Drawings for wood burning bear. Wood burning: sketches for people of all skill levels, help for beginners, and ideas for experienced pyrographers. Image Transfer Methods

  • 06.03.2023

Today, more and more people of different ages are interested in wood burning. This type of needlework is widely available and requires a minimum of basic skills and maximum care when working. Wood burning is called "pyrography", the pattern is applied to a wooden surface using a special electric burner, which can be purchased at specialty needlework stores. You can come up with wood burning drawings on your own, or you can find ready-made templates and sketches on the Internet.

Material selection

The best material is a board made of alder, birch or linden. Wood should be soft and light, especially if this is your first work. Beginners also use regular plywood. Before applying the drawing, such a board must be sanded with sandpaper. Or you can do everything on a cutting board that will be ready.

Sketches can be drawn on the board by hand, or can be translated through carbon paper or stencil.

How to draw

Make sure the board is dry before burning. Put connection points on the drawing translated with a pencil and only then draw lines. To get a thin line, the electric burner should be moved quickly, and vice versa, if you want to get a thicker line, move the pen of the tool more slowly.

No need to press hard on the electric burner when drawing a picture. When the line is finished, the pen must be torn off sharply.

First, the outer contour is burned out, then you can gradually move on to the inner details, to the center. It is best to burn out in parts, that is, you need to give the newly burned elements the opportunity to cool. So work a little on one area, then leave it and move on to another, and so on, until the whole work is completed.

After burning, the surface should cool slightly, then carefully, so as not to damage the strokes and lines, especially small ones, you need to sand the board with fine sandpaper. You can paint with watercolors or oil paints only when the work has completely cooled down. After painting, the work must be waxed, that is, subjected to a wax finish. Thanks to waxing, the design acquires a soft sheen and retains the natural color of the wood and the saturation of colors.

Examples for inspiration

Patterns for wood burning can be very diverse: animals, flowers, ethnic ornaments, nature, and so on. They can be used to decorate cutting boards, as paintings in the home, or as gifts for family and friends.

For beginners, it is best to choose simple drawings, as in the photo:

Children can also engage in pyrography, of course, under close attention, because you need to work with a hot electric burner. For little masters, there are also interesting, beautiful and easy drawing patterns:


Engaging in this interesting type of needlework is quite simple, the main thing is not to be afraid and follow your imagination. Happy creativity!

Video on the topic of the article

And in order to get acquainted with the topic in more detail, you can watch specially selected video materials on this topic.

Since only talented artists can draw and burn icons on their own, it is much easier for novice pyrographers to realize this idea using ready-made stencils for burning. Be prepared for this "project" to take a long time to complete because icons are very complex artistic compositions. However, the end result will meet any of your expectations. You can download pictures for wood burning on the Internet. You can enlarge the picture to the desired size using any free digital imaging program.

Print the sketch on a printer, and then transfer it to a wooden blank using tracing paper (carbon paper) or other available methods that were discussed in detail in previous articles. Burning on the wood of the picture, start first with the main contours, and only then move on to small strokes and lines. If you wish, you can arrange the salary and frame of the icon with jute filigree - the effect will be amazing.

submitted by Anton 13.01.2018, 18:14

To burn an image in the form of ornate patterns on a tree, it is best to use a plywood board - it is soft, light and easy to process, so it is ideal for such work. As for sketches and stencils for burning, they can also be found and downloaded for free on the Internet on thematic sites. Choose the pattern you like, transfer it to the prepared wooden blank and start creative work.

Any artistic patterns will look perfect on pieces of furniture (for example, wall shelves for books or DIY decor), as well as kitchen utensils: wooden spoons, rolling pins, cutting boards. Especially popular are wood burning patterns with light floral motifs that will decorate any wooden surface. They are much easier to draw than openwork compositions or swirling lace.

submitted by Anton 13.01.2018, 18:23

If you have already mastered the initial technique of "painting with fire" at home and have learned how to skillfully use a pyrograph, it's time to move on to drawing more complex images - for example, still lifes. It can be both flowers in a vase that stands on the table, and an unusual floral pattern in space. Lots of burning ideas. For beginners, schemes and sketches of flowers can be picked up primitive (chamomile or tulip). But if you draw well, you can scorch the flowers of the "larger litter" - roses, carnations or gladioli. Such stencils for wood burning can be easily found on the Internet. Flowers always look good on various decorative surfaces and cutting boards. You can even make your own exclusive picture, which you can then proudly hang on the wall or present to loved ones.

submitted by Anton 13.01.2018, 18:26

For burning, drawings and sketches are neutral (landscapes, geometric shapes, animals and other similar images) and thematic. The latter include drawings of a specific theme or festive ones. The most popular pictures are New Year's (happy New Year cards, images of Santa Claus, elegant Christmas trees, garlands and gifts). This list can be continued for a long time.

Choose a suitable stencil on the Internet, download it to your computer (if necessary, you can process the picture in Photoshop), print it and carefully transfer it to a sanded plywood board or other suitable wood blank. Beautiful New Year's pictures, burnt out with your own hands, will delight you not only on holidays, but throughout the next year.

submitted by Anton 13.01.2018, 18:28

For boys, wood burning drawings should be exactly with a “male character” - it is unlikely that young pyrographers will want to draw ornate patterns, flower arrangements or cartoon anime girls on the surface. They prefer to burn cars, ships, architectural structures.

Therefore, the best option for boys who are fond of pyrography is wood burning paintings not with painting elements or still lifes, but images of cars, buildings, aircraft, weapons and military equipment. As an option, you can download house templates (country cottages, country houses, high-rise skyscrapers). Even a simple license plate at home will be burned by boys with much more pleasure than flowers in vases and other female “things”.

"Writing with fire" - this is how the word "pyrography" is literally translated, denoting one of the areas of arts and crafts. Sketches for burning are applied not with a pencil or a brush, but with a special soldering device with nozzles of different diameters. Such a device, powered by a network, is called a pyrograph. In order for the desired image to appear on the header, in addition to sketch drawings, stencils and templates are used.

Methods for burning drawings

Sketches are called preliminary drawings with clear contour lines, along which master burners apply the image to the base. They reflect the main idea, the concept of work:

  • color and light planning;
  • composition;
  • proportionality of forms;
  • plot component.

Stencils are also used, the main function of which is to apply complex compositions to a wooden surface. The more carefully the sketch or template is worked out, the better and more professional the result will be.

Unfortunately, not all pyrographers are high-class artists - mostly they are lovers of creating something with their own hands, people who gravitate towards beauty and grace, but are far from perfect pencil skills.

Beginners who are just starting to dive into this fascinating field of study can be advised to use the following methods:

  • set a search on the Internet for a picture of interest and print it on a printer;
  • visit a large market selling goods for needlework and creativity, and choose from a wide range of any set for burning you like, with ready-made templates, stencils and sketches;
  • alternatively, you can find a similar product in a highly specialized online store and place an order.

The last two options require some financial costs, but the first one is quite economical and affordable. It is often resorted to by needlewomen and craftsmen in a variety of hand-made areas. Even without the necessary equipment - a printer, it will not be difficult to implement your idea using photocopying services in any photo printing salon or stationery store.

A variety of topics and a wide range of applications in various household areas put pyrography on a par with the most popular types of crafts.

If we turn to the times of the Soviet past, we can recall that burning out was one of the popular activities for schoolchildren. Club activities in the homes of pioneers, labor lessons in schools were often devoted to this applied form of creativity. Boys and girls gladly burned out a variety of pictures for their mothers, fathers, friends.

Now this direction, gaining strength, is being reborn, as it were, adapting to modern realities. Fresh interesting topics appear, tools and technologies for applying images are modernized. With their help, professionals create masterpieces of wood art.

Popular stories

Perhaps the most acceptable place where the pyrography technique harmoniously fits into the interior was, is and remains a sauna. This is facilitated by the excellent combination and uniformity of the material - wood, which, by the way, often remains after the construction of a steam room and can be successfully used as a raw material for wood burning. There are many sketches for a bath, as well as original ideas for decorating bath accessories and accessories. These are plot panels, shelves, hangers, plates with inscriptions. After all, there is nothing better for a bath than an inviting atmosphere that inspires visitors to rest and relax.

For example, signs with slogans of invitations and wishes for a light couple would be good to hang on the doors. Decorate the walls with funny plot pictures that correspond to the spirit of the steam room and, of course, place a panel with the image of the owner of the institution - Bannik. The transformed steam room will delight its regulars and attract new steam lovers to visit.

Bath furniture is also decorated with burning, using for this purpose clichés of floral ornaments, depicting mainly oak and birch leaves, as elements of the main paraphernalia of the steam room's wellness procedures.

Ornamental patterns are also used for beautiful openwork frames - frames. For wood burning, you can find a wide variety of samples.

Patterns for frames

Ornaments contain the following elements:

  • vegetable;
  • combined - flora and fauna;
  • religious, ethnic, protective symbols;
  • geometric.

Their uniting component is the rhythm of the pattern.

Any images in a frame always have a complete, concise look. Exquisitely decorated, they are used to frame mirrors, photographs, portraits, panels, congratulatory texts, cutting boards.

It is important to know that the art of pyrography is a very painstaking task. The application of such complex, ornate, repetitive patterns requires increased attention and effort. You can look at a small example of how you can burn out an ornamental frame yourself.

Tools and materials:

  • Burning soldering iron;
  • wooden base;
  • a sketch of the frame selected and printed on paper. (It is more convenient to use a stencil, as this will greatly simplify the work. The pattern will not need to be drawn, just trace with a pencil along the cut out contour);
  • copy paper of any color;
  • masking tape;
  • simple pencil.

Step by step work:

Thus, by correctly fulfilling all the wishes, you can achieve great success and become a real master of wood burning.

Animal sketches

Which of the artists or children does not like to draw animals and birds? These are unlikely to be found. Children, for the most part, choosing a drawing on a free topic, prefer to depict animals, especially heroes of their favorite cartoons.

A great artist lives in every child, which is why it is so easy for children to get carried away with drawing. It will not be difficult to instill a love for pyrography either - you only need to time a gift in the form of a burning set for a birthday or New Year's holidays.

The first creation of a child will be a wonderful decoration for a child's room. It can be some cute dog or kitten, bird or butterfly - it doesn't matter. Another thing is valuable: the child chooses a living being. He gives his love to his pet - he takes care of him, plays with him, and captures him in a graphic image. Boys especially love horses, dogs, predators - lions, tigers, wolves, bears. From fantastic characters - dragons and dinosaurs. Girls, on the other hand, are more gentle creatures: chanterelles, hedgehogs, deer.

Animal templates are diverse both in appearance and style of execution - from primitive schematic and silhouette forms to voluminous, picturesque highly artistic figures.

Also, young figures are interested in fairy-tale images: the Gray Wolf, the Firebird and the Serpent-Gorynych, Kikimory, Leshy and many others.

The background for our younger brothers is often beautiful landscape views - their natural habitat. Therefore, burning sketches of nature in paintings is not in last place. The presence of the landscape creates a special flavor and gives vitality to the work. This is especially evident when, having completed the main part of the work, they proceed to the most interesting thing - color overlay. After all, scorched paintings do not always remain in black and white, sometimes they are supplemented with color shades.

Nature theme

The beauty of nature can inspire any creative person, and pyrograph artists are no exception. Drawing their ideological ideas from the vast naturalistic ocean, they boldly embody them in decorating not only the walls of the room, but also furniture, dishes, and household items. Modern advanced tools allow us to talk about such a direction as miniature pyrography.

This kind of decoration will look great in the country or in the interior of wooden houses. Adherents of a natural lifestyle and lovers of eco-style will surely find a lot of interesting and original crafts both for themselves personally and to bring additional charm to their home.

Such a gift can surprise the most demanding connoisseur of beauty. In addition, a hobby can become a source of additional income if the hobby develops into a serious occupation.

In the vastness of the worldwide web, you can create a mini-site with an offer of your products or a page on the famous "Fair of Masters", posting new items there.

Everything will depend on the desire, skill, and most importantly, patience in mastering the art of “drawing with fire”.

Image Transfer Methods

Among the burners, there are still disputes about drawing a picture on a wood canvas. Most tend to the old, time-tested method - copying. It is more suitable for beginners and children. But professionals prefer an alternative method to it - hatching on the wrong side. It has very weak, barely outlined contours, which subsequently merge with burnt strokes and do not create a delineation that betrays the performer's amateurism.

It is done in this way:

  • drawing is drawn on paper. As a result, its outline is obtained on the reverse side;
  • the image is turned face down and, going slightly beyond the boundaries of the lines, the slate is hatched over the entire area;
  • the drawing is again turned over with the front side, and hatched onto the base. Fastened with adhesive tape;
  • the composition is outlined again, without effort, so as not to damage the paper;
  • A sketch is burned out according to the resulting slate print.

Another simple way is to punch along the contour:

  • attach a sketch to a plank or plywood;
  • with a pen without ink, with medium pressure, draw along all lines;
  • an imprint will remain on the wood, along which it will not be difficult to drive with a soldering iron.

Craftsmen who master the art of graphic representation prefer to sketch directly on the basis, without additional linear designations, being content with only weak outlines of the compositional arrangement.

Those wishing to master the art of pyrography can try any technique. And even if it turns out not at all as expected, diligence and self-confidence will eventually lead to worthy results.

Attention, only TODAY!

Wood burning is a very interesting and exciting process of creating a real work of art, for which there are many sketches. Back in the days of Ancient Rus', this work had unimaginable popularity, and in our times its distribution is increasing, attracting more and more craftsmen and craftswomen every year, of different ages, with different ideas, thoughts and styles of burning.

We study wood burning with sketches: where to start

Create a comfortable and pleasant workplace for you. Arrange everything so that everything you need is always at hand, but nothing interferes with the creative process.

For the first training work, soft woods such as pine, ash, birch, linden or maple are great. Soft woods on the market are much cheaper than hard woods, and they are also lighter, which will make it possible to create different shades and halftones when applying a drawing, and novice pyrographers will better see the result of each stroke they have applied.

You should always start with templates that will be easy and enjoyable to perform. Simple pictures with straight lines will allow you to work out the force of pressing the pyrograph and choose a comfortable temperature for the burner. Such pictures are suitable for children, or for beginners:

Also, beginners will benefit from experience with patterns of varying complexity, which will look beautiful, bordering frames or cutting boards:

The most frequent for burning have always been and remain the motives of nature. Pictures with scorched flowers or animals fit perfectly into almost any interior.

And, of course, such an ancient art as wood burning could not do without the presence of the Orthodox Russian faith. Since the time of baptism, icons have been burned in Rus', and in many houses and churches to this day you can find the results of the work of truly skilled craftsmen, or you can try to repeat them yourself:

Burnout drawings are not limited to outline sketches. More experienced craftsmen, while applying an image to a tree, using patterns or pressure and temperature of the burner, can create various shadows and effects. Having mastered this technique, you can create real masterpieces not just using templates, but translate your own photos into paintings:

Skill in any business comes with time, and therefore the main thing is not to quit what you have started, train and improve your own skills, do not despair if something does not work out. And then, at the end, you will come to such great achievements that you cannot even think of at the moment.

Video on the topic of the article

The technique of wood burning or pyrography is a simple and exciting activity, closely related to the traditions of Russian folk art. Since ancient times, handicraft has been valuable in Rus'. Men forged from iron, burned and carved various objects from wood. Especially often these were various icons, crosses, iconostases, as well as cutting boards, kitchen utensils, combs, and so on. It was not difficult to figure out wood burning, sketches were then found in the outside world: these were images of saints, natural patterns and motifs, flowers, animals.

Now all kinds of templates and stencils can be easily found on the Internet, in specialized literature, and you can also buy a ready-made set that includes a board, an electric burner, and even a sketch with plots for burning.

Material and rules of burning

For beginners, light and soft woods are best suited, they are easy to apply with a pyrograph (electric burner).

You can use materials from linden, poplar, chestnut, the main thing is to choose a flat wooden surface so that there are no knots on it.

Before starting the burning, it is necessary to prepare the board, namely, to clean the surface of the board with sandpaper, then cover it with furniture varnish and sand it again. This will remove all the fluff and unnecessary "burrs" from your board.

Also make sure that the surface is absolutely dry before you can start working. In order to avoid contamination of the working surface of your whiteboard, you can draw a picture not on the board itself, but on transparent paper. So the paper will be removed as the image is burned. Be sure to lean the hand that contains the pyrograph on a table or other work surface to avoid accidental movements that can lead to damage to the picture. Remember that the tip of the burner is hot, so be careful when working with a dangerous tool.

Once the drawing is burned out, it is necessary to let the work cool slightly for 3-5 minutes, then carefully go over the entire surface of the board with fine sandpaper. Do it carefully so as not to damage the lines and strokes made by the pyrograph.

Let's start decorating

Finished drawings can be painted with paints. Watercolor or acrylic will do, and you can also use oil if you know how to work with it. Color will add elegance and brightness to your work. A wax finish can also be used to add shine to the painting and preserve the colors.

Pyrography will be especially interesting for children, because so many beautiful and interesting paintings can be created using this wonderful technique! Boys can burn animals, favorite superheroes, model cars or motorcycles. Girls will like to burn princesses, horses or unicorns, cute kittens or flowers more. And how great it will be to come up with your own plots for burning! There is room for fantasy. Here are some photos to inspire the kids:

And some more complex options: