All about wood carving

Wood carving is one of the most ancient ways of decorating parts of a building as well as various crafts. Now this way of self-expression in creativity is popular among both men and women.

The true history of this art is unknown. People began to decorate wood products back in the days of paganism. Then they decorated their houses with carvings, protecting them from the dark forces and calling for the protection of the holy spirits. From wood, they made idols for worship, as well as various amulets and charms.

During the Middle Ages, carvings were also popular. The wood was decorated with graceful garlands of herbs, leaves and flowers. Such simple ornaments adorned the royal gates, houses of wealthy people and altar doors. Often, images of mermaids, birds of paradise and outlandish animals were used to decorate crafts and buildings.

In the 15th century, craftsmen created a large number of exquisite carved iconostases and original engravings. Finished crafts were also decorated with gilding. One of the most famous carvers of that time is Ambrose, a master who worked at the Trinity-Sergius Monastery.

Over time, the number of different schools only increased. Representatives of each of them used their own unique technique. Many of them were inspired by the works of masters from other countries.This made simple folk craft more original and unique.

Today, woodcarving is used much less frequently than before. But many craftsmen create real masterpieces from wood, and sometimes even turn their hobby into work.

There are now several main types of wood carving. Each of them has its own characteristics.

This type of carving has been popular since ancient times. Previously, it was believed that openwork patterns on doors and windows protect the house from evil spirits. They become entangled in lace and cannot enter the house.

Nowadays, openwork carving is used to decorate furniture, partitions, dishes and various handicrafts. This decor looks elegant and unusual. Looks especially beautiful kerf or through thread.

This type of artistic carving is distinguished by its special grace. The patterns are composed of fine curls. These patterns usually take a very long time to create. Therefore, a master who wants to master this technique needs to be patient.

Geometric carving is the most popular among beginners. It is attractive and easy to learn. The finished designs are made up of simple geometric shapes. Usually, the products are decorated with simple wedge-shaped notches. The finished work looks simple, but attractive.

The pattern applied to the surface of the tree in this way rises above the general background. It looks beautiful and voluminous. Such ornaments look realistic and impressive. Embossed carvings adorn platbands, friezes of houses, elements of doors and gates.

This style originated in Italy in the 16th century. It is characterized by the use of a large number of different decorative details. Often wood crafts in this style are decorated with floral patterns. For example, images of roses or lilies.

The most famous carver who worked in this style is the Greenling Gibbons. His products were decorated with exquisite flowers, leaves, fish and birds. Considering the work of this master, you can learn everything about the main features of this stylistic direction.

Using this technique, a piece of wood can be transformed into an exquisite small sculpture.... The method is used to decorate mirror frames, stair railings, balusters, overlays or comfortable furniture. The finished products look beautiful and sophisticated.

This type of carving appeared at the end of the 19th century. Its founders were craftsmen who worked in the Abramtsevo estate, located near Moscow. Most of them were from the village of Kudrino. It is because of this that this technique got its name.

Craftsmen using this technique made souvenirs and various household items. Now she is also popular among art lovers. Such products are decorated with ornaments consisting of branches and leaves, which are constantly repeated. Between these floral garlands are other decorative images - animals, fish, birds, berries and flowers. To create crafts using this technique, it is most often used linden wood.

This definition is called a simple technique that is popular in the Nordic countries. Crafts and buildings in this style are decorated with national motives. Very often they depict graceful deer and simple ornate patterns. Images of various runes are also often applied to wood. Such ornaments look original and elegant.

This is one of the simplest techniques that even a novice carver can master. Its main difficulty lies in the fact that the master needs to work with a thin cutter. The finished pattern usually consists of thin lines cut along the very outline of the pattern.

The first step for novice craftsmen is to purchase all the tools that are needed to work with wood. First, the carver needs to choose a set of quality knives. It includes the following components.

• Jamb knife. This utility knife is used for cutting straight lines and finishing the finished product.

• Cutter... Such a knife should also be in a beginner's kit. It can be used at all stages of work to draw original patterns. The blade of this knife is elongated. It can be either straight or supplemented with a slight bend.

• Hatchet knife... This type of knife is also used for working with wood quite often. It looks like a small hatchet with sharp blades. Experienced craftsmen use the heel, the middle of the blade, and the toe when working with wood.

• Bogorodsky knife. This tool got its name due to the fact that it was used for carving in the Bogorodsk technique. It is distinguished by its elongated blade and short arm.

Also, for wood processing, milling cutters and different types of chisels are used. The latter, like knives, can be used for different purposes.

You can use different types of wood to create various wood crafts at home.

• Linden... This material is soft and pliable. Even novice masters can work with it. Another plus of this material is that it has a fine fiber structure. Therefore, it can be used to create beautiful openwork patterns.

• Alder... This material is suitable for creating beautiful figurines and small crafts. The quality of the material is similar to linden. It lends itself well to finishing. The only drawback of this material is that, without special processing, alder crafts quickly lose their attractiveness and begin to rot.

• Birch... The wood is easy to work with. On the surface of this material, you can create beautiful and volumetric relief patterns. Armchairs and chests of drawers made of birch, decorated with ornaments from plant or geometric elements, look beautiful. You can also make a beautiful walking stick with original decor from this material.

• Oak... This material is best suited for creating furniture. It makes beautiful shelves with decorative carvings, as well as original columns. Carved oak products are resistant to deformation and attractive appearance.

• Pine... She has high quality straight grained wood with a medium degree of drying. This material is easy enough to work with. It can be painted or treated with a protective varnish layer. It should be remembered that this material is absolutely not suitable for fine-relief carving. This technique is used to decorate doors, large furniture and even eaves on the roof of the house.

• Larch... This material is of high quality and attractive appearance. Over time, it does not rot from dampness and does not crack. The only drawback is that it is difficult to process.

• Juniper... Hard and heavy wood dries up slowly and is not at all afraid of rotting. This material lends itself well to cutting and polishing. It is best suited for 3D threads. Juniper finished products look beautiful and graceful.

• Cedar... This type of wood has a lot in common with pine. Therefore, it is in demand among carvers. It is best used to create original crafts decorated with contour carvings.

• Bird cherry... Strong and moisture resistant wood is also used for various crafts. Both a young tree and an old one look beautiful.In order to make it easier to work with this material, it must be dried before use.

• Apple tree... Raw materials must also be pre-dried before use. This should be done very carefully to prevent drying out. It is convenient to grind, paint and polish the finished wood.

• Hazel... This material is perfect for decorating small crafts. Very often beautiful chess pieces and small figurines are carved from hazel.

The appearance of the finished product largely depends on the choice of material. Therefore, this process must be treated responsibly.

An important role is played by the correct preparation of wood for work. Before you start decorating products with carvings, the material must be well dried. At this stage of processing, all excess moisture is removed from the wood. It is best to dry the material outdoors.

After preparing the material and purchasing the necessary tools, you can start creating a sketch. This will help you understand how the finished product will look like, as well as choose the correct execution technology.

Then you can move on to the main part of the work. Wood carving consists of several stages.

1. Revealing the relief. At this stage, an approximate marking of the future pattern is made. The main element is given a suitable shape.
2. Rough processing. After a preliminary inspection, you should try to give the image a characteristic.
3. Background stripping. This process begins with the processing of the largest areas of the background. Wide chisels are used for this purpose.
4. Revealing small relief details. At this stage, small parts are cut with a sharp knife. The pattern is more elaborate.
5. Finishing finish. After that, the process of processing the material begins with grinding. It is made with ordinary emery cloth. Then the surface of the product is covered with special polishing agents.

When the item is ready, it can be coated with a coat of varnish, finishing oil or wax.

You need to cut beautiful ornaments on wood with your own hands very carefully. In the process, you must adhere to the following rules.

1. Use for wood carving well sharpened tools.
2. Finding the right workplace... It should be well lit. The best option is furniture located right by the window. The work table must be strong and stable.
3. In the process of working with tools, knives and chisels need hold firmly in your hands.
4. Do not store leftover wood or sawdust nearby with sources of open fire.
5. You need to store tools in a warm and dry place so they don't rust.

There are several of the most popular uses for wood carving.

• Kitchen decor. Cooking utensils and decor for the kitchen have been decorated with various patterns for a very long time. Large cutting boards decorated with figures of birds, animals and various colors look beautiful in the interior of the room. Spoons, coasters for hot dishes, as well as various trays decorated with original patterns also look great.

• Interior paintings. Not only frames for icons and various images are made of wood, but also full-fledged paintings. The patterns on them are created without the use of brushes and paints. At the same time, they look quite realistic. Such paintings will perfectly fit into the interior of a room in the Scandinavian style or eco style. In addition, wooden products look good in saunas.

• Home Decorations... You can decorate the room not only with wood paintings, but also with other interesting crafts.For this purpose, you can use beautiful masks decorated with relief carvings, as well as original figurines. For example, figurines depicting eagles, wolves or graceful cats and mice.

• Decor for the garden. To decorate the garden area, you can use massive benches with elegant carvings, as well as special figurines covered with a layer of protective varnish. You can decorate the site using decorative rats, gnomes or various small animals.

• Toys... Original children's toys look unusual and are suitable even for small children. Having mastered the technique of carving, you can learn how to create beautiful figurines. For example, figurines of characters such as Santa Claus or a fairytale fairy. Also, a high-quality constructor and bright cubes are made of wood.

Knowing how to create handmade carvings, you can learn how to make beautiful souvenirs or gifts for your loved ones.