Do I need a finish for my wood art?
Some say it is a big no-no to not finish a wood piece, while others love it. I am here to build the case for the unfinished, un-lacquered, un-stained, un-oiled, as-is, natural, raw woodburned art.
What happens to the wood over time?
The first piece I ever created, my wedding name sign, back in 2011 still looks as good as the day I burned it. I didn’t finish it with anything. No oil, no stain, no varnish — nothing! It has been hanging on my wall for almost 10 years. While my craft has improved, this is still one of my most treasured burned pieces and I love that it has held up to time. But, I also love that even if it didn’t hold up or if it eventually fades, I can easily add to it whenever I please.
I am not saying that there isn’t a time and place for finishes, I actually think they help in many many cases, but that is for a different blog post on a different day. For my wood burned art pieces that will be hanging on a wall, I prefer to leave it raw.
7 reasons why I leave my woodburned wall art raw:
I love the contrast that the light colored wood has against the darkened burn lines. When almost any finish is added, that contrast diminishes.
By not finishing the piece, you are able to go back and add or edit the piece later on, you can touch-up areas if they fade over time without any prep work or damage to the original piece.
It’s cost effective! It doesn’t cost any money to leave the wood as-is.
You aren’t going to ruin it by choosing the wrong finish or by applying your finish improperly. Nothing is worse than ruining a finished piece in its final step.
It won’t yellow, crack, or chip off over time. It also will collect less dust and dirt than your oil based finishes.
It’s not going to ruin any color you add to your piece. It won’t smear, discolor, or fade any mixed media you add.
It’s a time saver! You don’t have to prep the surface, add the finish, sand between coats, and wait for it to cure.
This is not to say it doesn’t come with its disadvantages, but for wall decor, that is out of sunlight, and not being touched, I think it is a fantastic option.
There will be plenty of people that disagree, and that’s ok. You go right ahead and finish your piece, but for those wanting to leave it raw, here is your permission.
What are the disadvantages of leaving your woodburned art unfinished?
There are obviously some cons to leaving the wood raw. It doesn’t protect against - oil, fingerprints, dirt, dust, dents, UV, or water - but a lot of finishes don’t either.
For any kitchenware, I would never suggest leaving it raw. ALWAYS oil your kitchen wood items with food-safe finishes. The oil will protect them and keep them looking beautiful.
Anything functional art that is going to be handled, touched, and used I recommend applying a finish. This will help protect it from fingerprints, dents, water and damage.
Considering unfinished?
I hope my case for the raw, unfinished, natural, as-is wood art has convinced some of you to give it a go. To leave your art unfinished, save a little time, money and frustration. For those beautiful woodburned art pieces that are going to decorate someone’s walls, to be admired, but not touched, consider leaving it raw.
Check out these other helpful blog posts
Getting kids involved with your pyrography
Transferring Images Using Heat and Without Using Heat
For more pyrography tips and tricks and to learn wood burning at your own pace from your home consider The Complete Wood Burning Toolkit.
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