FIRST STEPS IN PYROGRAPHY OR FIRE ART
You will probably have practised shading and applying different marks upon several kinds of wood and so you can begin to think about producing a design of your own.
What should you do first?
Develop your own patterns and designs with the use of tracing paper and templates if you wish, you do not have to be able to draw. Visit a few craft supply shops and take your time to look at what they sell. Make a note of what may be useful to buy at a later stage.
For a first attempt at wood burning, I would choose to keep your design uncomplicated, then the end result will be more effective. Try to find something that has a simple and easily identifiable outline such as tracing around a drinks coaster or an upturned glass with a soft pencil or drawing a simple flower shape.
Next have a go at burning it onto a piece of wood using a ball type nib which will slide more easily to create the curve of your shape. One step onwards from this might be to select a slightly more complicated shape - for instance try a shape with corners.
Your next progression could be to choose a flower picture in 3D. Look at it carefully and decide which areas will be lighter and those that will be darker in colour. For instance - if you outline a flower with a dark line then you could use slightly lighter lines for the veins on the petals. You can illustrate the colour of your flower by applying a hint of soft sepia shading to the petals or you may choose to burn the background around the flower in a darker colour leaving the flower's relief looking lighter in tone. You can apply different levels of shading to give depth.
If you are feeling more adventurous you might select a copy of a simple black and white picture. Don’t choose anything too big or ambitious as the end result may be quite difficult to achieve for a first timer and this could put you off pyrography altogether. When you have selected a good image, copy or trace the strong outlines onto your wood. Take your time to decide what shapes in the picture need to be burned into more deeply to produce the different levels of shading.
TIP Try starting with the lighter shading and then gradually build up the temperature of your machine to burn on the darker areas. It is far easier to cover up a mistake if only lightly burned but once you burn into your wood deeply then the dark tones will be permanent.
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