly lines.
the designs match as you go around the template.

5 6
Outline anything round and draw curlicues. I use a ball Add more shapes to the design. Use the graphite pencil
nib. Then, use a small spear shader to detail around the circles and draw layered arches and other simple designs. Burn the lines
and fill in the small areas. Using the same nib, reduce the heat to as you go to see where there is room for more detailing.
medium and accent the designs with shading. www.pyrographyonline.com 93