WoodBurn
Sign in
Lesson kit

Lesson 9 · Level 4

Basic Tip Techniques

Understand how different burner tips create different marks.

Recommended wood

Basswood

Neutral surface for comparing tips fairly.

Recommended tip

Rotate through all four

Switch tips in the studio and repeat the same marks with each. In the studio: Ball Tip.

Heat level

Deep

Keep heat fixed so the difference you see is the tip, not the temperature.

Technique

Point tip

Fine lines, outlines, details, hair and fur.

Shader tip

Shading, backgrounds, smooth gradients and large areas.

Ball tip

Dots, texture and small details.

Spoon / skew tip

Smooth shading, curved marks and broad strokes.

Demonstration

A personal tip reference sheet: each tip's marks burned side by side so you can choose confidently later.

Practice board guide for lesson 9: Basic Tip Techniques

Digital practice exercise

  1. 1.Select the point tip and burn the line and fur squares.
  2. 2.Switch to the shading tip for the gradient and large area.
  3. 3.Switch to the ball tip for dots, then a spoon or skew tip for broad curves.

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

Practise with at least three different tips and keep the sheet as your own tip reference library.