Here's what you'll need in order to complete this Woodburning Master Course. This is the bare minimum that I recommend in order for you to get the most out of this course. You are free to customize your specific selections however works best for you.

1. A woodburning tool.
2. Something to burn on.
3. Some basic safety gear.
4. An eagerness to learn and put it to practice.
5. Optional: My book, Creative Woodburning.

Woodburning Tool Recommendations:

I know there are a TON of woodburning tools available in the world. It's hard to choose which one might be right for you when you are just starting out. Not to mention, they can be pretty pricey when you get into higher quality or more specialized machinery. Do you NEED to have a professional grade pyrography machine in order to complete this course and create beautiful woodburned artwork? Simply put, no. You don't.

At the very least, you will need a woodburning tool that has a temperature control and a variety of tip shapes to choose from. Either removable pens or interchangeable tips will work well. If you are woodburning on a budget and you want to whet your whistle before committing to a fancier version, you can find a good beginner tool set here:

https://amzn.to/3M4NcDD

Recommended Materials to Have On Hand:

You'll definitely need some wood to burn on in order to complete this course. If you don't already have some, I would recommend finding some kiln-dried basswood blanks - you should be able to find these in whatever craft store is near you, or you can order online.

If you don't have or can't find basswood, many woods will work as long as it is fully dried and sanded smooth. Other preferred species are light in color, have no resin, and have minimal grain pattern such as maple, poplar or birch. See the Materials section of this course for more specific recommendations.

Make sure that you have multiple sheets of wood to practice on, as well as some other blanks in styles that you like. Something curved like a bowl or a spoon, something small like a jewelry blank, something to make into wall art, etc. This course is not going to offer you specific projects to do the way my book does, BUT having a variety of wood pieces to work with when you are practicing the skills I will teach you in this course will be fun and rewarding for you, dear grasshopper. (ha!) So, think of what YOU would like to burn on, and make sure you have plenty of that.

Basic Safety Gear

I highly recommend that you consider how you will protect your lungs from smoke before you begin woodburning. Wearing a mask, using fans and open windows, as well as other smoke filters are great ideas.

An Eagerness to Learn

You are excited to learn more about woodburning, which is why you are here. That's amazing! I hope that when you learn new things or feel challenged in this course, you will allow yourself time to practice and integrate the lessons into your pyrography practice. All artists have different styles, and I am not here to teach you my STYLE per se, I am here to teach you techniques which you can adapt to your own style. So, I hope you approach the lessons with excitement and find new ways of making this information work for you and your woodburning art.

My Book, Creative Woodburning

It is not a requirement for you to own a copy of my book in order to take this course. That being said, I do feel that my book is a good additional resource for you to have on hand as a reference. There will be some content overlap, but there were many things that I wanted to share in my book that had to be edited out for space. So, here in this course, you will be getting a deeper and more thorough presentation of my woodburning knowledge. Both my book and this course are complete educational pieces in and of themselves and could be used independently, but this course is categorized similarly to my book so you could flow easily through those lessons if using them in tandem.

If you don't already have a copy of CW and you want one, here's a link to get a signed copy directly from me!

https://www.etsy.com/BeeSymmetry/listing/832728130/my-book-creative-woodburning-signed-copy?utm_source=Copy&utm_medium=ListingManager&utm_campaign=Share&utm_term=so.lmsm&share_time=1654030340276