This book is dedicated to Jess, Will, Cash, and Alexis: you are my heart, my love, and my world.
© 2020 by Minisa Robinson and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.
Woodburning Projects and Patterns for Beginners is an original work, first published in 2020 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. The patterns contained herein are copyrighted by the author. Readers may make copies of these patterns for personal use. The patterns themselves, however, are not to be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.
For a printable PDF of the patterns used in this book, please contact Fox Chapel Publishing at [email protected], quoting the ISBN and title of this book, as well as the pattern or patterns required.
Print ISBN 978-1-4971-0085-5
eISBN 978-1-6076-5782-8
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: WOODBURNING SAFETY AND SETUP
CHAPTER 2: TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
CHAPTER 7: PRACTICE THE FUNDAMENTALS
CHAPTER 8: ADDING COLOR AND FINISHING
BOOKMARK
WELCOME SIGN
MOUNTAIN BANGLE BRACELET
SNOWFLAKE COASTERS
FUN AND FOXY KEYCHAIN
COFFEE TIME
WOLF GRADIENT
MANDALA
ADVENTURE KEY HOLDER
ALWAYS BEE KIND
FEATHER PENDANTS
SERVING TRAY
FAMILY FRAME
COUNTRY JAR
MEMORY BOX
FOLLOW YOUR PASSION
BON APPÉTIT WOODEN PLATE
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!
The project that made me realize my love for pyrography.
When I first started woodburning, I didn’t have any wood to burn on, so I walked into the surrounding forests at my home in Colorado and cut down a small aspen tree with a hatchet. I peeled off the bark, cut it into small sections, and used that small tree for my first few pyrography projects.
I look back at my first project and know that I’ve learned so much since then, but that learning curve is so important to all artists.