1. Heat Settings

On your pyrography machine there is probably a dial which you can set so that the point is at different temperatures. Practise with the dial to see how you set it for hot temperartures and cooler temperatures. By changing the heat of the point or wire, you can control the depth of burn you make. The only way that you will become familiar with the depth of burn you get at each setting is to work with the point at a range of settings. Unlike using an ordinary pencil, there is no need to press harder to get a darker mark on the wood, you just turn the dial! The heat of the point or wire and speed with which you draw it across the surface of the wood are the ways you change the darkness of the burn you make. If you use a variety of settings you will be able to burn lots of different shades of brown. These different shades will become shadows, reflections and textures when you are doing a picture.

Exercise 1

Take a piece of plywood, sandpaper it to make it as smooth as possible and then draw 6 squares with a lead pencil on its surface. Turn your pyrography machine on and set it to a high temperature. Not too high that you can't control the burn and there's smoke everywhere! Fill in the first square so that it is a deep black, go over it so that there is a consistent burn and no wood showing through. Fill in each of the other squares in the same way, but each square at a lower temperature. The last square should be nearly the colour of the wood. Look at my example:-

Some pyrographers use the point set at one temperature for all of the picture. You may choose to do the same, but I suggest that you make good use of the heat settings, as this will give your pictures depth, substance and reality.

Keep your piece of wood with Exercise 1 on it, as later when you are planning a picture, you can use it to decide where you are going to have each of these 6 shades. That is where the darkest parts of the picture are and the lightest. You will be so pleased when you see the results and all you've done is turn the dial!

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