Quality Crafts By Joe

Pyrography

Pyrography is the art of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks resulting from the controlled application of a heated object such as a poker. It is also known as pokerwork or woodburning.

Pyrography means "writing with fire" and is the traditional art of using a heated tip or wire to burn or scorch designs onto natural materials. Burning can be done by means of a modern solid point tool (similar to a soldering iron) or hot wire tool.

This allows a great range of natural tones and shades to be achieved - beautiful subtle effects can create a picture in sepia tones, or strong dark strokes can make a bold, dramatic design. Varying the type of tip used, the temperature, or the way the iron is applied to the material all create different effects. Solid point machines offer a variety of tip shapes, and can also be used for "branding" the wood. Wire point machines allow the artist to shape the wire into a variety of configurations, to achieve broad marks or fine lines. This work is time consuming, done entirely by hand, with each line of a complex design drawn individually. After the design is burned in, wooden objects are often sealed with a clear protective finish, or a light colored stain.

Light colored hardwoods such as basswood, sycamore, beech and birch are most commonly used, as their fine grain is not obtrusive, and they produce the most pleasing contrast. However, other woods, such as pine or oak, are also used.

Pyrography is also popular among gourd crafters and artists, where designs are burned onto the exterior of a dried hard-shell gourd, usually with dramatic results.

History of Pyrography

The process has been practiced by a number of cultures including the Egyptians and some African tribes since the dawn of recorded time. In the late 19th Century, a Melbourne architect by the name of Alfred Smart discovered that water based paint could be applied hot to wood by pumping benzoline fumes through a heated hollow platinum pencil. This improved the pokerwork process by allowing the addition of tinting and shading that previously were impossible. In the early 20th century, the development of the electric pyrographic hot wire wood etching machine further automated the pokerwork process. Pyrography is also a traditional folk art in many European countries, including Romania, Hungary, as well as countries such as Argentina in South America.

* This information comes from Wikipedia  (wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_burning)