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E S $ E N T I A L W00DCARVIN'G T E C H N I Q 1 E S

only good draughtsmanship but also much practice wirh perspcctivc and the foreshortening of forms chat are diiÅ‚lcult to carvc in the round.

Woodcarving wers many different tcchniques and tools. buc here I concentrate on carving with chisels. Chain saws, angle grinders and other machines are rererred to as useful aids, particularly when roughing out a carving, but the greatest skill and sense of achievement comes from carving with chisels.

Writing a book to teach practical techniques is risky. The best way to learn carving is by watching it being dcmonstrated and then practising undcr the eye of a construccively critical teachcr. This book is therefore intended only as a guide, and it will be seen that for all but the rirst two projects - chip carving and the carving of mouldings - design is your responsibility. Examples are given to illustrate principlcs; thcy are not intended as patterns for you to follow although of course you may do so, except in the case of recent original works which are covered by copyright). Even if the resulting designs are not works of great art they will be your own and therefore be much morÄ™ fulfilling to carve.

Bad examples are shown as well as good in order to illustrate common faults and how they can be avoided. I particularly scress the nced for preparation, not only by study of the subjects to be carvcd but also by planning the designs and ways of holding the wood.

As is said in military circles, time spent on reconnaissancc is seldom wasted. This is morÄ™ true in carving rhan in other forms of art where it is comparatively easy to rectify a mistake. Furthermorc, when the form has been truÅ‚y considcrcd and learnt, the carving goes so much morÄ™ confidencly. The wood responds morÄ™ willingly to the chisel; therc is less stopping to decide what to do next. The result is a fluent and lively piece of work. Of course, mistakes do happen, and the wood does not always bchave as expected. If you have a good idea of what you are making you may adapt the mistake to your advantage. What we forget when looking at carvings madÄ™ by others is that things probably went wrong at some stage for their makcrs but they were able to change their plans. I often feel that it is at this point that a work bccomes alive. We tcnd to force things into a symmetry which can be lifeless. I refer in Chaptcrs 5 and 6 to the differencc becween Victorian and medieval Gothic carvings to make this point. The same problem can arise if one works verv closely with a clay model or an original carving. Unless you are asked for an exact replica you should allow something of yourself into the carving, for then it comes alivc. The morÄ™ expericnce and technique you have at your disposal, the morÄ™ you know that it is yourself that you are putting into it, and not just a series of happy (or unhappy) accidcnrs.

Tastc is inevitably subjectivc, but it develops through exposure to many cxamples of good work. Study of old and modern masters’ woodcarvings and sculptures in other materials should help you to sec why, for instance, I recommend certain ways of finishing carvings.

Carving is a form of sculpture. When you copy a natural form in wood it cannot be the same as the original. If you copy a leaf it cannot be literally as thin as a leaf. If you succeed in making one so thin, it will soon be broken and will merely demonstrate your patience and not your judgement. Likewise, you cannot reproduce exactly every porÄ™ or vein or hair. It is worth seeing how earlier carver$ crcated the illusion of reality or workcd from naturÄ™ to invent their own forms.

Many carvers siÅ„ce Victorian timcs have been women. I trust that I shall be excused if I avoid the clumsy ‘he or she’ in che text and follow tradition by using ‘he’ throughout.

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