Wood burning: sketches for people of all skill levels, help for beginners, and ideas for experienced pyrographers. How to learn wood burning Drawings for wood burning patterns

Wood is an extremely grateful material. Strong enough to be durable, hard enough to hold even very fine shapes, soft enough to allow simple hand tools to be processed.

Therefore, there are a lot of methods for decorating wooden products. For example, patterns and drawings on wood.

The concept of pyrography

Wood burning or pyrography is a fairly simple task, but at the same time it provides a quick and beautiful effect. According to its technology, pyrography is easier to perform than, for example, carving, although, of course, here too much depends on the complexity of the pattern and the technique of execution.

Patterns for wood burning are made with a special device - a burner. It is a metal pen attached to a pen. The pen is made of nichrome wire of different thickness, which allows you to get lines and dots of different diameters. As a rule, burners are equipped with a whole set of nozzles used for pyrography.

There are devices with solid and wire feathers. The former have a constant heating temperature and are more often used for background cauterization. In burners with wire feathers, you can adjust the heating temperature, which allows you to get lines of different intensities.

The pen, when the device is turned on, heats up to a rather high temperature and burns it when it comes into contact with the wood. When working, it is necessary to follow safety rules, since it is very easy to get burned on the wire.

Relatively soft wood is used as a material for crafts: birch, chestnut, poplar, alder. A very good result when creating a pattern is obtained on plywood, especially birch. Prerequisite: wood or the same plywood must be very well dried.

In addition, to obtain a high-quality ornament or pattern, the material must first be sanded. The surface of the craft must be completely smooth.

Pyrography technique

There are several different techniques that allow you to get a drawing or ornament from a sketch.

It is better for a beginner to start with the simplest and most standard ones.

  • Standard technique - involves transferring a sketch of a pattern to a tree and burning it along the contour. In this case, various methods are acceptable: applying strokes, obtaining a bitmap, and so on. The photo shows a picture of a bird.
  • The negative method requires more subtle and lengthy work. In this case, the pattern is created with the light color of untouched wood, and the background is burned out. Most often, photographs or complex pictures are burned in this way. For patterns, as a rule, standard techniques are sufficient.

In this case, 2 methods are used. The first involves direct burning of the background around the applied sketch. The second combines the carving and the background: first, the background is completely burned out, and then the master cuts out the image on it.

The embossed pattern is another example of a combination of carving and pyrography. To do this, a sketch is transferred to the tree, cut out to give volume - not with a jigsaw, but with a cutter, and then burned out in certain areas. In the photo - a relief image.

Drawings and patterns for wood burning can be downloaded from any relevant site. You can even use your own photo if you can download a suitable conversion program.

Work technology

The work itself is quite simple, although it requires accuracy and perseverance. As a rule, it cannot be done in one go.

  1. Cut out a part of the appropriate size with a jigsaw, carefully clean the surface and cuts with sandpaper.
  2. Patterns for woodcarving are redrawn on a sheet by hand or through carbon paper.
  3. A pen of the required type is installed on the device - writing or oblique, and the contours of the image are burned out.
  4. They start retouching the background - for this, a retouching pen is attached to the device. You can use other nozzles. In the photo - processing the background under the pattern.
  5. After the material has cooled, the surface is cleaned of dust and soot and wiped with an eraser.
  6. To make the product more durable, the craft is covered with a transparent varnish.

In the proposed video lesson, burning a pattern on a wooden sheet is considered in more detail.

Wood burning, or pyrography, is one of the oldest arts. Some of the first items decorated with pyrography were found in Peru. They date back to the 7th century BC. Ancient craftsmen received images with rods red-hot on fire. At present, there are more and more lovers of decorating their lives, and special devices have come to replace the twigs, with the help of which lines of different thicknesses and color saturation are applied to the tree.

Read also the article: - lessons for beginners!

How to choose a burner

You can even burn a simple picture with an ordinary soldering iron. But for constant occupations, it is better to buy a wood burner. It fits comfortably in the hand, has an optimal heating temperature and interchangeable nozzles, which greatly expand the artistic possibilities of the master.

There are two types of burners - with a wire or with a hard pen. Both types are powered by 220 V, but samples with a hard feather do not have a heating control. When choosing, you should pay attention to the power of the device.

If the burner has a power of less than 20 watts, work with it will be quite slow. Such devices are designed for children, or just learning the basics of burning.

More powerful devices allow you to work faster, but are suitable for those who are already confident in their actions.

Benefits of Hard Feather Burners

These models are easy to use and low cost. This type of burner makes it easy to apply simple images with a minimum of detail. They are most often bought for children or beginners. Among the shortcomings of the device note:

  • long warm-up and cool-down times;
  • the handle which is heated in the course of work;
  • the large size of the handle and the nib far from it.

The latter feature makes drawing thin long lines difficult and requires breaks in work for rest. If used for a long time, the device may overheat and fail. Therefore, for burning a large complex pattern, it is better to choose a different type of apparatus.

Features of devices with a wire pen

Samples of devices with a wire pen have great advantages:

  • fast heating and cooling;
  • comfortable handle;
  • trouble-free replacement of the wire in case of its burnout;
  • long service life of the pen;
  • the possibility of drawing lines of different thicknesses.

Such models are noticeably more expensive, so they are usually chosen for professional woodwork.

For testing, it is better to purchase an inexpensive model with a hard nib. If the occupation is serious, there is a wide selection of wood burning devices with a wire pen on sale.

How to choose a wood substrate and a pattern for burning

For work, wood of linden, poplar, ash, aspen, pine is chosen. These rocks are soft and work well.

The softer the wood, the easier and more comfortable it is to work with.

Before work, the board must be carefully processed. The smoother its surface, the neater the drawing looks. The planed board is polished with fine sandpaper, running along the fibers. This will eliminate minor bumps and chips. In conclusion, it is wiped with a damp cloth from chips and dust to make it easier to transfer the drawing.

Wood burning pictures for beginners should have clear outlines and a small amount of detail. Simple images are harder to mess up, there's always the option to play with the line thickness or add an extra one in case of a mistake.

Topics for burning can be any:

  • congratulations on the holidays - such crafts will be a good gift;
  • cartoon characters - drawings are simple and fascinating, children love to burn them;
  • funny images of animals will decorate and enliven the interior of the kitchen, hallway or nursery;
  • landscapes look great in any setting;
  • ornaments are always appropriate, they are easy to make using a stencil.

The most difficult pattern for wood burning is photography. It will require high skill of the performer and a set of nozzles to convey all the nuances.

Drawings for burning can be downloaded from the network or made independently. To do this, a sheet of tracing paper is placed on the drawing and all the lines are carefully outlined, trying to convey their thickness.

Children can draw the simplest pictures themselves. In this case, burning out becomes much more interesting.

Transfer the image to the board through carbon paper. It is fixed on the tree with the ink side down, a tracing paper with a pattern is applied on top and all the lines are translated, trying not to move the sheets in the process.

In order for the first work to be crowned with success, observe the following subtleties:

  • apply thin strokes instead of thick lines with a burner, it is easier to direct the pen in the right direction;
  • press the pen with the same force on the entire surface of the board;
  • the longer the pen is held in one place, the darker and deeper the line becomes;
  • try to move the pen along the fiber of the tree, turning its fibers in itself, when burning against or across the fibers of the effort, you need to apply more;
  • before work, practice on an unnecessary board with different nozzles to fill your hand and have an idea of ​​​​in which cases they should be used;
  • start burning from the edge of the sketch - this is the most inconspicuous place in case of an error;
  • draw over the same place several times with light thin strokes, achieving optimal thickness;
  • put a small board under your arm so as not to lubricate the translated sketch and not to dirty the board;
  • first burn the main lines of the image to see the basis of the composition.

Having learned how to draw precise, even lines, experiment with shadows. Using this technique, you can achieve a three-dimensional image. To display shadows, different nozzles are used.

The picture on the tree does not have to remain the same color. For coloring use watercolor paints (or pencils) and brushes.

Nozzles must be periodically cleaned of carbon deposits. To do this, use a special grinding pad or belt and aluminum oxide.

The finished product is coated with varnish or PVA glue.

Safety Compliance

Teach your children the safety rules for handling a burner and always follow them yourself:

  • when changing nozzles, use pliers so as not to burn your fingers;
  • be careful when working with a heated burner;
  • always place the device on a special stand;
  • do not leave the switched on device unattended;
  • use an exhaust fan when working indoors, as some woods emit a lot of smoke and can cause allergies and respiratory irritation.

Wood burning is a fun and rewarding activity. It will allow you to relax after a hard day's work, teach children perseverance and accuracy, and decorate your home with unique works.

Video review of the burning station

Video about the translation of the picture and the process of wood burning

Today, more and more people of different ages are interested in wood burning. This type of needlework is widely available and requires a minimum of basic skills and maximum care when working. Wood burning is called "pyrography", the pattern is applied to a wooden surface using a special electric burner, which can be purchased at specialty needlework stores. You can come up with wood burning drawings on your own, or you can find ready-made templates and sketches on the Internet.

Material selection

The best material is a board made of alder, birch or linden. Wood should be soft and light, especially if this is your first work. Beginners also use regular plywood. Before applying the drawing, such a board must be sanded with sandpaper. Or you can do everything on a cutting board that will be ready.

Sketches can be drawn on the board by hand, or can be translated through carbon paper or stencil.

How to draw

Make sure the board is dry before burning. Put connection points on the drawing translated with a pencil and only then draw lines. To get a thin line, the electric burner should be moved quickly, and vice versa, if you want to get a thicker line, move the tool pen more slowly.

No need to press hard on the electric burner when drawing a picture. When the line is finished, the pen must be torn off sharply.

First, the outer contour is burned out, then you can gradually move on to the inner details, to the center. It is best to burn out in parts, that is, you need to give the newly burned elements the opportunity to cool. So work a little in one area, then leave it and move on to another, and so on, until the whole work is completed.

After burning, the surface should cool slightly, then carefully, so as not to damage the strokes and lines, especially small ones, you need to sand the board with fine sandpaper. You can paint with watercolors or oil paints only when the work has completely cooled down. After painting, the work must be waxed, that is, subjected to a wax finish. Thanks to waxing, the design acquires a soft sheen and retains the natural color of the wood and the saturation of colors.

Examples for inspiration

Patterns for wood burning can be very diverse: animals, flowers, ethnic ornaments, nature, and so on. They can be used to decorate cutting boards, as paintings in the home, or as gifts for family and friends.

For beginners, it is best to choose simple drawings, as in the photo:

Children can also engage in pyrography, of course, under close attention, because you need to work with a hot electric burner. For little masters, there are also interesting, beautiful and easy drawing patterns:


Engaging in this interesting type of needlework is quite simple, the main thing is not to be afraid and follow your imagination. Happy creativity!

Video on the topic of the article

And in order to get acquainted with the topic in more detail, you can watch specially selected video materials on this topic.

Pyrography, also known as the art of wood burning, is gaining more and more popularity every day among people of all age groups and categories. One of the reasons for such an unexpected surge of interest in wood burning, we believe, is the emergence of new, easy and safe to use tools - pyrographs. Pictures created specifically for burning on any tree are a great gift for any celebration, made with love with your own hands. The person who gives you such a present shows all the power of his love and attention to you, because he will need at least several hours to make one such work.

How to choose a tool and wood for making scorched paintings:
  • Wood burning is an art that does not require any expensive, hard-to-find tools and materials. As a burning tool for beginners the most ordinary soldering iron may come up, which has the shape of an ordinary writing pen, slightly larger than our usual one, which means that you will simply trace the lines of a drawing previously applied to the base material. Some people use as a pyrograph nails heated with a flame of a lighter or a burner, which are held with a hat by pliers. This method is not suitable for everyone. The ideal option would be a professional pyrograph or its most budgetary counterpart - a burner, which you can purchase at any specialized store.
  • Images for such paintings do not have to be drawn by hand with a pencil, it is enough download the picture you like on the Internet, print and carry it to the tree. You can transfer the drawing to the tree using black graphite paper; unlike ordinary carbon paper, it is easily erased if necessary and retains the accuracy of the image lines when heated. Some print the drawing on thin parchment paper, glue it to the tree and burn it out. The paper melts from heating, and the excess is then easily removed. Choose first lungs patterns and ornaments that will help you fill your hand and hone your burning skills.
  • It is better for young burners to take wooden blanks cut from soft, easily processed trees, with a uniform fiber structure. For this, the wood of such trees as poplar, aspen, linden is suitable. Small blanks are a great start for beginner pyrographers. Do not forget to grind the surface of the plank with fine-grained sandpaper immediately before work. Instead of wooden planks, sawn out on your own, you can use inexpensive and commonly available plywood, because it does not have a pronounced structure and is easy to burn out.

We study options for paintings for wood burning

It is better to take simple sketches for the first works, with a minimum number of lines and strokes. After you notice that such sketches are already quite easy for you, and it takes much less time to complete them than at first, it's time to start burning more complex paintings, for example, depicting animals, nature, and sometimes people .

Well-known pyrographists draw their inspiration from everything that surrounds them, but the most popular are the images with the help of fire on a wooden base of animals, birds, nature, less often people, some unusually complex ornaments consisting of many small details. You can see all this in the photos below.

Julia Bender's paintings are filled with small details and the play of shadows. Small strokes with the metal tip of the pyrograph convey every, even the smallest hair of an animal. The feeling that you are looking at a photographic image will not leave you until the very last seconds. But no, all these beautiful animals are made using the technique of burning wood with a red-hot pyrograph.

Peter Walker burns his paintings onto surfboards. Its bright ornaments are a mixture of flora and fauna, flavored with rich blue hues. In some of his paintings, traces of flame are intricately intertwined in colors on the skin of exotic animals.

Rick Merian has been wood burning relatively recently. The main theme of his images are the movie characters of the most famous and popular films/series and the tattoos that he saw on the bodies of his entourage. I think you can easily recognize many of the faces in the scorched paintings.

Video on the topic of the article

At the end of the article, we would like to invite you to familiarize yourself with a small selection of video clips in which you will see how children and adults burn out simple and not very images using metal and flame.

 

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