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Lesson kit

Lesson 3 · Level 2

Curved Lines

Learn to control the burner while changing direction.

Recommended wood

Birch

Birch is smooth and pale — good for flowing linework.

Recommended tip

Medium point

Glides through direction changes without digging in. In the studio: Medium Tip.

Heat level

Scorch

Slightly lower heat gives you time to steer.

Technique

Move the whole arm

Curves drawn from the wrist come out kinked. Anchor lightly and swing from the elbow and shoulder.

Keep the tip's angle constant

As the line turns, let the board rotate so the tip meets the wood the same way throughout.

Long strokes beat short ones

One long curve reads smoother than four short ones joined together.

Demonstration

Smooth arcs, circles and spirals with an even line weight and no flat spots or visible joins.

Practice board guide for lesson 3: Curved Lines

Digital practice exercise

  1. 1.Burn small curves, then one large sweeping curve.
  2. 2.Burn S-curves, circles and a spiral.
  3. 3.Finish with a row of waves at a steady rhythm.

The practice board loads as a reference overlay on the wood canvas — set the wood, tip and heat above, then burn over the faint guides.

Beginner challenge

Burn a simple vine using continuous curved strokes — one stem, leaves branching off, no lifting mid-curve.