Wood is a material that has been used since ancient times for various purposes. It was used for construction, jewelry, tools, and more.
Over time, man mastered artistic carving using more complex tools. This made it possible to decorate their homes, household items and weapons.
The work of woodcarvers is still valued, and they use almost the same tools that craftsmen used many centuries ago.
What does a wood carver do?
The profession of a woodcarver formally refers to working specialties, but not everyone can work in it. A real master of wood carving is able to create a real work of art from an ordinary wooden board.
It is more correct to consider carvers as artists who use wood for creativity. Paintings, ornaments and patterns are created on wooden products.
The responsibilities of a woodcarver are usually divided into two areas:
- wood processing;
- creating figures from wood.
To work with the material, a wood carver must have an understanding of the following:
:
- types of artistic carving;
- technique of drawing contours of drawings and compositions;
- assessment of the quality of the material used.
A carver's tools are an important part of his work, since the entire work depends on their quality. Therefore, in addition to knowledge about wood, he must understand the tools with which he carves.
Selection and purchase
A novice carver naturally has a question: where to get a carving tool. Nowadays this is not a problem. The industry offers chisels and knives of all types and modifications. You can purchase several knives and one or two chisels, or you can buy a set of tools, guided by your own taste and financial capabilities.
Oddly enough, the wide range of carving tools makes the choice much more difficult. It's difficult to navigate and buy a really good thing. It is not difficult to become the owner of a “disposable” tool that will last for several hours of work.
Before purchasing a tool, you should definitely ask:
- grade of steel from which the tool is made;
- manufacturer;
- country of manufacture.
An instrument is an individual thing. When choosing a knife or chisel, the right thing to do is to hold it in your hands, check how convenient it is to use, and only then buy it. It would also be useful to communicate on thematic forums, where experts share their own experiences; they will be happy to give practical advice.
What is the difficulty of artistic woodworking?
Carving has always been complex and somewhat dangerous for the master. Work involves interaction with sharp tools, machines and chemicals.
It follows that for greater safety you need to adhere to the following rules:
- The workplace must be clean and lit.
- All auxiliary items, including the table, must be resistant to physical impact.
- Tools should be placed in plain sight and put away when not needed. Electrical appliances should only be plugged into a working outlet.
- It is necessary to have fire protection and a first aid kit near the workplace. During work, you need to use protective equipment, for example, glasses, gloves, a respirator.
The teacher of carving courses must supervise the activities of the novice specialist.
Carver's workplace
Professional carvers work at a workbench. For beginners, you can limit yourself to a tabletop. It should be stable and wide. The height of the table is adjusted individually for the master. In order not to strain your back and feel comfortable, you should choose a tabletop that is waist-high, but not higher.
The countertop needs to be wiped regularly and its condition monitored. When working, knives often slip and stick into the table, which creates nicks that need to be sanded down. To minimize damage, you must follow the rules for using the countertop. You cannot throw sharp tools at it, chop with an ax or hammer in nails.
To work you need good lighting. Installing a tabletop near a window is not enough. You will need 2-3 more lamps that will illuminate the work area from different sides. The lamps should be installed above the carver's eyes so that they do not blind him. You can purchase lighting fixtures with flexible legs that can be tilted in any direction.
Demand for carved products
The work of woodcarvers has become less in demand. This is due to the development of mass production, which produces products according to established standards.
Since the mass consumer is trying to save money, manufacturers met halfway and began to make furniture from production waste, for example, sawdust. Thus, a whole class of furniture created from chipboard (chipboard) appeared.
Creating furniture from solid wood is more expensive, so experienced carvers perform their services at a high price
. Since carving masters are rare, they can create their own style, which will later allow them to create their own brand.
A good master can even refuse to work for hire and start his own business. The disadvantage of this type of work is that earnings depend on the number of orders.
Where can you learn to be a wood carver?
The surest way to become a woodcarver is to go to study with an experienced craftsman who is ready to reveal the secrets of this profession. In this case, the future carver will play the role of an apprentice, and then a junior specialist.
At first, he will teach how to do the preparatory work and observe the work of an experienced colleague, gradually the complexity of his tasks will increase. At the same time, it is impossible to determine the exact duration of such training, since it is set by an experienced carver, based on his own capabilities and the abilities of the student.
There are also special courses for mastering wood carving. They can be based in art schools and educational institutions of various categories. In this case, the future master will be able to preview the curriculum and find out the duration of training.
Classification of thread types
Along with ceramics, wood has always been one of the main sources of reliable material for human household needs. Wooden utensils and tools are still in demand in everyday life. Experienced housewives try to surround themselves with not only convenient, but also beautiful dishes. Intricate patterns and decorations still remain popular.
It’s not difficult to buy such dishes today, but all people are different, so many people want individuality in everything. This desire motivates me to take up wood cutting with my own hands. Great difficulties await beginners in the applied arts, but they can be overcome with hard work and diligence.
Main directions
It's best to start with the basics. The main types of wooden carvings are
- Sculpture. Wooden figurines can be found in most museums of arts and crafts. These are different animals, toys, everyday scenes and much more. Carved masks made of hardwood are very popular in Africa and other continents.
- Turning thread. Wood-turned objects have long become an integral part of the culture of many peoples. Matryoshka dolls are often associated with Russia, just as black shaman masks are with Africa. Dishes, cups, candlesticks, furniture parts - this is not a complete list of the uses of turning products.
- Embossed. One of the most common types of this art. Carvers love this technique because of the great possibilities and numerous versatility of application.
- Geometric. The simplest type of wood art. This is where learning wood carving most often begins. Beginners are attracted by the simplicity of this type and the repeated repetition of elements, which allows them to train specific skills and patience.
- Openwork. A simple jigsaw in the hands of a master becomes a magic wand. With its help, such craftsmen create amazing works. This type of art was in great demand in the architecture of the century before and last century. You can still find carved cornices and window shutters in old villages.
Handicraft Carving
These are the main types, but not all. For example, a wooden toy is a completely independent type of woodwork. There are also more complex types of such creativity: inlay, intarsia and many others.
Classes of the woodcarver profession
The level of skill of the carver determines what materials, techniques and tools he uses to create his products.
- Wood carver 2nd category . He works on birch bark, creating simple ornaments by hand.
- Wood carver 3rd category . He also works with birch bark, but can now cut out more complex compositions. In addition, he has the skills to create simple drawings on wooden canvases.
- Wood carver 4th grade . Creates complex designs both on wood and birch bark.
- Wood carver 5th category . Creates three-dimensional works, depicting people, animals, architectural structures.
- Wood carver 6th category . Has the necessary level of skill to create small geometric carvings, and can also combine carvings of varying complexity with inlay.
Master class on making printed cake forms
Sequencing
To make a printed cake tin, you first need to cut out the blank. The width and length of the workpiece depends on the size of the future cake. You can refer to generally accepted standards and measure an ordinary anniversary or coffee sponge cake purchased in a store. As for the choice of wood, larch, beech and oak are suitable. The workpiece is cut from the board using an electric jigsaw. Then it is fixed on the working surface and a pre-prepared sketch of the image is transferred. All details of the composition must be convex, so there is no need to process the background. The set of tools for the job varies depending on its complexity. To make cutting easier, select a halftone source image. Then it will be easier for the master to move with the depth of cut through the elements. For printed cakes, inscriptions, simple landscapes with trees and birds, animals, flower arrangements, and “bouquets” of ears of corn are often chosen.
Cutting out parts
The tiles usually have an irregular shape. The contours of the product emphasize the curves of the letters, so you will have to tire the workpiece by filing off excess pieces in some places. You can draw the letters by hand using a pencil and ruler or download ready-made lettering from the Internet. Making signs is very simple, so this option is ideal for beginning carvers. To do this, you will only need cardboard scissors and the “Bogorodskoe Tatyanka” set. After carving, the board is sanded and covered with stain. After the mass has dried, the indentations are further emphasized with a second layer. Bath signs are decorated with clouds, oak or birch leaves, ladles, bowls with brooms. For the street, use a beautiful, flowing font and neat curls along the outline, because drawings will be out of place here.
