Pyrography is one of those things where there are more than one way to do it, and they are all right. There may be many ways to aproach this topic, but I will tell you how I do it, and you can use the methods and techniques that work best for you.

Some of this information may be repetative if you have read through some of my other tutorials, but the methods and topics overlap in a way that makes it difficult to avoid, but I am going to focus my discussion on turning a photo into a pattern for wood-burning.

This image has been simplified to a degree that renders it a poor pattern for a wood-burn, but it perfectly illustrates the approach I take when I do a pyrographed piece or anything I draw or paint. In the shading tutorials, I discuss the shapes of shadows a great deal, I could sum up my whole approach for art in this way, everything is about shape.

This digital rendering breaks up the photo into 5 tones, each tone leaves a distinct shape. By seeing these shapes, you can outline them as you transfer your image and create a pattern you can follow on the wood. The picture on the right is outlined to make the shapes obvious... this is the way I would trace over them if I were transfering the image. Lets start from the top.

I first scan in or open a digital image, be sure you own the image, or have permission (copyright release) to use it. Open the image in photo editing software. Most software will do the trick… I use Photoshop. Turn the image Black and White In Photoshop the command is “desaturate”.

(Image/Adjustments/Desaturate)

Step 2:

From here, if you are a beginner, or doing a small image on a Christmas ornament, key chain, or other small item, it is simpler to use a simple black and white image. There are programs that can be downloaded, such as “photo-to-sketch”, that are free that can do this as well, but Photoshop can do this by turning the image into a “stamp”

(Filter/Sketch/Stamp)

This leaves you with a simple pattern that is pure black or white. You have portions that you burn and the rest you leave unburned. once you print it out in the size you want, you have a perfect pattern to transfer onto the wood.

Step 3:

Once you have decided you are ready for shading, then you can take the next approach. Starting from the desaturated (black and white) image again, all you have to do is play with the brightness and contrast until you enhance the highlighted and shaded areas. This “exaggerates the shading” for you, as discussed in the tutorials on shading. When the levels are adjusted, to the extent you are comfortable seeing the shapes, then print the image out and use it as your transfer pattern.

The photo on the right has a higher contrast and the brightness is adjusted. I have begun a few pencil lines to highlight where the lines defining shapes would be.

You will find that the quality of the picture makes a big difference, studio lighting is as good as it gets for showing the shape of the face. The worst you can do is a snapshot taken from someones personal camera, far away, or outside. (indoor lighting is better) If you combine these issues, you have your work cut out for you.

Step 4:

The Pen lines on the image to the right illustrate where I would be drawing on this piece after I taped it to the wood and began the transfer, I simply outline the shapes as I see them. Each person will probably see these shapes a little differently, and that is just fine. This is the way I transfer the image. You will probably want to print out two copies of the picture, one for the transfer, and one that will remain free of the lines. I will use both of these images as well as the unadjusted picture as references while I burn the piece.

Step 5:

Here is the way the image looks after I have finished transferring the whole picture to the wood. I now start to burn, using these lines as a guide. I personally begin as I would a watercolor,

that is by starting in the dark areas and working my way to the lighter. You will be ok with your pencil lines where you burn dark, but you will need to be sure you erase the lines where you will have lighter shading. Once you burn over the pencil lines, they will be permanent and you cannot remove them. These are only meant to be guide lines, you can change things as you go, and you will have to fill in the detail and shading values as you go.

(Graphite paper is the only transfer method that will allow you to erase after you have transferred, DO NOT use carbon paper if you are using this method.)

The rest is personal technique and style.

Good Luck! ...and have fun.

Here is some intermediate steps showing the piece progress to the final.