[Woodcarver] Relief Carving

Sun Feb 22 11:10:40 EST 2004

Good Morning Patti,

Couldn't help but notice my ears burning this morning :) 

I don't think you will find a specific formula that is applicable to
every relief carving you do, but I will share with you my favorite
ideas.  If there is something here that you find you can used ... great.

The number of levels you use in a pattern is determined for me by the
complexity of the pattern and the thickness of the carving wood.
Obviously the thicker the wood the more levels I can create within the
pattern, a 2" thick piece will take may more levels than a 1" thick
piece.  A pattern may need one one level if it is a silhouette style of
low relief, a stylized deer with no trees or background elements.  or it
can need multiple levels because of the number of overlaid elements as a
wagon wheel in front of an old gnarled tree in front of an old barn in
front of the dirt road in front of a split rail fence in front of the
tree line in front of the mountains ... 

Personally I work in odd numbers of three or five levels then break each
level down into smaller layers.  Adding layers to levels reduces the
stacked look a carving can get.  Too many levels can be confusing both
to the carver and to the viewer.  By my keeping the number of levels
small, again three to five, I am grouping areas for easy viewing.  So
returning to the barn scene above by grouping the wagon wheel, tree, and
barn I can make one level, then group the dirt road, split rail fence,
and tree line for the second level, leaving the mountains and sky for
the background level. Once I have these three levels roughed out I can
break each level down into layers.  So level one with the wheel, tree,
and barn can be divided just enough by layering to put the wheel in the
foreground, the tree in the mid ground, and the barn in the back ground
of that level.  On thinner boards this may mean that the tree gets a
little extra shaving and the barn gets just a bit more ... enough to
back set the element.

Once the pattern is traced I work sort of everything at once in stages
... now how's that for very confusing.  I work out the rough gouging for
every level,  I round over some in every level,  I begin defining
elements in every level ...  I, personally, don't completely carve one
element or one area then move onto the next.  That way I think the work
holds together better for me ... I tend to have little time anymore to
take an entire week to work on a project.  So since much of my carving
is done  in 'snatch and grab' time the way I work a little stage over
everything, front to back, back to front, and even sideways, gives the
carving some uniformity.

For me, the levels and layers are guide lines to help me carve ... they
are not unbreakable rules and sure not set in stone ... 

Hope something here helps!

Lora (My friends call me Susan) Irish

Carving Patterns Online
Designs Online Since 1997!
Classic Carving Patterns By L.S.Irish
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-----Original Message-----
From: woodcarver-bounces at six.pairlist.net
[mailto:woodcarver-bounces at six.pairlist.net] On Behalf Of Patti Landmann
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 10:24 AM
To: Knotholes at yahoogroups.com; Woodcarver Mail List-New
Subject: [Woodcarver] Relief Carving

Dear Relief Carvers,

Since the list seemed fairly slow the last week, I didn't think anyone
would mind a fairly elementary question on relief carving.

I am about to begin a new carving and the same old question is back
again.  I spent last evening reading thru Lora's, Bill's, David's,
Ivan's  books AGAIN about the initial layout of the work.  I tend to
have a problem with needing to re-carve elements of the carving to get
things right.  I have no trouble with the foreground and the back ground
but the mid-foreground and the mid-background or the multiple levels
inbetween cause me problems.

The carving should be carved from back to front, I think,  but I have an
easier time carving front to back.  How do you establish the levels with
certainty?  Besides color coding levels, some of you then number the
elements to be carved first, second, etc.  Bill's patterns show actual
depth measurements.  How do you establish this information with such
certainty.

Relief carving without such a definite plan is probably accomplished
much in the same manner but in a less organized manner of deciding as
you go.   This leads to constant re-evaluation and thus recarving.   Is
there a formula, procedure or ?,  or is it just the eye of an artist or
engineer that can quickly know what goes where?

This if probably basic and not of interest to a broad segment of the
lists so I would be delighted to hear from anyone directly into my
mailbox if that works out better.

Thank you to all who reply....I'm again looking for easy answers to not
so easy questions.

Patti

Patti Landmann 

lowvillecarver at yahoo.com 
http:// <http://www.centuryinter.net/treasures/>
<http://www.centuryinter.net/treasures/> www.centuryinter.net/treasures/
<http://www.centuryinter.net/treasures/> 

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