Be honest – did you start reading this just to find out what ‘pyrography’ is? Were you guessing that it meant ‘pictures of things on fire?’
Actually pyrography is a fancy name for wood burning; the art of decorating with burn marks. The name is derived from the Greek pur (meaning fire) and graphos (meaning writing). It is likely that humans have been ‘writing with fire’ since the days of the cavemen. Since then artists have been using instruments heated with fire to decorate everything from wooden bowls to masks and musical instruments. Not to mention pictures, portraits and landscapes. And it’s not just wood – pyrographers often decorate gourds as well.
The artwork that can be produced in this medium may surprise you. The horse nearby was done entirely with pyrography. The realism and fine detail on that picture are amazing.
The first wood burning artists likely used burning sticks to mark their work. With the rise of the use of metals, it shifted to metal pokers. That technology held sway all the way to the Victorian era. In fact, the Victorians called it ‘pokerwork.’ They used pokers with specialized shapes that were heated in a charcoal stove.
In the early 1900’s the first soldering iron type burners appeared. Later, low voltage devices were developed with built in heat controls. Prior to that time, ‘heat control’ consisted of heating something red hot and then letting it cool. Needless to say, getting the perfect temperature was a hit or miss affair and you had to work quickly. Now most wood burning artists use a wire nib pen with the temperature easily controlled with a dial. Combined with the variety of pen tips available, this makes it possible to create beautiful art work with very fine detail.
Safety is always an issue in woodworking. In addition to the obvious need to be careful about burns, you need to be concerned about the fumes from some materials. MDF and pressure treated lumber or coated lumber are coated or impregnated with potentially harmful chemicals. If you apply a wood burner to them they will release potentially toxic fumes. Similarly, you should never burn on plastics or materials with adhesives like tape; their chemicals will also create toxic fumes when burned.
Your best bet is to stick to natural, organic materials like wood and gourds. Although, even some woods are unsafe – spalted wood contains mold which can be released in the fumes when burning. Always be sure you consider the material you will be working with and make sure the area is well-ventilated. Use a mask, especially if you have respiratory issues.
My perception of wood burning has changed a lot since my cub scout days. Back then, I was burning my initials into anything that would make smoke using a cheap soldering iron type wood burner. Today’s wood burning pens are sophisticated instruments with very specialized tips and delicate heat control.
Let your inner artist out and try ‘writing with fire.’
