Need some help?

[ddt]

Hi,
I have been looking at a lot of pictures of relief carving. BUT, no where have I found in any magazine an article&pattern for relief carving. I know everyone wants to sell you patterns/etc. BUT, is there any source on line where I could possibly just read about how it is done? Tools? Pattern coping? Wood? After all why would I want to buy a pattern when I may not even wish to try it! thanks ddt

[Krum]

The Carving Magazine has some great techniques on relief carving. Ivan Whillock for one has great information about wood and tools even though someone is working on a pattern doesn't mean you have to do that one. But read on what each tool he/she does use and what that tool can create and you can work it into your own pattern. Once you practice what that tool can do, your own creation can be something you can stand back and say WOW! look what I did . You can read all the magazines in the world but if you don't practice....you won't learn. Remember it's only wood. I hope this helps.
Krum
The Carvers Corner
Cathy Krumrei
Grand Rapids, Mn
Forever Flowers book & CD available @
http://www.thecarverscorner.com

[AlArchie]

Here's a link to Fred and Elaine Stenman's studio page. Lots of bass-relief (low or shallow relief) patterns and a list of seminars with locations. there may be one near you. Our carving club, Gogebic Range Woodworkers and Woodcarvers has been fortunate to have the Stenmans put on mini seinars just for our members, and they have a very personable and enjoyable presentation (3 days) in which each member has the chance to actually finish 2 projects.

At the seminars, they provide everything you will need....tools, wood, paint, finishes, and above all patient instruction.

Their site has a whole bunch of patterns available for very reasonable prices.

http://stenmanstudios.com/index.html

Al

[AlArchie]

As an added note.......Stenmans, along with Laura Irish and several other designers of patterns earn their living by selling patterns! I guess that is why you might want to actually BUY one, but on either site you can look at the patterns before you buy, so you have the opportunity to check them out first.

L.S. Irish offers several free tutorials and a few packets of patterns for free. Stenmans will supply basswood rounds and boards for carving and burning for reasonable prices. I'm sure there are others around, but these are two very fine sources.

Al

[AlArchie]

Here's Irish's link

http://www.carvingpatterns.com/

Al

[ddt]

Hi,
The problem is not in buying a pattern!!!!!!!!!!! The problem is,,,,,,,,,,,,"What do I do with the pattern after I get it?" Anyone care to walk me thru this process? Thanks ddt

[AlArchie]

http://www.carvingpatterns.com/#ONLINE%20TUTORIALS

Susan (LS Irish) has a whole set of free instructions on beginning carving at this site. check down the page a ways and you will find tutorials on picking a pattern, transferring the pattern to the wood, basic cuts and how to use them, tools you will need, how to sharpen your tools, basic equipment and a whole string of other great information, all accompanied by photographic illustrations.

Following these prepared tutorials will probably be a lot easier for you than trying to glean techniques from individual carvers on-line.

Also on her site are numerous free patterns you can pick from for an easy start. LS Irish also has some of the best relief carving instruction books around.

Another site you may find helpful is www.littleshavers.com
This is run by a very helpful couple in Seattle. You will find not only excellent carving supplies there, but Rick Ferry, the owner is extremely helpful to beginners with advice on his site on carving, selecting tools, sharpening, etc. There are several tutorials available on his site, too.

As far as basics go.....you should be able to find some decent basswood boards to start with at most hobby stores or any of the big box stores. Select as clear a piece as uu can find, one that is free of knots and has only straight grain.

Patterns can be best transferred with special "transfer paper" available at hobby stores, or just use regular carbon paper.

Probably best to begin with a good bench knife and a 1/2 to 3/4" #10 sweep gouge, although you can get by with a small set of pa;m gouges.

If you follow Susan's method you will first determine "levels" of material to be removed, and mark them off on your pattern.

Begin by inisising "stop cuts" around the hard edges on your pattern, then removing some of the background material using the gouge by cutting into the stop cut.

From here on it's just a matter of re-applying parts of the pattern that are removed and contiinuing to develop the carving with more stop cuts and background removal.

I would strongly suggest you go to the LS Irish site and follow the tutorials there. They are much more clear than what I can try to relay with just words. It will take a little time to work through all the material, but it is well worth the effort.

Hope this is helpful, and hope you come to enjoy carving as much as the rest of us!

Al
Al

[firewoodstudio]

I guess that you have some chip carving tools. Get some basswood and start with cutting out some triangles then move on to cutting a straight line of whatever length you wish. Hold you knife at an angle on both side and slice into the wood to meet at the center go to the ends and with your knife slice down into the wood to remove the cut piece. Chip cutting knives and patterns and instructions are listed at several wood carving suppliers. Check them out.

[Dreads518]

AlArchie Thanks so much for all the information you provided here..

[hi ho sliver]

my first two carvings were reliefs done about 40 years ago.....one was a Christs head, the other was a buck...........I just drew them on a 1 x 12 piece of redwood and started carving away everything that didn't look like the buck or head of Christ... they actually turned out pretty decent for the time, friends grabbed them, so they must have been better than firewood! If you buy a pattern, make a copy of it, get some graphite paper and trace the pattern on the wood and start cutting........you can talk about it all day long, but until you get a knife and some chisels in your hand, it won't mean anything to you......imho

[cwhillock]

The basics of 4-Step Relief are:

1) Background - start with the lowest level and carve that down first. Most people go about 1/2 the thickness of the board. This is normally the sky in a landscape pattern.

2) Levels - find the levels in your pattern and start with the lowest level first. We normally use a v-tool to outline and then shallow gouges to remove the wood. Some carvers have different methods here ... some like to split the difference of the depth each time so the levels get closer to you as they come forward. Some carvers try to keep one level in the background, 2 middle levels and a surface level (or just below the surface because you want to make sure all parts of the carving are carved so staining is even).

3) Shaping - here is where you shape the elements in your design. Round the edges, create the flow, carve in the levels within the levels.

4) Details - you don't start any details until you've done the other three steps. Use your smaller tools, v-tools and veiners to create all the little details in your carving. Leaves in trees, fur, hair, bark (hair and bark is best carved using a variety of 3 gouges ... one large to set the flow, one medium to add texture and a small one for the fine details).

Other relief carving hints:
- we like to stand at a bench and carve relief (less back stress)
- we normally use full-sized tools (use as large of a tool for the space)
- the bench is normally even with your bellybutton
- two handed tools give you better control and less scraped knuckles

Relief is one of my favorite styles of carving .... along with all of the others! (smile)

Have fun!

Chris Whillock

[Aliciana]

Chris ,thank you for your detailed description for Relief, I do too like to start it and it is a great help. My idea from the beginning of my carving time was always ,a piece of wood and idea in my head and I start, bingo.
Most of the time it worked, a few pieces ended up burned, or I would change my direction of the carving, I don;t think this will work with relief,what do you think???
Aliciana

[cwhillock]

Hi,

I think that would work fine. You might want to sketch it out on the board first and then do your 4-steps.

Currently I am doing a deer right now (practice for my mantles) and I started with a basic drawing of a deer in the middle, drew a vine around and then filled in with leaves in the open spaces (hanging off the vine). I am creating my own pattern (leaves are great because they are easy to draw and they give the carver a chance to do multiple levels.)

In relief, the levels are what gives it the carving its spark (at least in this style of carving.)

Chris