Chapter 10

Wood carving in practice #2

When you have removed the corners and spare wood with the saw, put the saw away as you will not need it again during carving. Now draw on the block again, making sure that you have planned the shape from the front and top (Fig. 34). If the block is wide enough you can give the head some movement.

Fig. 34. Carving the pigeon: stage IV.

Fig. 35. Carving the pigeon: stage V.

Fig. 36. Pigeon; carving in progress.

When you start with the mallet and gouge choose the latter in a medium size, | in. to i in., and with a medium sweep. You must always be prepared to change the direction of your cut at the first sign of ragging or splitting, especially when faced by twisting grain or in the neighborhood of knots. In larger carvings it may be impossible to avoid all knots but by planning you can arrange that they are cut away, or in any case that they do not come in the center of a piece of detail. The very nature of carving in the round in wood will compel you to change cutting direction. This is quickly learned with practice and you will in the end cut in the right direction by instinct. It is quite safe to cut across the fibres of the grain, but you will notice that when cutting with the grain the wood has a polished appearance and if you are leaving a tool-cut finish it is best to complete the carving in this way. If the cut looks dull or ragged whichever way you cut, it is a sure indication that your tools are blunt.

Carving in Relief

First exercises (Fig. 37)

As in carving in the round, a simple abstract form could be the first exercise.

Fig. 37. Diagram showing seven stages in carving a relief.

You will see that a pear-form is suggested, the various stages being shown on one diagram. First draw the shape clearly on the wood. The next process is known as 'setting in': in the diagram, A marks the first groove cut round the drawing with a veiner, fluter or pointing tool. At B a cut is made with a deep gouge. C marks the cutting down round the shape with a near flat gouge. D shows the background cut away with a gouge of medium sweep. E is the full depth of the relief. F shows carving commencing with a shallow gouge. At G some undercutting will give the illusion of depth.

All these processes should each be completed in turn round the whole pear form. The undercutting should be left till the last as you may wish to cut the form still deeper.

Potentialities of relief-carving

Even if you are a beginner, it is as well to be clear about the potential and the limiting factors in the carving of a relief. A relief is closer to the painted picture than work in three dimen­sions. The conception, at the outset, depends on drawing and although depth of carving can enrich and give the work a third dimension, a flat picture or pattern can be translated into a carving in relief. Thus the field of design for relief is very wide indeed. You have only to look at Indian relief carving in wood to realize that a lace-like delicacy can be achieved, or at the late German Gothic carvings in most museum collections in order to see that it is possible to carve a relief which is also three dimen­sional. The figures in these carvings are almost free from the background and attached to it so cunningly that they look as though they could step out of their frames.

They may be joined to the background by the feet only, or at the back in one or two places. This type of 'tour de force' carving is not to all tastes. In the example (plate vi) of an Indian nineteenth-century carving you will notice that one of the elephant's legs and the trunk are completely free. The grain is running down the length of these parts, making them strong. From time to time stone has also been carved in this way, but stone does not have the fibrous strength of wood and these free parts are often damaged or completely knocked away.

You will see that it is possible to be really adventurous when carving relief in wood. You can also get this 'free' look in the design by deeply undercutting the figures or shapes yet leaving them attached to the background. It is not easy to do this in high relief without the help of the bent gouge. In high relief there is a greater play of light and shade and therefore greater legibility. This is obvious when you consider that a hole drilled in wood can appear black in contrast to the surface of the block. The drill is often used in carvings of both wood and stone. If you examine Indian, Greek or Roman carvings, the evidence of the drill is plain to see. It is often apparent in the curls of the hair, the eyes or in details of the drapery.

The background of a relief can be in flat areas that form part of the whole design, or the relief can be so enriched or crowded with figures that the background is not much in evidence. It is a mistake to think that the background must always be of uniform depth from the face of the panel. It is better to concentrate on the subject matter and let the background look after itself. I would suggest that the beginner should not attempt a crowded design. Also, it is best to choose a single subject for the first carving: a head, an animal, or any shape that interests you. Cut the design fairly deeply. This will give you more scope. There are, however, plenty of fine examples of eighteenth-century English wood carving in very shallow relief.

Fig. 38. Design for a cockerel in relief.

This is usually applied carving such as described later in this chapter, when in places the relief may not be more than 1/8 in. thick. Such carving is difficult for an amateur with little experience in drawing. In a shallow carving the drawing is all-important. In a relief there is less margin for change and modification. Therefore it is as well to spend time and thought on the design and to take care with the drawing. If drawing is poor, a very flat carving on a flat background can give the effect of cut-outs in pastry. Such carving has a 'stuck on' appearance and may well be very dull and uninteresting. The suggested design for a cockerel in relief is simple but will also give scope for the use of pattern and texture. It is intended as an example and even if you decide to use the idea I would say that you should make some changes and experiment. Do not be afraid to spoil a few pieces of wood.

Applied Decoration

Today for the most part furniture is plain and undecorated. In modern furniture carved decoration is out of fashion. To stick pieces of carved design arbitrarily on modern furniture is un­thinkable for it has already been designed as a whole. A wide revival of carving on mass produced furniture is unlikely. However, if you have designed a piece of furniture there is no reason why a certain amount of carving should not be incorpor­ated. I would again stress that the piece should be conceived as a whole and the carving appropriate to the object.

Architectural carvers, such as Mr H. Board (plate II), use applied carving in the reproduction of period decoration of all kinds, in restoration work, mantelpieces, mirrors and furniture. An example shown (plate XVIII) is being carved in 1 in. pine. The first requirement is a long back-board at least 1 in. thick. One or two layers of paper are then stuck to the board with thin glue. After the design has been made on paper, it is marked out on the piece of wood to be carved either by the use of carbon-paper or a template. Sometimes the design is made on thin detail-paper and stuck to the wood. The general shape is then cut out by the fret­saw and glued to the paper on the back-board. By this method all the delicate parts of the design are supported and will not break during the carving process. After the carving is finished, it is separated from the back-board with the aid of a long knife. This is slipped under the paper so cutting the carving free. The ornament is now ready to be applied to its assigned place. plate xxi shows ornament applied to a copy of an eighteenth-century fireplace. The carved ornament is glued and pinned (Fig. 39). The pins used are the ordinary type used in sewing. The heads of the pins are sunk and the holes filled. By using this method the finest decoration, only perhaps 1/4 in. thick, can be carved by a skilled man without difficulty.

Fig. 39. Method of applying decoration.

Letter Cutting in Wood

I must first stress that if you wish to cut letters in wood, some study of letters themselves is essential. The Roman letter holds a supreme place as a basis for the study of carved letters and you must spend time in drawing these before you start. When you have been carving letters for some time you need not slavishly follow the Roman forms. You will be able to make your own deviations, in fact design your own letters. It is only after a period of time that you will do this with success when you have come to appreciate the form and balance of the letters. All the problems of spacing and making satisfactory layouts of given inscriptions demand some experience. If you decide to carve the name of your house on the front gate with no previous study of the sub­ject, the enlightened passer-by may well shudder at the sight. For anyone who has studied the subject, the ill-shaped letter is painful to see.

Excellent sheets of Roman lettering can be bought cheaply. There are also many books on the subject. Students and many young people think of letter cutting as boring. It is in fact an acquired taste. I know from experience that it can be enjoyable and very satisfying. In cutting letters you are dealing with form, proportion and abstract shapes. The fine laws evolved in Roman lettering are flexible and can be adapted to any given inscription.

Wood for letter cutting

It is wise to choose a close, even, and straight grained wood. Oak, quarter cut, is often used and is suitable for indoor and outdoor work. Lime wood is excellent but needs protection from the weather. The inscription should be worked out carefully on paper. When working on stone I usually draw on the tablet itself. With wood this is not advisable because the graphite of the pencil will get into the grain and the surface of the panel marked and damaged. It is best therefore either to use carbon-paper or to draw the letters on thin detail-paper and paste it on as seen in plate m where the late Mr A. G. Cole is carving an inscription in oak on a remembrance stand. Either of these two methods are sometimes used for stone also.

Cutting letters

For letter cutting you need very sharp fine bevelled chisels, gouges for curves, corner chisels for the serifs; parting chisels can also be used if the grain is very close or, as in wood engraving, on the end grain.

The letters can be carved in a number of ways. I personally prefer the incised V cut of approximately 60 degrees. A curved concave section can be used, or the letters can be raised. The latter method involves some labor in cutting down the back-ground. It is better in this case to cut the letters with the edges very slightly sloping out, otherwise they will tend to look stuck on. The recessed curved letter looks well gilded and takes the light better than a V cut. If the inscription is in a poor light, gilding or painting will increase legibility.

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