8 Fantastic Pyrography Compass Patterns

We all wanted to be pirates as kids and always wanted to have a compass like that of Captain Jack Sparrow. But how about having a pyrography compass where you can add personal touches for various types of projects? If you want to know more about it, feel free to read ahead.

My Experience

• I struggled with controlling the woodburning pen and maintaining consistent temperature. I came to learn the use of controlled over a few trials.
• I had a wrong selection of a grainy wood first
• Then chose an untreated basswood and sketched the motifs with a pencil
• It was tough to maintain the geometric accuracy and symmetry of the design
• Sought guidance from experienced artists and studied various techniques
• Developed understanding of pen reactions (the woodburner was having some malfunctions, like it was not heating up, I opened it and reconnected some joints)
• Witnessed improvement in woodburning work with more precise motifs and emerging symmetry
• I made some new compass designs fusing with mandalas, and the possibility here is endless. It is a fantastic discovery.

Compass Pyrography Pattern Ideas

With Quotes

• For semi-skilled and expert pyrographers
• Easier to do if the shape is not purely geometric
• Does not require any complex design 
• Can be done without pattern transfer
• You can include a famous quote related to morality
• Suitable for kids’ projects, coasters, and wall decor

With Angels

• Very interesting project and suitable only for skilled pyrographers
• There may be some calligraphy around the dial
• The figures inside the dials add a eerie vibe. It gave me some goosebumps while doing.
• It took me days to complete

Rose

• Superb project for beginners and intermediate wood burn artists
• Similar to basic 4-line compass drawing but it contains more lines indicating the four more directions. I planned to make it more complicated, but did not do finally.
• Works best when done with pattern transfer

Viking Themed

• Project for intermediate and skilled pyrographers
• Also known as runic compass because of the characters they contain
• Require certain burning precisions when it comes to getting the runes right
• This is a complex diagram of geometrical shapes and a proper placement of each item is necessary to make it presentable. I had some bad experience in free hand drawing of this device. And of course, I would suggest not to go for any free hand sketching for it. It is better to go slow and methodical, my hard earned learning.

Split Type Woodburn On Cutting Board

• Difficulty Level: Intermediate and professional 
• If you are burning the pattern on a cutting board, it will take a lot of precise work. It will be on your table everyday, you have to be careful about the accuracy. I ruined two chopping boards while making this particular burn art. Nevertheless, the boards were rescued after I added some abstract burn patterns across the board which played as decoys for the wrongly proportioned compasses.
• Works best if you do transfer the patterns first. I would recommend not to use free hand for this.
• Looks better when shading and texture is added to make the outlook more realistic
• The image is slightly complex having two equal and symmetric parts of it, making it more suitable for skilled pyrographers.

On a Map

• You have to be a professional pyrographer for making this project
• For this, you will need to burn a part of the world map or something similar
• You have to be careful about the burning temperature of leather. Leather burns quicker than wood
• It contains several types of curves, small details, symmetrical forms; making it challenging to follow them by beginners.
• It can also contain landscape and mountain scenery

Mandala Shaped Burn On Animal Pattern Canvas

• This entire project is fun if you can do it properly, the wood is cut following a turtle shape
• It usually contains a simple compass pattern with some floral patterns around or within it, a mandala has been drawn as the dial of the compass particularly in this project. Here is a detail video of how a mandala design is burnt on wood.
• A whole day may be required for this
• The pattern can change depending on the artist’s skill and intention.
• Whether or not the pattern will be colored depends entirely on the artist but colors will add attraction for sure

With Location (Lat Long)

• You can check the exact geological location of your home or office from google map and google earth. This video will help you how to find longitude and latitude of a particular location.
• Burn the pattern at the center of the wood plank
• And then burn the Longitude and Latitude on the left and right sides respectively
• This an exclusive piece of wood burn for your home or office
• A friend or a loved one will be delighted to have this as gift

Related Resources

1. You need to troubleshoot the pyrography project if you have made any mistake in the midstream. Here’s an article on pyrography troubleshooting.
2. A nice video on woodburnt compass by laser.
3. Woodburning on cutting boards
4. Pyrography of family hierarchy
5. Following is a nice project video on compass pyrography

Final Words

Pyrography having compass patterns look aesthetic on pretty much everything. And if you add some more complexity with different motifs, the artwork looks stunningly beautiful. You can explore the pattern ideas you get here. Happy wood burn!