Pyrography may seem difficult to understand at first. The difficulty is common for every beginner. In fact, the reason why we started Pyrography Pros is to help you become a great artist in wood burning. Perhaps the fastest way to get things going is to start by going through the most essential pyrography techniques. While there are so many techniques out there, here‘s what we thought can be useful to a beginner like you.
The first, and probably the most important, wood burning technique is to choose the right wood. Pyro Crafters have suggestion of some of the best woods that you can use for pyrography. We suggest looking at these.
Technique #1: Choose the Right Wood for Pyrography
The type of wood you choose does make a difference. I’ve burned on several different types of wood and there are a lot of opinions on the subject, so do some research. You will also want to experiment yourself and form your own opinion about which one you like best. I’m going to share my experiences with wood burning to give you a good start on what wood to experiment with. So let’s dive right into the best woods for wood burning.
While you can try pyrography on just about any kind of wood, it is always important to go for what’s recommended for the project. These woods have been tested. And they’ve been found to be the best for pyrography.
Choosing the best wood is not enough. Wood Burners say that you need the best wood burning machines. That’s just another way to say that you need to make sure to choose the best pyrography tools.
Technique #2: Choose the Right Wood Burning Machines
So let’s discus machines briefly. There are generally two types of machines used in woodburning or pyrographic art. A basic soldering iron style machine with interchangeable points/tips that are made of brass.
Then there is the high-end wire pen/tip machine. These sometimes have 2 styluses and feature very precise temperature control and instant heat. The styluses have the size and comfort level of a pen, which makes them wonderful to hold and work with.
Choosing pyrography tools is always straightforward. But you can always read a number of online reviews if you feel like looking up for further information. Unbiased buyer guides are better. So make sure to check on those.
Did you know that adding color to your design can make your project stand out? To do this, you would need to use a watercolor paint, or watercolor crayons. The Pyrography Tool suggests starting with a watercolor crayon, unless you have experience with watercolor pens.
Technique #3: Color Your Design
You may also want to try adding color to your design. This is done with either watercolor paint or watercolor crayons.
To start, unless you are experienced with watercolor paint, use the crayons to put in your color. Once you have drawn the colors where you want them, add a little water to a soft paint brush and start blending the crayons to create a wash effect. Make sure to clean your brush in clean water between blending strong colors so that the colors stay clean and true.
Note that coloring your design is a matter of personal preference. But if you want your stuff to stand out from the crowd, this is an important step to consider in your wood burning process.
Final Thoughts
We know that pyrography can be a bit of a challenge. And it might take you even more time to understand these wood burning techniques. But as long as you are willing to put in the time for regular practice, there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t become a professional wood burner.