How to Do Light Painting?

I hopefully plan on getting a Canon Rebel t3i or a Canon EOS 60D, I'm probably as you should say a semi-proffesional as I use my friends professional cameras such as the Nikon D90. But now since I'm getting my own and don't have to bug them to use it, how can I do photography such as Light Painting? Http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/01/08/20-beautiful-examples-of-light-graffiti/

I want to know like how to do it, without getting in the shot, as you can see the link I gave above like my example I'm really trying to figure out is ( singer photo) how can i make a man like that and do so many with so many lines and such or (binder) like do you start painting then turn off the light and do it again?

What's going on with these photos is that the camera is set for long exposure. You DO get into the shot, it's just that the room or scene is so dark that you have to be in the shot for a long time, or be very brightly lit to be seen.

Yes, you should be able to turn your light source on and off. You should also be able to manually open and close your shutter to the camera.

1. The link you gave has so many different styles of light painting.

2. You need to start off basic, and know your settings (how to use the manual settings) on the camera.

3. You will need a tripod.

4. Slow shutter speed is what you will be using. Slowing the shutter to 30 seconds or more.

5. You can use all kinds of light sources. Such as candles, sparklers, flash lights, Christmas lights, or glow sticks.

6. You, an assistant, or both will be in the screen when painting with light.

7. A simple first try at painting with light.

a) Get a flash light cover the end with a piece of tin foil and poke a few hole in the foil to allow some light out when on.
b) Mount the camera on a tripod at about your belly button height.
c) Focus the lens on an object about 10 feet away. Where you will be painting with light.
d) Switch the lens to manual after focusing.
e) Ensure the area will be dark. Test shoot the camera to see how it looks with just the light already in the area.
f) Ready to give it a go, press the shutter release, get to the focus mark, turn on the light, point it to the camera, make a circle, turn off the light.
g) You should be able to all that in 30 seconds.
h) look at what you have captured, just experiment.

Advanced:
Singer is made by making a wire figure and attaching light such as Christmas led lights.
The figure is turned on, left standing for a few seconds, then pushed over, and left laying for a few seconds.
Turned off then placed in a new location, repeated.