LITMIR.BIZ

      INTRODUCTION

      Pyrography is an ancient art form where a hot tool is used to burn images onto wood, paper, gourds, leather, and other fire-friendly materials. It’s more commonly known as woodburning because wood is often the medium of choice for the art form, and advancements in technology afford artists with various quality tools such as electric woodburning pens. Pyrography is incredibly versatile and can be used in countless ways, from adding simple embellishments onto carved wood, to decorating home décor items, and even creating high-quality realistic works of art.

      This book is meant to teach the art of woodburning and ignite your artistic senses. Pyrography can be added to most species of unfinished wood, which opens a world of creative opportunities. The projects in this book also include the option for color, so the possibilities are endless.

       A Timeline of Learning

      This is a beginner’s book, and before I show you my favorite artworks, I think it’s important to show you my journey as a pyrographic artist. We all start as beginners and must grow from there. I am a self-taught artist, and most of my progress has come from a combination of trial, experiment, practice, and—above all else—attempting projects that were beyond my current skill level. Why? Because it was the catalyst that pushed me to greater learning. As artists, we are never stagnant, and we are always learning with each and every project. The willingness to learn is one of the greatest teachers in life, and I hope you will always be willing to attempt that next challenge. So, before we proceed, here are some of my first attempts at pyrography, which are also some of my most important projects.

      This was the project that hooked me on pyrography. It was my first attempt at woodcarving with a Dremel^® tool, and I was frustrated that I couldn’t see my carving well. I purchased a simple woodburning tool from my local store and tried to burn over the carving so it would look better. I immediately learned a few things: first of all, woodcarving wasn’t really my thing; secondly, I ruined my first woodburning point by pressing too hard; and lastly, I absolutely loved pyrography!