Woodburning Tips
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5 Easy Steps to Woodburning
My latest work is a
woodburning of Chief
Joseph, carved out of
white pine in the
shape of an
arrowhead.
woodburning of Chief
Joseph, carved out of
white pine in the
shape of an
arrowhead.
Step 1: Choose a woodburning tool
and tips.
A woodburner is a pen-like tool (to the right)
used to burn a pattern into the wood and
should be used with care. If it can burn the
wood, it can burn you or anyone who
accidentally bumps into it. If it falls off it’s stand,
it can burn the table, floor, or carpet. Never
leave a plugged in woodburner unattended.
Woodburners can be found at craft/hobby
shops, some home building supply stores, and
large general merchandise stores or from
suppliers over the Internet (some are listed on
the bottom of this page). The pens are rods
that look very much like a metal writing pen,
with a molded plastic or wood hand-friendly
holder. The plastic or wood holder is a
transformer that keeps the pen heated at a
steady rate when it is plugged in and away from
you. Control units are accessories that help
control the heat, raising or lowering the
temperature depending on what you need, it
can increase the life of your pen, and increase
the range of detail in the art. They can be
purchased at most craft and hobby shops or
from suppliers over the Internet, but only if you
think you will stick with it. Woodburning pens
can have a fixed tip or interchangeable tips. My
favorite is the interchangeable. Different tips
burn different types of marks in the wood.
Which pen should I use? That’s what I thought
when I first saw the selection in the department
store. What if I can’t get the hang of it? Well,
the most economical pen (my first pen) is one
that is designed for beginners. Most of them
come prepackaged with simple instructions, a
design book (sorry, no transfers in there), and
several interchangeable tips, or a single tip that
can be used for a variety of simple effects. Most
of the basic or beginners packages come with
similar tips. Since my first pen, I have worn out
several, I have learned that controlling the heat
increases the life of the pen and the tip.
Step 2: Whether inside the house or
outside, find a suitable place to work.
You will need a flat area, good ventilation (or
mask) [While you may like the scent of burnt
wood, other's may not appreciate your sense of
smell], and a comfortable place to sit (time will
pass quickly). If you are indoors, use adequate
lighting. Once you have decided where you are
going to work and have prepared the area, you
need to find a piece of wood. There are two
easy places to find what you need, a hobby or
craft store, or your local building supply
company. Both will have wood for crafters and
hobbyist. Another place to find wood will be on
the Internet (there is a list of websites on this
page). When you choose the type of wood, be
sure to consider what design you want. If you
want a rustic look, find a piece of wood with
bark on the edges, if it’s a more sophisticated
look, you’ll want a finely sanded board with
smooth or even beveled edges like a panel in
your kitchen cabinets. For this you can actually
purchase panels at a cabinet shop unfinished.
So, depending on what you want, find a piece of
wood appropriate for the style or shape. Also,
you need to take the species of wood into
consideration. I find that white pine, walnut, and
basswood burn very easy. If you don’t want to
waste any money, find a piece you have around
the house or cut from a tree trunk. Be sure that
it is smooth and workable; otherwise
woodburning could appear to be more difficult
than it is. Note: It is difficult to work on wood
planks with heavy grains or knotholes. Once you
have chosen your piece of wood, it must be
prepared. Sanding in the direction of the grain
and the rough edges does this. Remove any
dust with a cloth. If you purchased prepared
wood, you are ready for step two.
Step 3: It’s time to choose a design
and transfer it to the wood surface.
Whether you are a novice or an artist groupie,
woodburning design books contain some of the
most beautiful patterns, designs, and pictures
you can imagine. They can be purchased at your
hobby or craft shops. Most books designs will
have helpful hints entailing specific methods
used to shade and/or draw the designs. If you
are not prepared to spend too much on your
new hobby, then you can use patterns from
around the house like stencils, embroidery
patterns (I had some of these), photocopies of
favorite pictures, etc. If you are artist, draw
your own design. You are only limited by your
imagination. Once you have chosen your design,
it must be transferred to the wood. Place a piece
of graphite paper (tracing paper) on top of the
wood inside down. Place your design on top and
trace over it. Lift the graphite. If the design is
complete, remove it. If the design has skipped
areas, retrace the area.
Step 4: Burn the pattern or design.
Now you are ready for the fun part, creating
your masterpiece by burning the design. Fix
yourself a glass of cold tea, a fresh pot of
coffee, or put a six-pack of sodas in the fridge. I
prefer hot herbal tea. Now, if you chose a
design that came from a detailed woodburner’s
how-to book, then all you have to do is follow
their instructions, step-by-step. I had one, I put
it aside and chose to ‘discover’ what my pen
and I could do on our own. You can do that and
look at the book if you get stuck, or not. But if
you choose the book, it will undoubtedly give
specific details about how to make the different
lines for your that particular design. When I
first began to work with my pen, I got some of
the left over plywood we used to redo the
bathroom with. It burns a little differently but it
will give you time to learn how to hold your pen
in a comfortable position. It will allow you to
experiment with different tips, temperatures,
and pressure you put on the pen. Softer woods
burn easier and quicker than hardwoods and
knotholes. Coarser wood is more difficult than
finely sanded wood. Shading can be
accomplished in several ways: holding the tip
firmly on one end and lightly to the board on
the other, floating the wide tip in a circular
motion over the are to darken it in varying
degrees, making clusters of dots, and layers of
lines. Most woodburning craftsmen would be
appalled at my next suggestion, by allowing the
tip to sit on the wood, it burns it, literally, and it
also makes some beautiful contours and
designs. But once you have done this, there is
no going back. You are not limited to the
traditional light touch technique but remember,
using a light touch and never letting the tip rest
on the wood will allow you to go back and
repeat the steps to increase the shading.
Literally burning the wood for a dramatic dark
effect is permanent, much like a deep cigarette
burn on your new coffee table. It all depends on
what you want. Be creative. I used to burn my
designs with the wood sitting in my lap with a
towel under it so I could move the wood around
and around as I worked, stroking toward me
instead of away. The woodburner I bought had
several basic tips, the wide flat surfaced tip and
the sharp pointed tip were the two I began
experimenting with. I still use them more than
any other today. Practice. Once you feel
comfortable with making specific shadings and
lines, work on your design. Don’t get
discouraged. I must admit, my first attempt was
awful. I used plywood, like I said before, and it
was difficult to handle (and heavy). I tried
following the book I had bought but quickly
became frustrated (again, it requires patience)
because was overcoming a recent stroke. That’s
right! I picked up the art of burning wood in the
middle of a major life crisis. And it is my favorite
form of art! So, use patience, practice, and
create!
Step 5: Finishing the work.
Depending on how deeply you burned the wood,
you can either use an eraser to remove any lines
still showing from the graphite drawing or lightly
sand with a fine grit paper. I also use a
woodcarving tool to carve out designs and the
edges of the work. Most woodburner craftsmen
wood frown at the idea, but I’ve found that with
varying depths of woodburning, sanding
removes some of the burn and makes awesome
shading and grooves in the piece of art work. I’
ve used oil pencils to color special objects in
what would have otherwise been very plain
woodburned designs. You will want to use these
is after you burn the design. Once again, a light
touch should be used. Once some of the color
has soaked into the wood, you can apply
another light coat. That sounded like I was
painting my wall. Use the oil pencils sparingly as
not to detract from the natural beauty of wood
and the burnt pattern. Gold highlights and has a
special effect from an angel. An intense red or
cobalt blue is stunning especially in flowers, eye
colors, and other fine details. Once you have
finished the work can remain as is or you can
apply a varnish or polyurethane coating. Like the
wall, light coats and repeat. After you have
finished and the coating is dry, attach a hanger
on the back or prop your work on a stand so
that you can display your work for everyone to
enjoy. If you enjoyed this as much as I did,
before you finish you will be dreaming up your
next masterpiece!
Last..........
Once you are done, you may want to frame it
yourself with materials you can purchase at any
art framing store or display it.
and tips.
A woodburner is a pen-like tool (to the right)
used to burn a pattern into the wood and
should be used with care. If it can burn the
wood, it can burn you or anyone who
accidentally bumps into it. If it falls off it’s stand,
it can burn the table, floor, or carpet. Never
leave a plugged in woodburner unattended.
Woodburners can be found at craft/hobby
shops, some home building supply stores, and
large general merchandise stores or from
suppliers over the Internet (some are listed on
the bottom of this page). The pens are rods
that look very much like a metal writing pen,
with a molded plastic or wood hand-friendly
holder. The plastic or wood holder is a
transformer that keeps the pen heated at a
steady rate when it is plugged in and away from
you. Control units are accessories that help
control the heat, raising or lowering the
temperature depending on what you need, it
can increase the life of your pen, and increase
the range of detail in the art. They can be
purchased at most craft and hobby shops or
from suppliers over the Internet, but only if you
think you will stick with it. Woodburning pens
can have a fixed tip or interchangeable tips. My
favorite is the interchangeable. Different tips
burn different types of marks in the wood.
Which pen should I use? That’s what I thought
when I first saw the selection in the department
store. What if I can’t get the hang of it? Well,
the most economical pen (my first pen) is one
that is designed for beginners. Most of them
come prepackaged with simple instructions, a
design book (sorry, no transfers in there), and
several interchangeable tips, or a single tip that
can be used for a variety of simple effects. Most
of the basic or beginners packages come with
similar tips. Since my first pen, I have worn out
several, I have learned that controlling the heat
increases the life of the pen and the tip.
Step 2: Whether inside the house or
outside, find a suitable place to work.
You will need a flat area, good ventilation (or
mask) [While you may like the scent of burnt
wood, other's may not appreciate your sense of
smell], and a comfortable place to sit (time will
pass quickly). If you are indoors, use adequate
lighting. Once you have decided where you are
going to work and have prepared the area, you
need to find a piece of wood. There are two
easy places to find what you need, a hobby or
craft store, or your local building supply
company. Both will have wood for crafters and
hobbyist. Another place to find wood will be on
the Internet (there is a list of websites on this
page). When you choose the type of wood, be
sure to consider what design you want. If you
want a rustic look, find a piece of wood with
bark on the edges, if it’s a more sophisticated
look, you’ll want a finely sanded board with
smooth or even beveled edges like a panel in
your kitchen cabinets. For this you can actually
purchase panels at a cabinet shop unfinished.
So, depending on what you want, find a piece of
wood appropriate for the style or shape. Also,
you need to take the species of wood into
consideration. I find that white pine, walnut, and
basswood burn very easy. If you don’t want to
waste any money, find a piece you have around
the house or cut from a tree trunk. Be sure that
it is smooth and workable; otherwise
woodburning could appear to be more difficult
than it is. Note: It is difficult to work on wood
planks with heavy grains or knotholes. Once you
have chosen your piece of wood, it must be
prepared. Sanding in the direction of the grain
and the rough edges does this. Remove any
dust with a cloth. If you purchased prepared
wood, you are ready for step two.
Step 3: It’s time to choose a design
and transfer it to the wood surface.
Whether you are a novice or an artist groupie,
woodburning design books contain some of the
most beautiful patterns, designs, and pictures
you can imagine. They can be purchased at your
hobby or craft shops. Most books designs will
have helpful hints entailing specific methods
used to shade and/or draw the designs. If you
are not prepared to spend too much on your
new hobby, then you can use patterns from
around the house like stencils, embroidery
patterns (I had some of these), photocopies of
favorite pictures, etc. If you are artist, draw
your own design. You are only limited by your
imagination. Once you have chosen your design,
it must be transferred to the wood. Place a piece
of graphite paper (tracing paper) on top of the
wood inside down. Place your design on top and
trace over it. Lift the graphite. If the design is
complete, remove it. If the design has skipped
areas, retrace the area.
Step 4: Burn the pattern or design.
Now you are ready for the fun part, creating
your masterpiece by burning the design. Fix
yourself a glass of cold tea, a fresh pot of
coffee, or put a six-pack of sodas in the fridge. I
prefer hot herbal tea. Now, if you chose a
design that came from a detailed woodburner’s
how-to book, then all you have to do is follow
their instructions, step-by-step. I had one, I put
it aside and chose to ‘discover’ what my pen
and I could do on our own. You can do that and
look at the book if you get stuck, or not. But if
you choose the book, it will undoubtedly give
specific details about how to make the different
lines for your that particular design. When I
first began to work with my pen, I got some of
the left over plywood we used to redo the
bathroom with. It burns a little differently but it
will give you time to learn how to hold your pen
in a comfortable position. It will allow you to
experiment with different tips, temperatures,
and pressure you put on the pen. Softer woods
burn easier and quicker than hardwoods and
knotholes. Coarser wood is more difficult than
finely sanded wood. Shading can be
accomplished in several ways: holding the tip
firmly on one end and lightly to the board on
the other, floating the wide tip in a circular
motion over the are to darken it in varying
degrees, making clusters of dots, and layers of
lines. Most woodburning craftsmen would be
appalled at my next suggestion, by allowing the
tip to sit on the wood, it burns it, literally, and it
also makes some beautiful contours and
designs. But once you have done this, there is
no going back. You are not limited to the
traditional light touch technique but remember,
using a light touch and never letting the tip rest
on the wood will allow you to go back and
repeat the steps to increase the shading.
Literally burning the wood for a dramatic dark
effect is permanent, much like a deep cigarette
burn on your new coffee table. It all depends on
what you want. Be creative. I used to burn my
designs with the wood sitting in my lap with a
towel under it so I could move the wood around
and around as I worked, stroking toward me
instead of away. The woodburner I bought had
several basic tips, the wide flat surfaced tip and
the sharp pointed tip were the two I began
experimenting with. I still use them more than
any other today. Practice. Once you feel
comfortable with making specific shadings and
lines, work on your design. Don’t get
discouraged. I must admit, my first attempt was
awful. I used plywood, like I said before, and it
was difficult to handle (and heavy). I tried
following the book I had bought but quickly
became frustrated (again, it requires patience)
because was overcoming a recent stroke. That’s
right! I picked up the art of burning wood in the
middle of a major life crisis. And it is my favorite
form of art! So, use patience, practice, and
create!
Step 5: Finishing the work.
Depending on how deeply you burned the wood,
you can either use an eraser to remove any lines
still showing from the graphite drawing or lightly
sand with a fine grit paper. I also use a
woodcarving tool to carve out designs and the
edges of the work. Most woodburner craftsmen
wood frown at the idea, but I’ve found that with
varying depths of woodburning, sanding
removes some of the burn and makes awesome
shading and grooves in the piece of art work. I’
ve used oil pencils to color special objects in
what would have otherwise been very plain
woodburned designs. You will want to use these
is after you burn the design. Once again, a light
touch should be used. Once some of the color
has soaked into the wood, you can apply
another light coat. That sounded like I was
painting my wall. Use the oil pencils sparingly as
not to detract from the natural beauty of wood
and the burnt pattern. Gold highlights and has a
special effect from an angel. An intense red or
cobalt blue is stunning especially in flowers, eye
colors, and other fine details. Once you have
finished the work can remain as is or you can
apply a varnish or polyurethane coating. Like the
wall, light coats and repeat. After you have
finished and the coating is dry, attach a hanger
on the back or prop your work on a stand so
that you can display your work for everyone to
enjoy. If you enjoyed this as much as I did,
before you finish you will be dreaming up your
next masterpiece!
Last..........
Once you are done, you may want to frame it
yourself with materials you can purchase at any
art framing store or display it.
The photo at the top was
used as a pattern, traced
onto the wood, then lightly
burned. Some details in
the photo were omitted on
the wood. The finished
work is similar to a relief,
the edges are both
beveled and scalloped like
a real arrowhead.
used as a pattern, traced
onto the wood, then lightly
burned. Some details in
the photo were omitted on
the wood. The finished
work is similar to a relief,
the edges are both
beveled and scalloped like
a real arrowhead.