Woodburning/Pyrography as an Art Form
Don Worden uses simple soldering irons in his interpretation of Pyrography
Woodburning, or pyrography, is a very old art form. There are examples in the British Museum from primitive tribes. Indians sometimes burned the interior of logs for canoes and then decorated the exterior by burning. Some of the drawings in caves were charcoal drawings or burnings. Primitive tools have been known to have designs on them that are the result of burning.
More recently what we know as woodburning was at times called poker art, as a person would sit by the fire on a long winter evening and create a design on a piece of wood. Often these were either rounds or ovals, depicting a woman with long, flowing hair. At other times they might be small jewelry boxes. Upon careful inspection, usually poker art consisted of small burns grouped to together in such a way as to darken the background, allowing the woman's head to stand out in contrast to the burning. In this example, they must have used vegetable colors to color some of the burned areas. This piece probably dates from the last part of the 19th century or early 20th century.
Non-Electric Forms of Pyrography
Eventually people used chemicals or a gas fire with an air tube to convey the heat to the wood. Some people used magnifying glasses as a prism to focus the suns rays and burn in that fashion. There are people still using this rather primitive method to create pryography today.
With the coming of electricity, woodburning took a giant step forward. Previously much of what you see is really an exercise in burning the background (as in the ladys head), leaving the unburned sections as the primary subject of the piece of art. With electricity, the method of burning lines and more subtle shading became possible.
Woodburnings by Don
Nearly thirty years ago, when Don started, there were very few tools available and very little literature on the subject. Today, there is considerably more available. Don belongs to an Internet Group known as Uniting_Pyrographers (a Yahoo group), that has pyrographers from several countries. Several of these people are accomplished artists in their own right, in other fields as well as pyrography. Some have written extensively on the subject. There is an Internet Magazine, Woodcarving On Line, which has a monthly section on woodburning entitled Pryograffiti edited by Kathleen Menendez. There are links to these and other pyrography sites on the links page.
Uniqueness about Woodburnings by Don
Perhaps the two areas that distinguish Don's work from most other pyrographers are the kind of tools he prefers to use and his style. Many woodburners and woodcarvers use expensive, rheostat controlled burners, or detailers. Don has experimented with these in the past, but prefers a simple Weller Soldering Iron. When he started, the detailers were not readily available. Upon the advice of a clerk in a craft store, he went to a local hardware store and purchased his first Weller, 25-Watt Soldering Iron. In the intervening years, he has gone through quite a few of these. His reasons for preferring the soldering irons are the size of the tip and the constant source of heat.
In most of the literature on pyrography and woodburning pattern books you will find quite an emphasis upon following lines. In contrast, Don turns the blade of the soldering iron sideways and treats it like a paintbrush. At times he does use lines, and will use either end as a tip for small, intricate work. However, most of the time, he has it turned flat and use strokes similar to those a painter uses. When shading, he works the iron back and forth, until he gets the desired effect.
Thirty Years of Experimenting
For thirty-three years he has experimented with and developing his own techniques for special things such a brick building and fine hair on a cat or other animal. Part of the secret to his work is careful attention to basic artistic techniques, such as perspective, shading and composition.
Don invites you to examine his gallery and other samples of his work. He also invites your questions. He is developing his own how to materials as yet unpublished to further advance this art form which has captured his attention for nearly thirty years. For information regarding demonstrations, classes and/or private tutoring, contact Don at: don@arquistudiogo.com.
