Wood Burning Basics

In my experience, there is no secret or

short cut to the technique of burning

designs into wood except for lots of

practice and patience. It takes a lot of

time to get used to the way it feels to

draw with a wood burning tool but once

you get the hang of it, there are endless

ways to be creative!

The basics that I utilize-

1. LINES AND LOTS OF THEM- I like to

use the tip of the burner to make all

kinds of small lines- from chevron

pattern to herringbone to shading and

detail work, there are all kinds of ways

to use repetitive lines. FYI- Straight

lines are easy- curved lines and circles

are challenging.

2. DOTS- I love using dots in all of my

artwork and they are super easy to to

create with a wood burner. I like to use

them to fill up space or add a

decorative element to my lines.

3. CURVED LINES- Curvy lines and circles

can be challenging, especially

depending on the type of wood you are

using and the grain of wood. It takes

lots of practice (I'm still practicing my

curved lines) to get good clean curvy

lines and shapes but once you have it

mastered the sky is the limit with

burning patterns and images.

4. SHADING- I like to use the side of my

tool to add shading. Shading is a little

more subtle than a big dark line and can

be used to fill areas with contrast.

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