Pyrography Project for Beginners

Pyrography Project for Beginners

Join me in this Pyrography Project for Beginners. If you’re new to Pyrography, this is a great starter project. Below you will find the template download and the supply list so you can follow along. 

Template: https://www.pyrocrafters.com/downloads/SummerVibes.pdf

Supply List:

• Walnut Hollow Versa Tool   https://amzn.to/31BThAt 
• Universal tip and rounded tip- 8×8 Canvas   https://amzn.to/3zENjk8
• Arteza Acrylic Markers   https://amzn.to/3cP7xxJ
• Brush, Water, Paper Towel    https://amzn.to/3zEUE3p
• Carbon Paper (for transferring)   https://amzn.to/2YCUwiU
• Pencil, Tape-Sand paper – 220 grit (ultra fine)
• Kamar Varnish     https://amzn.to/2UBh0zL 
• UV Varnish  https://amzn.to/3iEYVxH
• Sawtooth Hangers   https://amzn.to/3wWhtxX

PREPPING YOUR PYROGRAPHY PROJECT for Beginners

The first thing you want to do is prep your wood canvas with your 220 grit sand paper. I use an orbital sander, but you can use sand paper and elbow grease too. The goal is to create a nice smooth surface on the wood.   Next, you will transfer the template to the wood canvas. I’m using the 8×8 basswood canvas from Michaels, but you can find them on amazon too.

I used carbon paper to transfer my template. If you’re not familiar with that process, I have a video on YouTube that will walk you through it. Once my template is transferred, I get my wood burner setup. I’m using the Walnut Hollow Versa tool. And I’ve got the universal tip (aka skew or straight edge tip) loaded and ready for outlining my project artwork. 

Pyrography Project for Beginners TIP: Basswood is perfect for beginners. It’s easy to find in arts and craft stores online. The grains are very light, soft and consistent. 

OUTLINING THE ARTWORK

Outlining the template helps create a nice clean edged border, then you can fill in the artwork with a nice texture.I’m going to start with the palm tree and place my universal tip on the wood and trace along the template lines.

Remember not to push down too hard on the wood. Pushing too hard will make it more difficult to trace the lines. The tip will start to catch in the wood creating bumpy edges and you may break the tip of your burner. Use minimal amounts of pressure and guide the tip over the carbon lines and let the tip glide across the surface. The heat will do the work and burn the wood.

I use the universal tip to outline all of the straight lines in the pattern, then I switch to the rounded tip and burn all the curved lines. Turn off your burner, let it cool, load the rounded tip and let it heat up again. Burning curved lines with the universal tip is very challenging. It’s difficult to turn the tip through the curves with a straight edge. Using the round tip makes it much easier to hit those curves. 

Pyrography Project for Beginners TIP: You can use the round tip to outline the entire wood burning pattern, but you’re more likely to get bumps in the outline. 

FILLING IN WITH TEXTURE

Now that you have the rounded tip loaded and hot, let’s start adding texture. I like to add horizontal lines inside the artwork because it gives a more interesting look. 

For the tree base, I’m using the same horizontal straight lines. For the leaves of the palm tree, I use the burner tip to sketch a branch pattern to follow along with. I wanted the texture of the leaves to have a curved leafy pattern so that it would be different from the rest of the textures we burned. 

And don’t forget to fill in your birds!

COLOR

These acrylic markers from Arteza are great for splashes of color. They tend to bleed into the wood grains, but when you’re adding large splashes like this they are perfect! We want them to bleed and blend together, so we can use that to our advantage. 

They markers are very bright and vivid and they look so beautiful as a sunset. 
You really can’t go wrong with adding color here. The goal is to add in splashes of different colors and blend the edges together and there’s no wrong way to do it. 

What I did was add all the darker colors first, then add yellow last. That way the lighter yellow is sitting on top of the others color and doesn’t get lost or covered up. 

You can start at the top of the wood burned pattern just above the palm tree like I did. I started with orange and added some red to it, then I used my brush with water and blended the edges together. Then my brush had color on it, so I used it to dab little splashes all around, creating the water splash look. 

Next I went to the pinks and purples. I worked my way around the tree clockwise, mimicking the color in the template and created all the splashes. Every time I added a bit of color with the marker, I would add a little water with my brush so that it would blend easier. 

Go all the way around until you’ve got all the colors in the sunset. 

After you’ve got the yellow added, use the orange color and make small horizontal marks in the yellow. Use the brush to blend it out with a horizontal motion to create a sunset look. If you need to add more yellow to blend it more, go for it.

FINISHING THE PIECE

Once it’s finished drying, spray it with a sealant to protect the wood and the color. I like to use the Kamar and UV Varnish combo. 

Make sure to see the Kamar Varnish first. I use two coats. It dries really quickly. Once the Kamar is dry, spray it with the UV Spray, this will help prevent fading of the color and the wood burn. Let it dry.

Add a hanger on the back and it’s all done!

You finished your first pyrography project for beginners! Congratulations!!

FREE STENCILS AND FONTS

Creative Fabrica Freebies: https://www.creativefabrica.com/daily-gifts/ref/972705/

GET A 30% DISCOUNT on select stencil and font purchases: Use code PYROCRAFTERS30 at checkout

FREE PYRO PACK

This FREE (and highly detailed) digital packet is overflowing with information for getting started in pyrography.

• 14 tools supply list – the best tools in pyrography
• 5 pyrography patterns to use in burning
• 2 step-by-step pyro projects with templates

I put together a digital download packet that highlights wood burning tools and projects perfect for pyro beginners.

“what burner should I use?”

“what’s the best wood to burn?”

“what are my safety options?”

“where can I get these tools?”

“where can I get pyrography patterns?”

“what should I burn?”

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