Gathering Your Supplies
Buy medium to fine grain gunpowder. Go to a local gun shop, outdoor store, or browse online to buy gunpowder. Choose small grain powder because it is easier to arrange on the artwork surface. Small grain powder creates the effect without creating a large fire. There is not a particular brand that you need to buy, just avoid getting coarse grain powder as a beginner.
Put the gunpowder into a squeeze bottle with a narrow nozzle. Look in the grocery store for the type of plastic bottle that you’d put condiments in. Make sure it has a nozzle that allows a small amount of the contents to flow out. This is optional, but it works best for beginners. This helps you spread the gunpowder precisely on the artwork surface. It makes the process easier and allows for greater detail.
Use paper, canvas, or wood as the base of the artwork. Use acrylic-coated paper, untreated wood, or standard painting canvas. Work outside on a hard, fire-resistant surface if the weather permits. If you must work indoors, do it in a garage or shop with a concrete floor and ventilation. It’s best not to do this inside your house or in another place that’s a fire hazard. If it is windy or rainy, you won’t be able to keep the gunpowder in the shape you want on the artwork surface.
Making the Art
Sprinkle the gunpowder from the bottle onto the base. Use the squirt bottle to draw with the gunpowder. Make a picture of something specific or make a series of patterns and abstract shapes. Be as detailed as you want, depending on what you want to create. If the opening of the condiment bottle is too small, cut a bit off to widen it. If you don’t use a bottle with a nozzle, pour the gunpowder out of its container or scoop some out with a spoon and spread it around.
Use a sponge brush or paintbrush to move the gunpowder around. If you want to draw something more detailed that sprinkling the gunpowder allows, use paint tools to add details. A sponge brush works well because it allows you to push the grains around into detailed shapes. Even if you don’t want to make a specific picture, brushes give you greater ability to shape the gunpowder than sprinkling it gives you.
Make designs with rocks, boards, or pieces of metal. Set objects on top of the gunpowder to affect the explosions when you light it. Place objects around the gunpowder so the fire burns the outline of the objects. Experiment with different rocks and pieces of wood to create unique designs. For example, spread the gunpowder in a thin, even layer across the whole canvas. Set a dozen small stones around the canvas on top of the powder to change how it burns. Spread the gunpowder and set a few wrenches on top of it to burn the wrench shapes into the canvas. Any object that won’t catch fire easily is fair game to add to the artwork. Be creative and experiment to find what makes the coolest designs.
Lighting the Gunpowder Safely
Wear gloves and safety glasses when you light the gunpowder. Since gunpowder is explosive, be sure to wear thick gloves made of fabric, not rubber or plastic. Also wear a good pair of safety glasses to protect your eyes in case something sparks.
Use a fuse so you have time to move back. If you are worried about the gunpowder catching fire too quickly, place a fuse at the edge of the artwork. Use a foot (.3 m) or two (.6 m) of 2.5 mm (.09 in) artillery fuse. Lay it so it touches the gunpowder and extends off of the base. It’s okay to light the gunpowder directly, but you may not feel comfortable doing this. A fuse also adds a neat effect when it burns the artwork.
Light the fuse or the gunpowder near an edge or corner of the artwork. If you use a fuse, simply light the end that extends off of the artwork. If you choose to light the gunpowder directly, light it at a corner or edge of the design. This is the best way to allow the fire to spread across the artwork.
Stand at a distance while the gunpowder burns. As soon as you light the gunpowder or fuse, step back three feet or more from the artwork. In case a bit of the gunpowder pops, you don’t want to be close. You also want to avoid breathing the smoke directly into your nose and mouth.
Keep a fire extinguisher or water on hand in case the fire spreads. Even though this is a controlled setting, it is still fire and requires you to take precautions. Watch the artwork carefully, and act immediately if you feel that it is getting out of hand.
Remove debris from the artwork after the fire goes out. When all of the gunpowder is burned up, it will most likely leave some particles. Shake the excess into the trash, scrape it off, or use a vacuum wand to clean it off. If you like the way it looks and it’s burned on, leave it as part of the artwork.
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