A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO EASILY ENGRAVE WITH THE SUN USING FEBO
Are you a creative mind constantly looking for new and thrilling ways to express your artistic creativity? Would you enjoy spending time outdoors while creating crafty and inventive artwork immersed in a natural scenario? Or are you simply fascinated by intricate drawings burnt on wooden surfaces, or be able to decorate any room with a timeless rustic atmosphere? If that’s the case, you should definitely give solar engraving a try!
Engraving with the sun is an ancient technique which is based on harnessing the solar power to burn decorations on many organic surfaces such as paper, wood, cork or leather. Using a convex glass lens the energy carried by the rays of the sun gets concentrated into a beam of light powerful enough to burn the surface beneath it.
Febo, is an innovative tool to engrave with the sun, it makes this process easy and available to anyone interested in expressing their creativity. It won’t take you much before mastering this truly innovative tool, and create captivating pieces of art. This step-by-step tutorial will introduce you to the basis of this fun technique, to successfully start engraving with your Febo solar engraver.
Everything you need
1. The Sun
Febo works without batteries and the sun provides the power necessary for the magic to happen. A cloudy sky may not guarantee a light beam strong enough to engrave on your chosen surface. So be sure to check your local weather forecast and place yourself in a a sunny spot without too much shade.
2. A Febo Kit
Engraving with the sun using Febo is truly an easy and intuitive process. The Febo kit includes all the essential tools to safely engrave. A pair of one-size-fits-all foldable goggles, to protect your eyes while engraving, and a cotton bag where you may store your Febo when not in use. Get yours here!
3. A Canvas
With Febo, your canvas can be any natural surface you can find outdoors, or personal belongings that you want to add a personal touch to. Choose materials like wood, cork or leather, that burn in a slow and controlled way, allowing you to precisely trace your design. Materials like thin paper or cardboard could burn too easily to be used with your Febo, while surfaces like stones or metals don’t burn, meaning they cannot be engraved on. Remember to avoid plastic materials, that emit fumes while melting, as well as any highly flammable material.
4. A Pencil
Even though the ultimate goal of solar engraving is to draw permanent artworks with the sun, we suggest to bring a pencil with you during your creative adventures as well. This is extremely useful to start tracing your sketch in order to minimize the mistakes and facilitate the engraving phase. Graphite also helps conduct the energy, meaning that you can focus the beam and be more precise, all the while engraving faster.
5. Stencils
If you are trying to create amazing artworks, writings or patterns in a fast and precise way or you want to create an image that would otherwise be difficult to draw, you can use the stencils we offer as they are a great way to draw precise images in no time at all. We created a kit of 36 original stencils in 5 different styles, ready to use. Mix them up and use them to make cool pieces of unique art. Get the pack here!
6. A hat, water and sunscreen
If you intend to spend a lot of time outdoors while engraving, then it’s important to look after yourself, while you’re engraving with Febo, it will usually be a sunny day, so make sure you bring water, and sun protection such as a hat, and get ready to smear on some sunscreen. Now you are truly ready to start engraving!
How to engrave with the sun using Febo
STEP 1 - CHOOSE YOUR CANVAS
Select a natural surface on which you would like to engrave. If you are working with raw woods you found outdoor, it may be useful to sand them to remove knots and imperfections. Go through the grades up to 400 Grit, or until your surface is smooth enough.
STEP 2 - TRACE YOUR DRAWING
Start by drawing your sketch on your chosen support, using the pencil. You can draw freehand or trace a stencil and personalize any of your belongings. Pencil’s graphite is also great to speed up your engraving.
STEP 3 - WEAR THE GOGGLES
When the sun is high, take your Febo kit and your drawing and get creating! First of all, put on the protective goggles provided with the Febo Kit. They will shade your eyes from the intense light focused by Febo.
STEP 4 - POSITION YOUR FEBO
Position your Febo over the drawing and perpendicular to the sun. It is fundamental that the lens of Febo is facing the sun at 90°, in order to effectively focus the solar rays. If positioned correctly, a high energy dot of light will automatically start engraving.
STEP 5 - FOLLOW THE SKETCH
To engrave with the sun using Febo, just trace your sketch with the beam of light. Febo is designed to allow for maximum control on whatever surface you engrave on. Have fun with the sun and leave your mark!
STEP 6 - STORE YOUR FEBO
When you are done engraving with Febo, store it in its cotton bag, along with the goggles. This will protect the lens of Febo from scratches and dust.
STEP 7 - FINISHES
You may want to add some special flare to your engravings, with some nice little finishings. Using acrylic or inks, you can add color to your drawings or darken the shadows of the burns. If you are working with a wooden surface, you can also consider to use wax, lacquer or oils for woods to give your artwork a glossy effect and protect it over time.
STEP 8 - SHARE YOUR ART
There’s nothing better to celebrate your creative accomplishments than sharing them with the world, and we really encourage you to do that! Find other inspirational engraving projects on our blog, follow Febo on social media and share your creations with other Febo lovers using the hashtag #madewithfebo
