Bringing your Design to Wood

Before transferring a design, I always begin by sanding my wood canvas to a buttery smooth finish. A smooth surface makes it easier to transfer fine details and creates the ideal foundation for woodburning.

The time required to transfer a design depends on its size and complexity. I begin by cutting out my design, leaving a border of about half an inch so there’s enough room to secure it to the wood with painter’s tape.

Leaving the top corners taped allows me to lift the design and slide the graphite paper underneath. Before I begin tracing, I also draw five or six small registration marks that extend from the paper onto the wood. If the design shifts accidentally, these marks make it easy to reposition it accurately.

Black or white graphite paper

With the design secured, I slide the graphite paper underneath with the coated side facing the wood. I usually use black graphite paper, although white graphite paper provides better contrast on darker woods. Both can be reused many times.

If you draw on tracing paper, placing a sheet of white paper between your design and the graphite paper makes the pencil lines much easier to see.

With everything in place, it’s time to trace your design. I use an embossing tool to trace my design. You can also use a pencil or pen.

I prefer using an embossing tool because it doesn’t leave marks on the design itself, allowing me to reuse the pattern. The only drawback is that I need to lift the design occasionally to see which details remain to be traced.

If you’re tracing with a pen, using a contrasting ink colour such as red or blue makes it easy to see which lines you’ve already traced. If you reuse the pattern, simply switch to a different colour.

Regardless of the transfer method you choose, you’ll need to remove any remaining transfer marks after the woodburning is complete. Press lightly while tracing to minimize graphite marks and smudges. If needed, gently erase or sand away any remaining marks using a sand eraser or 600-grit sandpaper. I use a Tombow Mono Sand Eraser, which works well for removing stubborn graphite marks.

Blue chaco paper

I sometimes use blue chaco paper to transfer my designs. Although more expensive than graphite paper, blue chaco paper is wonderfully easy to remove. After woodburning, I simply wipe away the remaining blue marks with a damp cloth. Like graphite paper, each sheet can be reused many times.

The light blue marks, however, can be more difficult to see against the wood and they will fade or smudge easily. For this reason, I prefer to use graphite paper for designs that are detailed and intricate.

Drawing directly onto a wood canvas

You can also sketch your design directly onto the wood with a pencil. Since woodburned marks are difficult to “erase,” few artists woodburn without first drawing or tracing a design onto their wood canvas. Woodburned marks can be “erased” using sandpaper or a sander. You can also use a hobby knife, razor blade or engraving pen. The scratch and engraving marks, however, may remain visible unless you rework that area into your design.

Burn-through transfer paper

I experimented with the burn-through transfer paper that I purchased from Razertip. After I drew my design with a pencil on the burn-through transfer paper, I placed it directly on the wood canvas.

Using a low heat setting, I found that the transferred marks were too light. When I increased the heat, the tip burned through the paper and some of the marks on the wood were darker than intended.

Although I may experiment with this method again for simple designs, I still prefer graphite paper because it gives me greater control. If you’ve used burn-through transfer paper, I’d love to hear about your experience.

Material

• Black graphite paper

• White graphite paper

• Blue chaco paper

• Burn-through transfer paper

• Embossing tool

• Pencil

• Coloured pen

• Painter’s tape

• Scissors

Experiment with different transfer methods until you find the one that feels just right for you.