Pyrography is the art of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks resulting from the controlled application of a heated object such as a
pokerA fireplace poker is a short, rigid rod, preferably of fireproof material, used to adjust coals and wood fuel burning in a fireplace. It is often metallic and has a point at one end for pushing burning materials and a handle at the opposite end, sometimes with an insulated grip...
. It is also known as
pokerwork or
wood burning.
Pyrography means "writing with fire" and is the traditional art of using a heated tip or wire to burn or
scorchScorch may refer to:*Scorch, a Beanie Baby toy: a dragon with iridescent wings and lavender fur*Scorch, the boss of the Evening Lake world in the video game Spyro: Year of the Dragon...
designs onto natural materials such as
woodWood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of trees . In a living tree it transfers water and nutrients to the leaves and other growing tissues, and has a support function, enabling woody plants to reach large sizes or to stand up for themselves...
or
leatherLeather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. The tanning process converts the putrescible skin into a durable and versatile material....
. Burning can be done by means of a modern solid-point tool (similar to a
soldering ironA soldering iron is a tool normally used for applying heat to two or more adjoining metal parts such that solder may melt and flow between those parts, binding them securely, conductively and hermetically....
) or hot wire tool, or a more basic method using a metal implement heated in a fire, or even sunlight concentrated with a magnifying
lensA lens is an optical device with perfect or approximate axial symmetry which transmits and refracts light, converging or diverging the beam. A simple lens is a lens consisting of a single optical element...
.
This allows a great range of natural tones and shades to be achieved - beautiful subtle effects can create a picture in
sepia-Marine life:* Sepia , a genus of cuttlefish* Sepia , a subgenus of cuttlefish* The ink of a cuttlefish-Media and entertainment:* Sepia * "Sepia" , a song by the Manic Street Preachers...
tones, or strong dark strokes can make a bold, dramatic design.
Pyrography is the art of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks resulting from the controlled application of a heated object such as a
pokerA fireplace poker is a short, rigid rod, preferably of fireproof material, used to adjust coals and wood fuel burning in a fireplace. It is often metallic and has a point at one end for pushing burning materials and a handle at the opposite end, sometimes with an insulated grip...
. It is also known as
pokerwork or
wood burning.
Pyrography means "writing with fire" and is the traditional art of using a heated tip or wire to burn or
scorchScorch may refer to:*Scorch, a Beanie Baby toy: a dragon with iridescent wings and lavender fur*Scorch, the boss of the Evening Lake world in the video game Spyro: Year of the Dragon...
designs onto natural materials such as
woodWood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of trees . In a living tree it transfers water and nutrients to the leaves and other growing tissues, and has a support function, enabling woody plants to reach large sizes or to stand up for themselves...
or
leatherLeather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. The tanning process converts the putrescible skin into a durable and versatile material....
. Burning can be done by means of a modern solid-point tool (similar to a
soldering ironA soldering iron is a tool normally used for applying heat to two or more adjoining metal parts such that solder may melt and flow between those parts, binding them securely, conductively and hermetically....
) or hot wire tool, or a more basic method using a metal implement heated in a fire, or even sunlight concentrated with a magnifying
lensA lens is an optical device with perfect or approximate axial symmetry which transmits and refracts light, converging or diverging the beam. A simple lens is a lens consisting of a single optical element...
.
This allows a great range of natural tones and shades to be achieved - beautiful subtle effects can create a picture in
sepia-Marine life:* Sepia , a genus of cuttlefish* Sepia , a subgenus of cuttlefish* The ink of a cuttlefish-Media and entertainment:* Sepia * "Sepia" , a song by the Manic Street Preachers...
tones, or strong dark strokes can make a bold, dramatic design. Varying the type of tip used, the temperature, or the way the iron is applied to the material all create different effects. Solid-point machines offer a variety of tip shapes, and can also be used for "
brandingBranding may refer to:* Livestock branding, the marking of animals to indicate ownership* Human branding, as body modification or punishment* Branding , bonding of the partners and marking of a submissive...
" the wood or leather. Wire-point machines allow the artist to shape the wire into a variety of configurations, to achieve broad marks or fine lines. This work is time-consuming, done entirely by hand, with each line of a complex design drawn individually. After the design is burned in, wooden objects are often coloured, sometimes boldly or more delicately tinted.
Light-coloured hardwoods such as
sycamoreSycamore is a name which is applied at various times and places to three very different types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms....
,
beechBeech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.The leaves of beech trees are entire or sparsely toothed, from 5–15 cm long and 4–10 cm broad...
and
birchBirch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae.-Description:...
are most commonly used, as their fine
grainGRAIN is an international non-governmental organization based in Barcelona, Spain, which works toward sustainable agriculture. It was formed upon the realization that the genetic diversity of the world's food crops are being drastically eliminated...
is not obtrusive, and they produce the most pleasing contrast. However, other woods, such as
pinePines are coniferous trees in the genus Pinus , in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Distribution:...
or
oakAn oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 400 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, are also used when required. Pyrography is also applied to leather items, using the same hot-iron technique.
LeatherLeather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. The tanning process converts the putrescible skin into a durable and versatile material....
lends itself to bold designs, and also allows very subtle shading to be achieved. Specialist vegetable-tanned leather must be used for pyrography, (as modern
tanningTanning is the process of making leather, which does not easily decompose, from the skins of animals, which do. Often this uses tannin, an acidic chemical compound. Coloring may occur during tanning....
methods leave chemicals in the leather which are toxic when burned) typically in light colours for good contrast.
Pyrography is also popular among
gourdA gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae, or a name given to the hollow, dried shell of a fruit in the Cucurbitaceae family of plants of the genus Lagenaria...
crafters and artists, where designs are burned onto the exterior of a dried hard-shell gourd, usually with dramatic results.
History
The process has been practiced by a number of cultures including the
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
ians and some
AfricaAfrica is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the...
n tribes since the dawn of recorded time. In the late 19th century, a
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city centre is the anchor of the larger geographical area and statistical division known as the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area – of which Melbourne is...
architectAn architect is trained and licensed in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e. chief builder...
by the name of Alfred Smart discovered that water-based
paintPaint is any liquid, liquifiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film.-History:...
could be applied hot to wood by pumping benzoline fumes through a heated hollow
platinumPlatinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is in Group 10 of the periodic table of elements...
pencilA pencil is a writing or drawing device consisting of a slippery, thin stick of pigment and clay, usually encased in a thin wood cylinder, although paper and plastic sheaths are also used...
. This improved the pokerwork process by allowing the addition of tinting and
shadingShade is the blocking of sunlight by any object, and also the shadow created by that object. Shade also consists of the colors grey, black,white, etc...
that previously were impossible. In the early 20th century, the development of the electric pyrographic hot wire wood etching machine further automated the pokerwork process. Pyrography is also a traditional folk art in many European countries, including Romania, Hungary, as well as countries such as Argentina in South America. Since 1997 on the base of woodcarver online magazine (WOM) was established unique resource devoted to pyrography from around the world - PYROGRAFFITIE and also the international Museum of Pyrographic Art. The founder of these resources is a pyrography artist Kathleen M. Garvey Menéndez. The E-Museum of Pyrographic Art is not intended as a commercial enterprise, the E-Museum is a unique cultural resource designed to bring pyrographic art to artists, specialists, collectors and connoisseurs.
In March of 1998 was formed the International Association of Pyrographic Artists (IAPA) and members began meeting on line. Linked from the E-Museum's Café Flambé, which hosts the IAPA meetings, is the Yahoo Groups uniting_pyrographers mailing list, member list, and chat forum set up by IAPA Co-founder Mixo Sydenham of Australia for IAPA members.
External links