Wood carving. Pictures, photos of products, sketches, drawings, decorative figures

Wood carving is difficult to learn, but if you know how to choose the right materials and tools, you can make this task much easier. Pictures and step-by-step descriptions of the stages works in different techniques, will help a novice carver create his first product.

Tools for work

In stores you can buy various professional tools, multifunctional woodworking machines. They make the work much easier, they are convenient and safe to use. However, it is more important to be able to handle hand tools. Every beginner woodcarver should learn to work with simple chisels, saws and planes.

These skills will help in the future:

• master professional machines faster;
• correct inaccuracies;
• carve miniature patterns.

Experienced craftsmen do not recommend buying ready-made sets of tools for manual cutting. They are expensive, but do not always differ in quality.

A set may contain a good knife but poor chisels, so it is better to buy each tool separately and assemble a truly useful set that will last for several years.

The most important tool for working with wood is a saw. With its help, you can separate even pieces of the required size from a solid block of wood.

Suitable:

• hacksaw;
• bow saw;
• jigsaw.

It is advisable to purchase several types of saws with different tooth sizes. The condition of the blades must be carefully monitored. The saws must always be sharpened and the blades well-tensed.

You should also buy a plane.. A beginner craftsman can buy a hand tool with a medium-width cutting surface. When you gain experience, you will need a jointer and scrapers. They are needed for more thorough alignment of wooden surfaces.

Chisels are needed to work with small details.. The set should contain tools with wide, sharp edges, as well as narrow and thin ones. Blades can be straight or beveled. They should always be sharp, so chisels will have to be sharpened often. For this purpose, you can use sandpaper or a special machine.

Working with blunt tools is dangerous because the blade will not penetrate the wood as deeply as required. This increases the risk of the tool "jumping off", which is dangerous for the carver. He can get seriously injured. In addition, the carving made with such a tool will be crooked, and the work will take more time and effort.

The table shows what other tools may be needed and for what purpose:

Tool	Purpose
Hand drill	Drilling through holes and small recesses
Knives of different sizes	To cut small pieces of wood, to plane small parts
Small axe	Cut off small branches and make notches
Sandpaper of different grain sizes	Grinding products
Clamp	Securely attach the work surface to the table top

There are many other tools for wood carving. When a beginner gains experience, he will be able to determine on his own what chisels, knives or saws he lacks and what is more convenient to work with.

Tips for choosing wood

Professionals divide wood into 3 types:

• soft;
• solid;
• superhard.

Beginners should give preference to the first 2 options. Soft wood is pliable. It is easy to cut small parts from it, forming beautiful patterns. Hard materials are a little more difficult to work with, but they are more durable. Figures made from such wood do not dry out over time and do not crack.

The following types of wood are easy to work with:

• spruce;
• chestnut;
• fir;
• pine;
• willow;
• linden;
• poplar;
• alder;
• beech;
• birch;
• aspen;
• ash;
• elm.

Expensive and high-quality furniture is made from super-hard wood species. This material is difficult to work with manually, large-sized machines are often used for processing, so such wood is not suitable for carving.

Workplace of a carver

Professional carvers work at a workbench. Beginners can limit themselves 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 up to the waist, but not higher.

The tabletop should be regularly wiped and its condition monitored. When working, knives often slip and stick into the table, which causes nicks that need to be sanded down. To minimize damage, it is necessary to follow the rules for using the tabletop. You cannot throw sharp tools on it, chop with an axe or hammer nails on it.

Good lighting is needed for work. 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 buy lighting fixtures on flexible legs that can be tilted in any direction.

Types of carving and techniques

Types of wood carving are divided into several groups:

• contour;
• geometric;
• flat-notched;
• sculptural;
• through;
• relief.

Each technique has its own characteristics, which you can read about further in the article.

Contour

Contour carving is characterized by narrow depressions with 2 edges. They are made shallow and run along the entire product. The main patterns are elements of living nature, such as plant leaves, inflorescences, berry clusters, as well as animals and birds. The picture that is obtained using this technique visually resembles engraving. All lines are rough, with clear edges. Light and shadow remain unmarked.

Experienced craftsmen prefer to mix this technique with other types of carving, such as geometric and flat relief. This style also goes well with many traditional paintings.

Pure contour patterns, without collaborations with other styles, look good only on small wall panels. Such patterns are made using chisels and a knife with a beveled blade. The contour carving technique is not complicated, but to decorate various products with it, you need artistic experience and skillful use of tools.

Geometric

This type of carving is one of the easiest to perform. The patterns consist of different-sized depressions that have from 2 to 4 edges.

Together they form various geometric figures:

• triangles;
• diamonds;
• circles;
• rectangles.

This technique is used to decorate furniture, and also to create kitchen utensils of unusual appearance, for example, coasters. The most simple set of tools is used for work: knives, chisels and cutters.

Flat-notched

Another simple wood carving technique that only requires a knife with a beveled blade. The peculiarity of flat-pitted carving is the smooth surface of the background. The recesses in the wood are made shallow. The lines are smooth, but have sharp edges.

The finished drawings are visually similar to those made using the contour technique. They also do not have a clear division into light and shadow. The main patterns are considered to be elements of living nature, such as trees, flower buds and animal silhouettes.

Sculptural

This is one of the most difficult types of wood carving. It differs from the previous techniques in that the image is not flat, it is three-dimensional. Sculptural carving includes three-dimensional figures of animals, people and divine idols.

In the Middle Ages, such carvings were used to decorate the roofs of rich houses, decorate the interiors of rooms, and place large wooden statues on the bows of ships. Nowadays, sculptural carvings are also considered to be decorative.

Wood is not shaped with just one tool, but rather with several sets. Learning to work with this technique requires a lot of time and patience.

Through

This type of carving has several alternative names: through, openwork and saw-through. The resulting pattern resembles fine lace. This effect is achieved by sawing through sanded boards.

The peculiarity of this technique is the complete or partial removal of the background. Craftsmen use this technology of wood processing in various design options. Through carving decorates window and door frames, as well as cornices. Often, such wooden patterns can be replaced on stair railings.

This technology is also used for small decorative elements, such as boxes, picture and mirror frames and caskets.

Embossed

This technology is similar to sculptural carving in its complexity. On a flat background, craftsmen carve convex, three-dimensional images. These can be figures of animals, plants, and even human portraits.

Relief carving is divided into 2 groups: bas-relief and high-relief. In the first variant, the ornament is convex by more than half the thickness of the main workpiece. In the second case, the pattern is made very voluminous. All lines rise above the background and have smooth curves.

Precautions when working

Before you start getting acquainted with wood carving, you need to learn about safety rules. All the tools are very sharp. It is easy to get hurt, sometimes you can get such a serious injury that it will end up with disability.

What needs to be done to reduce these risks:

1. Install the tabletop securely and firmly. The table should not swing from side to side or slide on the floor.
2. The workpieces should be secured to the table with special tools – clamps. Only they can securely fix the part. Any other available materials are not suitable for this purpose.
3. Lamps and lights should not blind the carver. They should be placed so that the tabletop is well lit and there is no shadow cast by the craftsman.
4. When sharpening chisels and knives, you need to wear gloves and safety glasses. Small shavings can get into your eyes, and the knife blade can accidentally slip off the machine and injure your hands.
5. The sharpening quality of any tool should be checked on a special whetstone, not with your fingers.
6. When working with cutting tools, you should hold it away from you, and also make sure that your other hand is at a safe distance from the knife.
7. There should be no foreign objects in the workplace.
8. After each cutting stage, you need to remove the shavings from the table using special brushes. If there is too much debris, a sharp tool can get lost under it, and when cleaning it will stick into your hand.
9. All knives and chisels should have a place. Experienced craftsmen recommend placing a jar on the table, in which the carver will put away tools and take them out when necessary. When the work is completed, all accessories should be laid out in places for permanent storage.
10. When using electrical appliances, it is important to ensure that the cord does not become tangled or twisted.
11. You can't plug several devices into the socket at once. Many wires on the floor can get intertwined with each other. You can trip over them and fall.

Often wax mastic is used for work. It should be heated on an electric stove, but not on an open fire.

It is unacceptable to place heating elements where shavings will fly. They quickly ignite. Wooden blanks smolder at a temperature of 214 degrees, then begin to burn, so it is important to monitor fire safety.

The workshop should always have bandages, cotton wool and disinfectant solutions for the skin. Even professional craftsmen are not immune to accidental injuries. Wounds should be treated as quickly as possible. If the damage is serious, then the work should be postponed until complete recovery.

Stages of woodworking

Wood carving (pictures with images of different technologies will help beginners understand how to work with wood correctly) always begins with an idea. The master comes up with patterns and makes a schematic sketch on paper, which he then transfers to a wooden surface using a simple pencil or marker.

Then he cuts out a rough pattern, then cuts off the corners and makes the lines smooth. He processes the background, polishes all the details and covers the finished product with varnish.

Further in the article you can read a description of the stages of work in different techniques.

With house carving

Wood carving (pictures are needed to correctly represent the basics of the technology) of this type is similar to the through technique. The master makes through cuts in the workpiece, completely removes the background and leaves only openwork patterns. Such carving is used to decorate window frames, doorways and roofs of houses.

The work is carried out in 3 stages:

1. Choice of style. All patterns must be in harmony with each other, so the master first selects suitable stencils. Then transfers them to the blanks.
2. The background is removed using a drill and a jigsaw. The ornament is cut out manually with chisels and knives.
3. The finished work is sanded and varnished.

For house carving, hardwood is chosen. It is not prone to rotting and delamination, so it can last for more than 20 years.

Carved wood decor with volumetric carving

Wood carving (pictures show the order of actions during work) with raised patterns is carried out in 6 stages.

They can be seen in the example of making a large brooch with an image of mountains:

1. The craftsman cuts out a round blank and transfers the sketch onto it.
2. Using knives and chisels, he cuts out small indentations along the drawn outlines.
3. Using a special knife, the carver gives the patterns rounded outlines, removing sharp corners and notches.
4. Sands the product using sandpaper of different grain sizes and an abrasive sponge.
5. Paints the product with paints.
6. After complete drying, treat the craft with wax mastic.

Softwood is suitable for such work. It is easier to create smooth contours and convex elements on it.

With geometric wood carving

Wood carving (pictures will help you make the markings correctly) with geometric carving is quite simple to perform. The most time is spent on creating sketches and markings.

Using the example of making a box, we can consider 5 main stages of work:

1. First, you need to think about the placement and shape of the patterns on each wall of the box, as well as on the lid. You will need to make a schematic drawing.
2. Then the product is lined, and even cells are drawn on all sides.
3. The cells are used to create the intended pattern.
4. Starting from the edges and moving towards the center, the pattern should be cut out on each side of the box.
5. Finally, the product is sanded with sandpaper, periodically sweeping away crumbs with a special brush.

Craftsmen cover items that will be actively used with varnish. You can choose a colorless coating or a colored one that imitates the natural shades of other wood species.

With a slit

This is a through carving where the background is completely removed with a jigsaw, but the pattern remains.

The work is carried out in 4 stages, which can be considered in more detail using the example of making a book stand:

1. The master selects a sketch, transfers it onto paper and glues it over the wooden blank.
2. He drills holes where the jigsaw blade will be inserted. Then he cuts out the pattern, removing the background.
3. Sands the product with sandpaper of different grain sizes.
4. Connects the parts of the stand with glue and covers with colored varnish.

For products with cut-out patterns, it is recommended to use hardwood.

Master class of geometric carving

This is one of the most popular types of carving. Professional carvers advise beginners to use this technology for their first works.

What tools and materials will be needed:

• a piece of soft wood, such as linden;
• knife with a beveled blade;
• simple pencil;
• eraser;
• ruler;
• compass;
• fine grit sandpaper.

Before starting work, you need to inspect the workpiece and sand it if necessary.

Creating a pattern sketch

Pictures for stencils can be downloaded or drawn independently. First, the blanks are made on thick paper, and then transferred to a prepared wooden board for carving. To prevent the stencil from bending when tracing, it can be soaked in acrylic varnish and dried.

You need to trace the template slowly. First, draw all the lines along the contour, then highlight the internal pattern.

Cutting out patterns

You need to cut out patterns from the edge, gradually moving towards the center. The knife should be positioned at an angle of 45 degrees and pressed lightly. You need to remove the layers one by one. If you don't have enough strength, you can press with 2 hands, the main thing is that the blade is located away from the cutter, and not vice versa.

In places where the lines are smooth, for example, where there are circles, you need to cut shallowly. It is better to go over 1 place several times, removing 3-4 layers in turn, than to make a sharp movement and spoil the drawing. When the carving is finished. You need to remove all the markings with an eraser.

Grinding and impregnation of the finished product

The finished work should be cleaned from dust and crumbs with a special brush. Then take sandpaper and carefully grind off all sharp corners, remove burrs. If the product is planned to be used often (taken in hands, moved from place to place), then it should be impregnated with varnish in 2-3 layers.

For decorative crafts that will decorate the room, impregnation with wax mastic is sufficient.

Master classes on creating carved wooden figures

Before work, you need to prepare all the necessary tools and materials for marking, cutting and grinding. The production of any wooden figures begins with a rough blank. This is a rough piece of wood on which marks are made and angular shapes are given. There is no need to remove all the excess, it is enough to cut off large corners and burrs.

One of the most popular three-dimensional figures, the production of which novice craftsmen first try to master, is a bear.

To make the product beautiful, you need to follow the algorithm of actions:

1. On a 10x5 cm walnut block, 5 cm thick, draw a sketch of the future figurine.
2. The excess is cut off and rough processing is done with a knife.
3. Using a pencil, draw the back side of the figure and its upper part.
4. Using chisels of varying thickness, gradually remove several layers. Each time, the thickness of the shavings should decrease.
5. Using a small knife, work out the texture of the fur, form other small details, teeth, eyes, claws.
6. The product is sanded with fine sandpaper, then polished and varnished.

Walnut is a hard wood. For your first experiment, you can use pine or linden.

Beginners are also often interested in silhouettes of sitting animals, such as foxes or cats. They can be made by analogy, with minor changes.

Procedure:

1. Select a sketch and transfer it to the workpiece.
2. Saw off excess material.
3. Perform rough processing, observing the main contours.
4. Then start working on the details. You need to indicate where the animal's paws, head, body and tail will be.
5. Cut out the shape of the muzzle, mark the location of the ears.
6. Sand the piece to make its contours softer.
7. Use small tools to make details clearer.
8. Sand the work again with fine sandpaper.
9. Use a small knife to cut out the texture of the fur, mark the eyes, teeth and other small details.

At the end, all that remains is to do the final sanding and impregnate the finished product with varnish.

Wood carving can be learned in a short time. In the process of work, you need to follow safety rules, as well as follow the algorithms of actions consistently. Step-by-step master classes and pictures with ready-made stencils will help beginners.

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