Wood burning is a very fun and relaxing hobby that is easy and inexpensive to get started. All that’s needed is a wood burning tool, a piece of wood, a pattern, and a laser printer. Also, it’s always a good idea to have a scrap piece of wood nearby to test the temperature of an attachment and to work on technique. The bird and flowery branch pattern I found was scaled to the size I needed using GIMP. An easy way to transfer a design is by using a laser printer. The ink is copied nicely onto the wood by using the transfer point attachment of Creative Versa-Tool. The lines on this particular drawing are very fine and detailed, so I had to use the tapered point attachment. After finishing the main part, I decided to add a top and bottom border using free-hand. Finally, I added some color to the border in order to make the burning stand out more.
After completing the first project, I wanted to do more. So I found a horse pattern and burned it as well. I finished the burning by rubbing mineral oil into the wood. The oil provides some protection, and it gives the wood a nice sheen.
These are basic line drawings that are great for beginners like myself. There are very advanced wood burns that involve a lot of shading and texturing, but those are for the experts. Really skilled artists use a more expensive wood burning tool than the Versa-Tool. The advantages of that tool are complete control over temperature and more variety of attachments. For now, the burner I have will work until I learn more techniques.
Besides being a relaxing hobby, wood burning provides a way to create a unique gift for someone special. The sky’s the limit when burning. There are even some pieces that involve relief carving. One of the nicest qualities of wood burning is that it is teeming with creativity. It will be difficult to become bored with over time.