Features of house carving

Your own home is the foundation and support of a person. This is the place where time stops, where you feel safe. Every self-respecting landlord wants his house to look beautiful, cozy and even luxurious. Wood carvings will always help to emphasize the uniqueness of a wooden house: carved platbands, cornices and other elements of wooden architecture. In the old days, all houses were decorated with carved wood elements: the larger and more complex such details, the richer the house and its owner were considered.

How it all began - no one will remember, there are a lot of different guesses and versions. Wood as a material has been known to man since ancient times. Perhaps it all began in ancient times with a notch in a tree. The most ancient example of woodcarving is attributed to the Mesozoic period, but as a decoration of a home, this phenomenon spreads during paganism. Later, such carvings would be called "ship carvings", when some decorative elements were transferred from ships to wooden architecture.

The first carved elements were primitive: geometric shapes, lines, and religious pagan symbols. Window and door openings were primarily decorated with carvings: it was believed that the application of the corresponding symbols-amulets would protect the house from the penetration of evil spirits. Such symbols could not only hinder evil spirits and evil spirits, but also attract good luck and prosperity to the house. In a similar way, the first traditions of wooden architecture were formed.

Then primitive notches and ornaments turned into flowing lines and patterns. Religiousness began to give way to aesthetics, retaining some forms. Gables and cornices began to be decorated with carvings, carved elements began to carry other functions: to cover cracks, openings and ends of log cabins. Nowadays, house carving is mainly aesthetic in nature and can represent the most intricate compositions.

Wood is a living, warm, breathable material that is pleasant to hold in your hands. Coniferous wood is used for the carved elements. This is typical for wooden architecture and a large layer of artistic carving. This is due to the fact that conifers are mainly used in the construction of wooden houses (from timber and round timber). Conifers also have other important advantages: ease of processing with primitive tools, availability and mass of material.

Overheads on the exterior and interior of the home create unique interiors and exteriors. With the help of even unpretentious elements, you can create coziness in the living room or emphasize the individuality of the carved facade. Also, individual elements and shapes can be combined by changing the drawing, in this case, whole compositions are created. These are used to decorate the cornices and pediments of traditional wooden houses.

Volumetric sculptural carving, called ship carving, lends a certain luxury to the exterior of the house. Carved beams and supports inside the house give the impression of massiveness and good quality. The sculptures made of wood, made at the proper level, are impressive. Traditionally, the head of a horse or poultry is cut out on the ridge of the roof.

A separate type of carving is distinguished, such as "Nizhegorodskaya" (aka "baroque carving"). It is a blind relief carving, common on the frontal board and platbands in the Nizhny Novgorod region: patterns and ornaments, whole plots fit on boards and a wooden massif. The Volga ships were decorated with such beauty, from where the carving originates. Russian artistic carving adorns houses in many regions of Russia. Each has its own traditions of appearance and methods of its implementation. Among all this variety, you cannot find two similar ornaments or plots.

There are several main directions of this folk art:

• slotted;
• deaf embossed;
• sculptural.

A slotted thread means a thread made by the through-cut method: it has no background, cuts in the board are made with a jigsaw. Represents openwork patterns, "lace", geometric shapes and other elements of varying complexity. All these elements can be combined, overlapping each other.

Blind relief carving represents volumetric figures, forms and ornaments made against blank background. Such carving is performed more often on gables and end boards, in the design of balconies, less often on window frames and door frames. Geometric figures made in this format have pagan roots and function as amulets. Frequent subjects of this type of carving are the vine, mystical characters, animals, plants (leaves, shoots and other elements), as well as astrological themes.

Sculptural carving represents three-dimensional figures and forms, both carved as a composition in solid wood, and completely voluminous and tactile. It is this carving that is called ship carving; the tradition of decorating the bow of the ship migrated to land: the ridge of the roofs is decorated with figures of animals and birds. Also, in the technique of sculptural carving, wooden columns are made (for example, on the porch), beams, balusters and other supporting elements, found on window frames and pediments.

Wood is a living material that does not forgive mistakes. Preparing and processing wood for further wood carving is painstaking work. When it comes to delicate work, artistic carving of individual elements of house carving: one awkward movement with a cutter and it is not so easy to correct a mistake. All these processes are usually performed with simple tools: an ax, a saw, a jigsaw and a drill, chisels, knives and cutters. Each type of work has its own technique. Let's consider in more detail separately.

The modern threading technique is different for each type. One thing in common is the drawings. First, the drawings are studied, if necessary, templates and patterns are made to transfer the drawing to a planed board.

The through-cut thread is made in the prepared dried board with sharp cutters. It is believed that hardwoods are preferable in this work, but coniferous wood is more often at hand, which is used for construction everywhere. Conifers are prone to splitting, they can crack in the most inappropriate place and spoil the workpiece, therefore, the pattern is applied manually or by means of a stencil, with the expectation that the cuts will not sharply break the fibers across. Where it is required to cut out the inner pattern, a hole is drilled, then carefully cut with a jigsaw. Then the element is sanded, varnished or painted, depending on the author's idea.

Embossed carving requires some experience and a certain level of skill. Based on the drawn sketch, the depth of the ornament is estimated, then it is carefully cut and scraped out with the appropriate tools. The workpiece is sanded, in hard-to-reach places the skin is bent and also sanded, someone uses special grinding machines. Then it is also covered with varnish, antiseptic impregnation or paint.

Volumetric sculptural carving is performed in a bar, log or other solid wood. The material is inspected for cracks and other defects. The drawing is applied with a bold pencil, the depth of the cuts is estimated. Work is done with a chainsaw, an ax and other tools. Then it is sanded and covered with paints and varnishes.

See below for a master class on house carving.