Pyrography, derived from the Greek words for “fire” and “writing”, is an ancient art form that involves using heat to create intricate designs on wood surfaces. Also called “poker work” or wood burning, this art would originally have been done using charcoal or stones left over after a fire. Today, wood burners use a heated pen-like pyrography tool or soldering iron allowing them to essentially draw on the wood by burning it. Modern wood burning pens have adjustable knobs for precise temperature control and swappable metal tips, allowing the artist to create different effects with the depth and color of their lines.
While it has ancient roots, pyrography has experienced a recent resurgence in popularity, particularly in online craft communities and in-person craft shows. In this beginner’s guide, we’ll cover the history of wood-burning art, how to decorate your home with wood-burned pieces, where to source pyrography designs and wood, how to transfer wood-burning designs onto wood, and tips on how to get started.
History of Pyrography and Wood Burning
The art of pyrography evolved independently across several continents from the ancient world onward, with different cultures developing identifiable techniques. In China, the “fire needle embroidery” of the Han Dynasty evolved into modern Chinese pyrography which applies delicate shading techniques to traditional motifs, reminiscent of Chinese silk-shaded embroidery.
In the West, traditional pyrography derives many of its design principles from both embroidery and scrimshaw, a technique popularized by sailors in the 19th century who carved intricate nautical designs into whalebones and ivory. However, due to conservation concerns and regulations, the trade and use of ivory and whalebone for scrimshaw is now illegal in many parts of the world. Pyrography offers a sustainable and ethical alternative, allowing artists to achieve similar effects on wood without harming endangered species.
In the European middle ages, craftsmen used heated metal rods to decorate wooden artifacts, creating patterns and motifs that adorned furniture, musical instruments, and religious objects. With the advent of electricity in the late 19th century and the invention of Victorian era pyrography machines, wood-burning tools became more accessible, leading to a surge in popularity among hobbyists and artisans by the early 20th century. Wood burning techniques worked beautifully with the Art Nouveau decoration of everyday objects, leaving behind a legacy of stunning wood burned Art Nouveau antiques. Today, pyrography continues to thrive as a versatile art form, used to adorn almost every kind of wooden object, including musical instruments, religious icons, wooden gun stocks, skateboards, and more.
How to Decorate with Pyrography
The versatility of pyrography extends into decorating and design. From custom signs and landscape scenes to wildlife portraits, the possibilities with wall art are endless. We also can take inspiration from the Art Nouveau period and transform objects like hairbrushes, wooden spoons, jewelry boxes, and picture frames into unique pieces of art in their own right. The warmth and texture of wood lend a rustic and earthy charm, making burned objects perfect for adding a personal touch to your home decor. Landscape pyrography, in particular, offers a captivating way to capture the beauty of nature on wood surfaces and incorporate one-of-a-kind wood grain patterns or live edge pieces into a design.
Wildlife and nature are probably the most popular subjects for pyrography, with artists capturing the spirit of animal subjects through intricate patterns and shading. Pyrography techniques allow artists to create textures that can capture feathers and fur details along with lifelike eyes and expressions. I think animal subjects are where wood burning shines as a medium, bringing depth to the piece that different mediums struggle to capture. If you’re looking for a natural-looking wildlife piece or to commission a portrait of your pet, look into wood-burned portraits for something unique and special.
For wall art, live edge slabs and wood rounds create a beautifully natural frame. In some of my live edge pieces, I leave a bit of dried moss attached for a cottage-core look. I also love placing round pieces in an embroidery hoop, hung as part of a gallery wall. Pyrography also offers a unique way to decorate wooden furniture. If you have any pieces that can be stripped to raw wood, adding a wood-burned motif in the style of folk art furniture painting can look absolutely beautiful, especially as a focal point in a neutral or minimalist-themed home.
Where to Find Pyrography Patterns
If you’re looking for free online pyrography patterns or woodburning designs, there are plenty of online resources. When looking for designs for crafting, printing, or personal use, it can be tricky to navigate which images are legally available to use. While large image repositories and social media like Pinterest and Tumblr are great for discovering new artists and getting inspired, it can be difficult to discern which art is truly copyright-free and available for free use, which is especially important if you plan on selling your art at craft markets or online. The following sites offer a wide variety of license-free work, with uniquely beautiful art beyond the limits of basic stock images.
British Library Commons
In 2013, the British Library digitized over a million images into the public domain. These images are taken from a range of sources, most are historic illustrations from books as old as the seventeenth century. They include maps, drawings and sketches, architectural drawings, patterns, and other art that would be suited for woodburning.
Old Book Illustrations
OBI is a fantastic resource for illustrations, particularly for people interested in designs for pyrography. The site allows users to search images by subject and technique — like etching, lithograph, or woodcut, making it simple to find exactly the type of art you need for your project.
Smithsonian Institute
The Smithsonian Institute recently released over two million images into the public domain, giving the public worldwide access to their vast collection of historic art and illustrations. These images are searchable by museum unit, topic, and place of origin — making this collection particularly useful for diverse cultural art and design.
National Gallery of Art
The Smithsonian’s neighbor, the National Gallery of Art, also has a comprehensive collection generously uploaded for public use. Their catalog can be searched by type, nationality, and even photographic process. Just make sure that your selected image is available for download, as some are restricted due to unclear copyright status.
The Met Museum Open Access
The Met Museum divides its collection into copyrighted works and open-access images, which are free to be downloaded, used, and remixed. Their search function allows you to select for open access images, and then filter by type. They’ve included a stunning photograph collection, including some more recent works.
These resources are a treasure trove of work perfectly suited for pyrography (and other crafts) at all skill levels. Start with simple illustrations from children’s books and gradually work your way up to more intricate patterns, and even photographs.
How to Get Started
Getting started with pyrography doesn’t require a significant investment in tools or materials. Although I prefer to use a Colwood Super Pro 2, an inexpensive woodburning tool and a wood surface are all you need to begin your woodburning journey. However, it’s essential to work in a well-ventilated space to avoid inhaling smoke from burning wood. For safety reasons, some artists will choose to wear an N95 mask while burning, but burning at low temperatures shouldn’t generate a large amount of smoke.
Rather than use a conventional fan to blow away smoke and fumes, opt for a smoke extractor – a regular fan blowing air onto your wood-burning pen will cool down your tip and affect the consistency of your linework. If you have long hair, be sure to tie it up (learn from my mistakes…), and obviously be very careful when switching hot tips or handling your pen while it’s still warm. Use the included tool for switching tips, or wait until your equipment is completely cool before removing any components.
Before diving into your first project, familiarize yourself with the different tips and temperature settings of your pyrography kit. Creating a swatch sampler will help you understand how each tip behaves at different temperatures and achieve the desired effects in your designs. Start with a simple design to practice your technique, focusing on creating smooth, consistent lines and experimenting with different shading techniques. As you gain confidence and skill, gradually challenge yourself with more complex projects and experiment with incorporating texture and depth into your artwork.
Which Types of Wood are Best for Pyrography?
Your choice of wood is crucial for successful pyrography projects. Basswood is often recommended as the best wood for beginners due to its smooth grain and ease of burning. However, other hardwoods like maple, cherry, and poplar can also yield excellent results. Hardwoods require high temperatures but are less likely to burn unevenly than soft woods like pine.
Avoid wood with sap pockets or excessive moisture content, as they can interfere with your design and damage your tools. Steer clear of bamboo, as it’s technically a grass rather than a wood, and grass fibers make it challenging to burn evenly. Always prioritize safety by never burning manufactured wood like plywood, and avoiding all wood treated with chemicals.
This piece was burned on an extremely hard slice of Cherry burl, which required high burning temperatures. Linework pieces work well with these requirements, and the unique seafoam pattern of the burl brings out the subject matter.
When sourcing wood for your pyrography projects, consider visiting local lumber yards and specialty wood shops. These establishments often carry a wide selection of high-quality wood species, including exotic and reclaimed varieties. Take the time to inspect each piece for grain patterns, knots, and imperfections that can add character and visual interest to your artwork.
Where to Source Wood for Pyrography
While art and craft supply stores offer a selection of pre-cut wood plaques and blanks, they’ll often be priced at a premium. Consider exploring local lumber yards for unique cuts and specialty wood. Many will have a showroom with inexpensive wood cookies, larger live-edge slabs and special cuts for art and crafts. Get inspired with unique wood grains, knots, imperfections and live edge bark and incorporate them into your design. Just ensure that the wood is thoroughly dried before use to prevent cracking and warping after your piece is finished.
How to Prepare Wood for Pyrography
The first step before a pattern or design transfer is to sand your wood, sand it again, and then sand it some more. The smoother you can get your surface, the better the final result will be. Uneven wood grain or patchy sanding will result in uneven lines and blown-out edges. Sourcing your wood from a craft store will usually require less sanding work, though you’ll still want to go over it with fine-grit sandpaper to get it as smooth as possible. Raw wood from a lumber yard will need a bit more finishing work, and I recommend buying an orbital sander or detail sander to cut down on a lot of time and elbow grease.
Start with a very rough grit on the sander and work your way up to hand-finishing with fine-grit sandpaper for the best results. This stage requires a lot of patience and might even be the most time-consuming part of your piece depending on the state of your wood, but I promise it’s worth it to put the time in for a smooth surface.
How to Transfer Pyrography Designs onto Wood
Although you can free-hand with the wood burner, most pyrography artists choose to copy the outline of their design onto the wood to ensure correct proportions on the finished piece. The most common method of transfer is tracing with carbon paper. If you purchased a beginner’s pyrography kit from Amazon, it might have even included carbon paper and pencils.
Simply print your design off at home, and secure it to your wood with painter’s tape and a layer of carbon paper in between, with the carbon side down onto the prepared wood surface. Lightly trace over the lines you would like to copy onto the wood. I like to use a colored pencil for this step, so I can easily see which lines I’ve already gone over. Be sure not to lift the design off of the wood until you’ve finished transferring, or the lines of your design on the wood won’t be positioned properly.
You can also draw directly onto the wood with pencil if you’re skilled at reference drawing, or you’ve drawn your own design. The best way to save time during this step if you’re itching to get burning is to only trace the outline, and freehand the smaller details and shading. Experiment with different transfer methods to find the one that works best for your artistic style and preferences. Keep in mind that practice makes perfect, so don’t be discouraged if your first few attempts don’t turn out as expected. If your transfer looks a little off, just trust the process and know that the actual burning process will cover all of those uneven lines.
Is Woodburning an Evergreen Art?
As laser burning equipment gets more affordable and accessible, it’s far more cost-effective to produce script work and signage with a laser than by hand. Laser burning has its shortcomings though, particularly when it comes to pieces requiring delicate shading and details. Temperature and pressure control with the human hand is the only way to produce the level of line variance and detail needed for some artistic pieces.
Despite technological changes in laser and mass-produced art, pyrography artists continue to connect with organic, locally sourced materials on a physical level, harnessing the transformative power of heat to create stunning works of art. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a curious beginner, it’s gratifying to know that you’re part of an ancient tradition that spans cultures and generations. With each burn, you effectively transform your piece into a testament to the enduring beauty of handmade craftsmanship.
Tags: art, crafts, pyrography, woodburning
