First Steps In Pyrography a 'Fire Art' 12

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FIRST STEPS IN PYROGRAPHY OR FIRE ART

I am hopeful that my blog FIRST STEPS IN PYROGRAPHY OR FIRE ART has “FIRED” your imagination and inspired you to try out this creative skill. Although patience and practise are important, if you take the time to learn step by step, eventually you will be very pleased with the grand results that you can obtain with wood burning. The broadness and depth of work is never ending and with practise you will add to your skills and this will result in you being able to produce not only pieces of work that have great delicacy, but work that appears consistent and professional and this will appeal to a wide spectrum of people.

1. “Poker Work” or wood art can be seen as one of many traditional art forms within a wide selection of cultures and in the past has mainly been used as a way to decorate items of utility. Traditional Pyrography or Poker Work has played it’s part in many continents including Africa, Australasia, America, and Asia. Some beautifully decorated pieces of medieval pokerwork can be found in Europe and especially in private English collections.

2. The oldest pieces of work have been produced by heating an iron in an open fire or in a traditional forge with burning irons. The fire-etcher went on to use copper tools not unlike soldering -irons set into wooden or other non-conducting handles. These tools cooled rapidly, and had to be constantly shifted while oxidation of the copper necessitated constant cleaning. The etcher had to constantly feed up his fire and blow it with hand bellows, so it is remarkable that that anything was produced at all!

3.The art of Pyrography did not become more open to people in general until it was discovered that a thermo -cautery surgical instrument used for cauterizing could be adapted for the use of the artist, allowing him to work with comparative freedom. As a consequence of this pyrography a lost art became popularised in the late 1800’s and early 20th century and it also became an acceptable art skill for women of that time to participate in. It was during this period that the “Vulcan Box” was invented and Pyrographers used an outfit that consisted of benzoline bottles, a union-cork, a double rubber bulb with connecting rubber tube, a cork handle, a platinum point (a selection of points were available), an alcohol lamp and indiarubber bellows.

4. Of course we have now moved on considerably, with a variety of electrical machines that offer a range of different burning strengths. The large selection of points enable a pyrographer to create a wonderful display of patterns. There are a wide variety of woods and other materials to choose to burn. We can pick from a marvelous selection of wonderful colours in paints, inks, pens etc and make life easier with the use of templates, stamps, books of designs and patterns if we choose.

5. Pyrography will almost certainly remain a decorative art. If the experienced Pyrographer takes the time to pay attention to detail in his work in the same way that any artist would apply his skills to design or paint a picture, then there is absolutely no reason why the finished piece of work will not be held in even greater esteem than any other piece of art work because of it’s uniqueness and beauty.

All that remains for me to say is ……

Be Excited!
Be Fired Up!

Be Unique and Create With A Passion to Bring Beauty and Life Back to Pyrography!

First Steps In Pyrography a 'Fire Art' 11

Welcome again to

FIRST STEPS IN PYROGRAPHY OR FIRE ART

Applying artificial colours may help to enhance your work but be careful not to 'over do it' and destroy the true features of the wood. If the colour is selected carefully you can enrich a pattern by defining it and colour can also add a finishing touch of professionalism to your design.

How do you introduce colour to your work?

There are several different ways to do this.

1. The most straightforward and natural way is to burn at different levels of heat creating a variety of natural sepia tones ranging from the lightest brown when a you apply a light quick touch with the correct nib to the darkest deepest brown from more concentrated burning. This may be the simplest way to add colour but it is not the easiest thing to do and requires accuracy and knowledge of the nib to be used and of burning time, it therefore takes determined practise.

2. Before you colour your design think about how much colour you need to apply and whether you would like the natural grain of the wood to show through. As with painting of any kind it is very easy to keep applying colour.

3.Materials for colouring are easily obtainable from craft shops and fairly inexpensive. Whether you are using watercolours, acrylics, inks, wood stains, pencils or felt tipped pens always take your time to test them out first on a small piece of the same wood. This way you can see the effect that will be achieved before you colour the actual piece. When the colour is dry you can also burn on top of this to finish of your project if you wish.

4. When applying colours or stains to wood the colour must be put on with great care. Add just enough colour on a small brush as you do not want the colour to run over the design. With all liquid based products always test them on a sample wood first as colour can bleed into the wood and ruin your design. It is wise to do a test check before you begin your work. If you dilute the colour with water and use it as a transparent wash this will allow the grain of the wood to show through allowing a more natural effect.

5. Wood absorbs the colour in a similar way to blotting paper, however if you are painting on top of wood that has already been burned, the paint will not be absorbed in the same way as a barrier to the surface of the wood is formed when it is burned. You can still colour on top of pyrography but the colour is more likely to be held by the wood that is left between the lines of your design.

6. There are also a variety of pens and pencils that you can choose from to colour in your pyrography designs. Water based felt tips blend well and you are able to see the surface of the wood more readily than with permanent markers or felt tip pens. Pencil crayons allow you to create a softer and more gentle range of colours. I have recently discovered Prismacolor Premier pencils from the USA. They are great for giving a good cover of colour and they have light fast properties and should not fade so easily!

7. Once you have completed your design and added your colour then you will probably want to finish it to protect it as pyrography can fade particularly if exposed to strong sunlight. You can buy acrylic lacquer or fixatives to spray your work and you can chose whether to varnish with a natural matt finish or a highly polished finish. If you piece of work is destined to be on display outside then a yacht varnish would probably be appropriate.

A further extract from Burnt Wood Etchings entitled Lustra Colours

Lustra Colours will apply to Heraldry, Japanese decoration, and as tips to the plumage of Tropical Birds, etc. I would advise that in putting them on, care should be taken to entirely cover the “ground,” i.e. to hide the wood or other material where they are employed, and in some instances, doubtless, a good result may be obtained by laying them so thickly upon the wood as to show in slight relief.
The beauties of Gold and Silver united with Pyrography will be easily discerned by the reader. Gold agrees with all colours, being in itself a glorious neutral. Silver, also has particular and symbolic qualifications. Many experiments might be made, but no inferior preparation of the metals should be used.

Source A Handbook of Pyrography or Burnt Wood Etching by Mrs. Maud Maude

Enjoy your burning passion!