Having barely learned to hold objects in his hands, the little man shows a craving for creativity. Over time, he will have the opportunity to try himself in various types of crafts: needlework, modeling, origami, wood carving, drawing. Of course, certain skills that the child acquired in early childhood will be useful for this. Sometimes a simple hobby gradually turns into a hobby, and then becomes the work of a lifetime. So many centuries ago in Rus', one of the main types of creativity was wood carving. And in the 21st century it still arouses genuine interest among people.

Popular types of intricate art

For a long time, people decorated their homes with wooden carvings. Various kinds of paintings, kitchen utensils, religious objects, and children's toys were considered valuable things for any family. Perhaps that's why they appeared different kinds wood carvings. The most popular options are:

• geometric;
• flat-notched;
• slotted;
• sculptural;
• embossed;
• openwork;
• invoice.

Fortunately, the list does not end there, because this type of creativity is widespread throughout our vast country. Let's look at just a few of them.

Geometric wood carving involves the use of various figures in the work. These are triangles, circles, squares and polyhedra. It is used for the manufacture of furniture elements, household utensils, and wall crafts. The oldest type of such carving is triangular-notched carving. This is one of the simplest methods, since it is performed with only one tool - a knife with a blunt. For such wood carving you will need a simple set of items:

• lime board;
• special knife-jamb;
• ruler;
• pencil.

First, sketches of geometric shapes or a finished ornament are applied to the board. It is better for novice amateurs not to use complex drawings so that the work turns out flawless. For the first work, material made from deciduous trees is suitable, since it is more convenient to draw straight lines on it with a sharp knife.

The wooden surface should be as smooth as possible. This is achieved by planing the board. It does not need to be sanded sandpaper. Otherwise, the carving will not turn out clear and neat, and the tool will quickly become dull.

The flat-pit method is used to cut out depressions of various sizes and shapes on a plane. These can be oval contours and all kinds of convexities.

The slotted type of carving is also considered quite simple. It is performed using a jigsaw. A sketch of any figure applied to a wooden plane is cut out along the contour. The result is some cute crafts. Applicable slotted thread for making background objects through which other planes are visible. It is often called openwork carving, and is used to decorate furniture in the Baroque style. These can also be elements of cupboards, window frames, doors, and sometimes decorative screens. If crafts are attached to a special base, then this type of carving is considered overhead.

The process of working with the slotting method begins with a sketch, which is applied to a pre-polished workpiece. It is transferred to the surface using a special template or transparent white paper. Then holes are made on the contours and cut out on the work table using a thin jigsaw file.

Relief carving includes two main methods: flat and blind. In addition, the blind option implies a low or convex relief. The bottom line is that the pattern is formed due to the main background of the surface.

The flat-relief method is performed in such a way that the pattern and the surrounding background are made at the same depth over the entire area of ​​the base. Blind carving is characterized by a convex pattern that does not have flat outlines. Such products are valued for their high decorativeness and richness of composition. After all, a unique miniature landscape with hills, depressions and depressions is created on the plane. To create such masterpieces, craftsmen use elements of almost all types of wood carving. Therefore, beginners should master each method separately in order to apply the skills with more.

The first steps on the path to mastery

History shows that wood was traditionally used to decorate living spaces. Nowadays, various photographs, drawings and sketches of wood carvings are exhibited in local history museums or printed publications. This suggests that smart people who are willing to learn can master this art form. Wood is a wonderful natural material from which you can create decorative compositions, paintings, furniture elements and kitchen utensils. Having mastered the basics of the ancient art, some became real masters of wood carving, devoting their entire lives to it.

Popular wisdom says: “The hardest trouble is the beginning.” This is how it is if you do nothing. Practical advice Wood carvings for beginners open the door for brave people to the world of magnificent DIY crafts. First you need to prepare your tools and understand the basic nuances of the craft.

It is advisable for beginners to choose high-quality and durable equipment for work in order to acquire valuable craftsmanship skills.

For wood carving you need to prepare the following tools:

• sharp knife;
• chisel;
• jigsaw;
• bit;
• drill;
• needle files;
• spoon cutter;
• bars;
• milling machine.

Of course, for beginners it will be enough to purchase a special set of tools for wood carving, which includes a knife, a jigsaw and an awl. With their help it is very convenient to master the skills of ancient craftsmanship.

The next step is the selection of raw materials. The quality of the product depends on this. There are two types of wood in nature: hard and soft. The first group includes mahogany, oak and beech. For the second - aspen, pine, spruce, birch. Of course, it is easier to work with soft wood, but with one wrong move it quickly deteriorates. Despite this, it is considered the most suitable raw material for beginners.

Hardwoods are used by professionals because they are very expensive.

In addition to the strength of the material, the color of the wood also plays a key role. A suitable raw material for learning the skill is birch. It lends itself wonderfully to cutting and drilling in any direction. When choosing patterns for wood carving, you should keep in mind that birch wood darkens over time. Despite this, she is very easy to work with.

When the pattern is selected, it must be transferred to a wooden blank. In the age of technology, you can use ready-made photographs or drawings provided by specialists. The subjects of the images are very different, but each has its own unique beauty. When everything is ready, you can start creating your own masterpieces. Thematic wood carving lessons are an invaluable aid for beginners.

Master class on simple crafts

When you look at the finished crafts, you get the impression that making them is not at all difficult. Therefore, many lovers of folk crafts took the instrument into their hands and got to work. To cut an ordinary flower you need to prepare the following set of items:

• wood blank;
• double soft pencil;
• tracing paper;
• chisels.

Please note that only special chisels for wood carving are suitable. They should be v-shaped, narrow and semicircular. The next stage is drawing. It can be taken from the Internet. To do this, apply a sheet of paper to the screen, redraw the diagram, and then apply it to a wooden plane.

Start working from the central part of the sketch, carefully cutting out a circle. Then, using a v-shaped chisel, cut out the petals along the contour. Wood waste between them is removed as work progresses. If you don’t have such a chisel, professional knives for wood carving will do, as they are just as good to use in this craft.

Using a semicircular chisel, cut out the outer part of the petal. It looks like the outline of a heart, but it's not scary. Then cuts are made in the inner part of the petal, connecting it to the center of the flower. All that remains is to round it off and the flower is ready. Now you can admire the first creation of your own hands. An invaluable aid for beginners is a themed woodcarving video that encourages them to get started immediately.

Modern technology for experienced craftsmen

In the modern world, many works have long been performed mechanically. Applied crafts are not lagging behind in this. The use of technology allows craftsmen to save their energy and precious time. Wood carving machines make it possible to quickly and efficiently prepare the raw material for work. The only drawback of such devices is their high cost, but people for whom carving is not just a hobby are ready to purchase them.

Pantograph

The device is designed to work with any wooden surfaces. It performs operations of various kinds, both volumetric and on a plane. The pantograph is used to process arched, bent or rotating parts. So, with the help of a machine, various elements of furniture, statues or panels are cut out.

Drill

An excellent device for working with hardwood. It is important to take into account the properties and arrangement of the fibers of the natural material. Using a drill, craftsmen sharpen tools, polish wood, and, if necessary, polish it.

Tree species with dense wood that do not have a tendency to chip are suitable for working with a drill.

CNC milling machine

This technique is mainly used for the production of wooden furniture with carved decoration. The machine is designed to work with any type of plywood and wood. It is distinguished by high functionality and technical capabilities. When working on such equipment, it is important to use special protective equipment - goggles and gloves. Also follow the operating instructions for the device.

As practice shows, such machines simplify the process of wood carving. They make it possible to create a huge number of products in a short time. The devices are used not only in industry, but also for personal workshops.

In any case, handmade products bring true satisfaction to a person. They create a pleasant atmosphere in the house, help express the master’s feelings for his loved ones, and serve for the benefit of the household for a long time. Wooden crafts retain their natural beauty for a long time and never go out of fashion. Wood carving is an art that is passed down from generation to generation. It is available to anyone who wishes to master this craft. The main thing is not to be afraid of failures, but to be willing to learn, pick up tools and create masterpieces.

Wood carving video tutorial for beginners

Of all types of carving, relief technique is one of the most expressive. Realistic wooden bas-reliefs, with neat detailing, spectacular play of shadows and properly constructed composition, can truly bewitch. The relief technique can be considered as a transitional step to sculptural carving, which is rightfully considered the crown of carved art.

In this material we will talk about the basic principles of relief wood carving. Our tips will be useful not only for beginning carvers, but also for craftsmen who have already tried their hand at this technique. Using the example of the proposed project, you will become familiar with the basic principles of clean and accurate cutting, learn how to correctly model volume, and master professional secrets that will help emphasize the three-dimensional qualities of a carved composition.

What is the difference between relief carving and other techniques?

The relief technique is distinguished from flat-relief, contour, geometric and other types of non-volumetric carving, first of all, by its emphasized three-dimensional nature. The main composition here comes to the fore due to the cropped background, making the image more expressive, with a characteristic abundance of light and shade.

If the main design of the composition rises only slightly, no more than half the thickness of the entire product, then such carving is called bas-relief (and the product itself is bas-relief). With a higher and more protruding relief, the carving is called high relief.

Newbie Tool Set

To learn wood carving, it is not at all necessary to acquire an arsenal of chisels, knives and other cutters, as many people tend to think. To master the basic skills of relief technique, a few corner chisels (games) will be enough, for example, 10 mm And 6 mm, straight chisel 12 mm, radius (semicircular) 10 mm, scoring knife and small gravel. It is appropriate to purchase other types of chisels for wood carving as your carving skill grows.

Always keep the tool sharp. If the chisel leaves a rough mark and chips the wood in small splinters instead of easily removing neat layers, this is a sure sign that the chisel needs sharpening. A dull tool spoils the quality of work, requires a lot of effort when carving and does not allow a novice carver to “feel” the chisel correctly.

Which wood to choose for relief carving?

The right choice of wood is the key to success for a master mastering the intricacies of this technique. Almost all soft hardwoods are optimally suited for the needs of carvers: aspen, alder, birch, walnut, etc. But the main wood for most craftsmen who engage in not only volumetric, but also flat, flat-notched, geometric and other types of wood carving is linden.

Linden is a soft and light wood with a uniform density, which makes it particularly easy to process: it is easy to cut, sharpen and plan in all directions. Linden almost does not warp or dry out, does not emit tannins, therefore it is considered an ideal raw material, including for the manufacture of tableware. The disadvantage of linden is its poor colorability in other colors.

Practicing relief carving skills using the example of the “Fox” project

We will tell you step by step how to make bas-relief carvings on wood using the simple “Fox” project as an example. As a blank, we recommend using a cut of linden or a regular board made of any other soft hardwood.

To transfer a drawing onto a wooden base, carbon paper is used as the simplest and most effective solution. If necessary, the carbon paper lines can be easily erased by making the necessary changes as you go. To prevent the design from shifting during the transfer process, secure the piece of wood or place a rubber backing underneath it. Think about where best to place the image to make the composition look more lively and interesting. In our case, we will move it from the center to the bottom (photo 1).

Use an angle chisel to cut out the outer contour #12 (blade width 10 mm/corner 60°). It will not only allow you to make a neat outline of the main figure, but will also immediately remove a significant part of the background (photo 2).

Technique for cutting with an angle chisel:

• Fix the instrument tightly with your left hand, and push it forward with your right; The correct grip of the chisel will allow you to accurately guide the cutter, maintain a neat cutting line and prevent the blade from slipping off the contour.
• Mark the main contour of the lines with a cutter, then cut them to the desired depth (in our case 4-5 mm). By cutting the wood a little at a time, you will have more control over the carving process and reduce the risk of chipping.
• Overcoming the resistance of the wood, evenly distribute the pressure on the chisel, achieving a smooth and uniform surface.
• When working with a chisel, take into account the direction of the wood grain, because the cutter always tends to move along the solid annual rings.
• Under no circumstances should you point the chisel towards yourself: cut away from you or hold the tool parallel to your chest.
• Work the cutter directly behind the pencil lines, leaving them visible.

Correct and accurate removal of the background is largely the essence of relief wood carving. Mastering this skill is a responsible task for a beginning carver. Radius chisels (semicircular or sloping) help to remove a lot of background with minimal effort. In our case, we will leave the background of the composition in the form of wide decorative grooves (photo 3). If necessary, it can be made even using a flat chisel.

Having formed the background, we will return to the corner chisel and once again “finish” we will walk along the contour of the main composition (photo 4). Then we’ll straighten the background (photo 5).

Angled chisels are optimal as a tool for fine contour work. #15 (blade width 6 mm/corner 45°) or #16 (blade width 6 mm/corner 35°).

Outline the fox's eye, keeping the pencil outline (photo 6). Go down and start working on the mouth: carefully select the background around the teeth and inside the mouth (photo 7). Focus on volume and the laws of perspective in the composition: since the front teeth are in the foreground, they should be slightly exaggerated. Work on the nose area.

To work out the shape of the head, use a radius (sloping) chisel with a width 10 mm. Start with the ears: make the left ear in the foreground taller (photo 8).

Round the shape of the head (photo 9), making a smooth transition to the muzzle, which should remain flatter and without pronounced volume (photo 10).

When working on specific areas, do not forget to periodically evaluate the overall composition: how correctly the volume flows, how the perspective is worked out, etc. Here, every detail is interconnected with each other. Relief carving should be perceived as a complete composition, and not a collage of a set of carved elements.

To work on this element, use a cerasic - a deep semicircular chisel with a width 5 mm(photo 11). This narrow tool is well suited for working out small elements and creating leaf relief.

Make a neat trim along the entire perimeter of the sheet so that it stands out well from the overall composition and seems to be torn away from the background (photo 12). Having outlined the main outline and selected the background around the leaf, proceed to cutting out the veins (photo 13). Having finished forming the relief, cut off all the remaining flat places with a serger (photo 14).

Using a trimming knife, create a deep shadow above the eye, line the lower eyelid with the incisor and give the eye a roundness (photo 15).

Finish working out the small elements of the mouth with a chisel (photo 16).

Imitating the texture of wool is an important skill that every carver needs to practice, because in the future you will repeatedly encounter carvings of various animals. In the presented project, fox fur is created using the simplest scheme: cerasic 5 mm short and shallow strokes are made (arrows indicate the direction of natural growth of the animal’s fur) (photo 17).

For greater naturalism, you can work out the texture of the wool with a thin steel cutter - a serger. Work on the texture until there are no flat spots left.

How to clean wood carvings?

When working carefully, the sharpest cutters almost always leave rough spots and minor defects that require elimination. Use a fine gravel to clean out recessed areas and trim small chips. Volumetric surfaces are cleaned sandpaper P150. To finally make sure there are no undetected minor defects, wipe the painting with a rag soaked in white spirit and carefully examine it again from different angles. When all the imperfections have been cleaned out, you can begin finishing.

How to coat wood carvings?

For single-color finishing, the following compositions are used:

stain . In flat-relief carving they are used not only to give wood a more noble appearance. With the help of stain, they enhance the contrast of certain areas; they, in turn, emphasize the relief and volume of the composition. To achieve this effect, it is enough to apply stain to deep areas of the carving that should appear shaded.

If you decide to completely tint your work, you need to use stain carefully, taking into account the type of wood and the characteristics of the workpiece on which the composition is carved. Under the influence of moisture, small-relief carvings can swell, warp, raised pile and other defects can form on it, which will irreparably spoil the appearance of the work. A common flaw when staining carvings is unevenness of tone, especially often manifested in places where the bars are glued.

Wood carving is an amazingly beautiful and very popular type of hand-made wood processing these days. The carved interior details captivate with their magnificent appearance and reflect rich national traditions.

Creative people who are simply itching to do something very interesting and useful should pay attention to wood carving. Girls and women may think that this is only a man's activity. And they will be wrong, because there are no fewer women woodcarvers than men.

About wood carving for beginners

To decorate the internal and external space, various types of carvings and techniques for realizing the plan can be used. If you are interested in this type of needlework, then you must understand that you need to master the methods and techniques of wood processing, acquire necessary tools and improve your carving skills.

In the modern world of smartphones and tablets, a wooden stand decorated with wood carvings looks very original.

Skillfully executed carvings in the form of simple and ornate patterns and ornaments seem to enliven the world and endow it with sophistication, charm, emphasizing the taste of the owner of luxury items and the talent of the craftsman.

The works of the best carvers decorate the temples. Pay attention to the photo of the iconostasis of the upper Church of the Holy Image of the Savior, which is located in Moscow, in the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fili.

Modern masters with delicate taste create real masterpieces.

And thanks to finishing technologies and protection of the finished product from the destructive effects of mold and insects, these wood carvings have served people for hundreds of years.

Pay attention to the magnificent carved pieces of furniture:

Stylish doors:

Delightful handmade figurines:

Very often, connoisseurs collect handmade carved items. Wonderful chess that is worthy of any collection.

Perhaps, over time, your wood carving masterpieces will be carefully preserved by collectors or decorate temples.

Types of wood carving

Of all types of wood carving, it is very interesting openwork or through thread on wood, which is characterized by some transparency, in which only the image remains, without a background. An example is an applied carving - this is an ornament that is attached to a finished background after production by a craftsman.

Geometric carving woodworking – This is a type of carving in which the pattern is formed using many simple geometric shapes (a rhombus is often used).

Oriental carving on wood it is distinguished by its whimsical shapes. Egypt is the cradle of the oriental type of wood carving.

Relief carving on wood. In this technique, the image is located above the background or at the same level with it. These are carved panels of various shapes with three-dimensional images.

- This is a flat-relief carving, but distinguished by an abundance of carved and stucco decorations, various colors, curls, leaves, figures of people in unnatural poses, fabulous fantastic animals.

Originated in the village of Kudrino. Well-known products in this type of carving are boxes, vases, dishes, ladles, and home decor items. The main element is a floral ornament: rosettes, curls and twigs.

Volumetric (sculptural) carving Great for making sculptures, animal and human figures, toys. - a subtype of volumetric thread. This is the main industry of the village of Bogorodskoye in the Moscow region. The famous Bogorodsk toys are figurines of animals and people made of linden and alder.

Most often used to decorate wooden Scandinavian churches. Wood carvers decorated the inside and outside of church buildings with images of Gods and various animals.

- the simplest and most unique type of carving. On a flat background, the master cuts out grooves - grooves, forming a pattern. Carved landscapes - images of landscapes on wood.

All these types of carvings are quite conventional. Each master chooses the most suitable one, taking into account work experience, quality of wood and creative inspiration.

What can be decorated with carvings?

The simplest staircase is transformed, decorated with carved balusters. Balusters- these are figured columns in the form of columns, a stylish and noble decoration of the staircase. Wooden balusters look organically with a spiral wooden staircase.

Bas-relief. Another name is "low relief". This is a sculptural image on a plane. Most often these are figures of people and animals .

Choosing tools for wood carving

As in every business, wood carving has its own secrets and nuances, which allow one to reveal the beauty of wood in a wonderful ornament. It is necessary to select special tools for wood carving and stock up on the necessary blanks and sketches for wood carving, which will be embodied in the form of drawings, borders, lace or genre scenes.

Basic tools

Very high demands are placed on the quality of carving tools. Of course, skill plays an important role, but well-selected and sharpened tools will help bring your idea to life. Experienced carvers will tell about its quality at first glance at a tool, but beginners get lost in the store because of the huge selection.

The basic set for wood carving includes:

• several knives and chisels;
• needle files;
• hacksaws for metal;
• vice;
• sandpaper;
• drill with several types of drills;
• bars.

Knives should be made only from high quality steel. It is better to purchase them in specialized stores for creativity. Although at the initial stage, just sharply sharpened knives will do. An excellent start would be knives from Tatyanka, Narex, Kogatana, etc.

It is not necessary to choose an expensive foreign-made instrument, because domestic instruments can be of the same good quality, but much cheaper

As your skill grows, you may need a set of tools, a milling machine, a drill, etc.

Chisels for carving

Sometimes, instead of a chisel, a sharpened screwdriver or file is used for wood carving.

Flat chisel- This is a long rod, at the end of which there is a flat cutting edge. Very often it is used for primary wood processing.

Semicircular chisel- This is one of the most important tools for work. They differ somewhat in the degree of roundness, that is, they are medium, round and sloping.

It still happens V-shaped version of chisels. It can be useful for geometric wood carving, which we will introduce you to below.

Beginners need only a small wood carving set of good quality to immediately get used to the correct movements and pressure.

In this video there is a wonderful master A. Yuriev shared with us which tools to choose for carving.

How to protect yourself from injury when carving wood

Any tool of a master carver can be compared to a straight razor, therefore, when working with it, you must strictly follow safety precautions. The material must be positioned so that you can work freely with a knife or chisel, eliminating the possibility of the sharp edge hitting your hands.

The work place should be comfortable and clean. All unnecessary tools at the moment should be carefully folded, because they are very sharp and can cause injury.

Materials for work

Each type of wood for carving has its pros and cons. Soft wood is easy to work with, but there can also be a lot of defects. These are aspen, linden, birch. For beginners this wood fits better Total.

Oak, boxwood, mahogany are more expensive and complex wood. It is hard and durable, so it is difficult to carve from such wood. Very often there are troubles when working with such types of wood. Either the instrument or the craftsman may be harmed.

An experienced carver can easily work with a variety of woods, including juniper. Well, for beginners it is better to use inexpensive materials - spruce, pine, pear or birch.

Whatever tools are chosen for wood carving, safety precautions must be strictly observed!

Geometric carving technology

Geometric wood carving is considered the simplest and is perfect for beginners. To create the intended design, you need to have a small set of wood carving tools and clearly follow the design. In geometric wood carving, symmetry and repetition are of utmost importance. This achieves a wonderful play of light and shadow.

Cutting boards using this technique and wooden panels look wonderful in the kitchen.

Geometric carving consists of sequential cutting out of simple geometric shapes: rectangles, triangles, squares, rhombuses. But the result is a wonderful ornament that looks different in different lighting.

Execution Sequence any wood carving is like this:

• First, a wooden blank is made (board, deck, blank).
• Next is rough leveling of the surface of the workpiece, during which all defects and roughness are removed.
• Then a decorative relief is formed using special cutters.
• After the main carving is completed, the finishing process is grinding, impregnation, painting, varnishing.

You cannot work with a workpiece on your knees! The master must have a table to work on.

Master class “Geometric wood carving on a cutting board”

Tools. You will need 2 knives for wood carving: a triangular jamb knife and a feather knife, a ruler, a compass, a pencil.

A triangle jamb knife is necessary for cutting triangular shapes of various configurations, as well as for cutting long straight lines. A pen knife is used to cut long lines such as a petal or groove. Carving knives should be sharp and comfortable.

First stage. We make a sketch of the pattern on the board. It can be applied using a compass and ruler. Or you can print out carving patterns taken from the Internet and use carbon paper to transfer them to a prepared cutting board.

Second phase. Cut out the petals. We use a pen knife.

While working, the thumb is pressed firmly against the board, and the index finger lightly touches the wood. This will help regulate the depth of the knife into the surface and the angle of inclination. And your thumb will help you move the blade smoothly. First, we cut in one direction at an angle, then we turn the board over and cut on the other side.

If the shavings curl like a rope, the knife is good and sharp. It must be periodically sharpened with a piece of leather with GOI paste.

Third stage. We cut out the triangles with a blunt knife. Using the heel, at an angle of 45 degrees, we cut the knife into the wood, not reaching the edges of the pattern on three sides. The slots should meet on all sides in the shape of a pyramid. The sliver falls out and forms a beautiful triangle.

Fourth stage. What we couldn’t cut, carefully clean it so that the edges are frequent and even. Using the same principle, we cut out grooves and triangles around the perimeter of the board.

Fifth stage. We sand everything with sandpaper and treat it with natural impregnation. All! The work is done. We decorate the kitchen useful and beautiful cutting board with wood carvings.

Wood carving designs

To perform wood carving, photographs, drawings and sketches are simply necessary. A large pattern for wood carving is used for large-scale products: for the facades of houses, interior decoration with carvings of churches, windows.

For interior items and furniture, carvers use small patterns that are carefully worked out by the craftsman.

YOU WILL NEED IT

We offer you an archive from . Choose, print, create.

Video master classes on wood carving for beginners

Of course, the wood carving looks especially impressive in the video. Channel "HAND WOOD CARVING" shows the features of geometric carving for beginners.

A woman's view of wood carving. Channel tatianacarving shows us how to make flower petals and leaves.

Konstantin Belyaev on his channel he talks in detail about wood carving cutters.

And in this video Ivan the Builder shows how to make relief-planar carving:

We will be very glad if this article inspired you to take up wood carving!

The history of wood carving goes back to the emergence in human society of techniques and methods of processing wood, as the simplest and most common material, as well as the emergence of wooden architecture. Our distant ancestors knew that wood has very valuable qualities: waterproofness, thermal insulation, low density, and a rich variety of texture patterns. In addition, wood is convenient to process and harvest. In this regard, flat-relief carving was widely used in everyday life on wood - almost everywhere from the construction of defensive fortifications to kitchen utensils and agricultural implements.

Since the advent of the first tools, all people have strived to create beauty. Over time, this desire brought results in the form of the ability to create incredible works from natural materials. There is hardly a people who do not decorate their homes and household items. However, the history of the development of carving in each country is special and is associated with the level of culture, skill and worldview in society. This is probably why in each country the art of wood carving has its own unique characteristics, techniques and styles.

Learn flat-relief wood carving with your own hands

Flat relief carving is one of the most popular types of wood carving. It is very widespread in house carvings, as well as in the manufacture of various souvenirs.

Flat-relief carving is a carved pattern that stands out low above the main background of the ornament with the possibility of giving relief to both the design itself and its background part.

Usually the background around the main picture is cut off completely or removed by five to seven millimeters so that the contrast between them is emphasized as much as possible.

Although the image differs quite significantly in height from the background, the drawing itself, having three-dimensional outlines, is usually made approximately in the same plane.

The selection of the ornament relative to the background plane can have several variations: they can be decorated with notches, notches, rounded edges and become concave or convex, partially or completely.

A sketch for carving using the flat-relief carving technique can be any realistic or stylized images of animals, plants, birds or even people, if the experience of wood carving allows you to work out even the smallest details in detail and with high quality.

There are several types of background: oval, cushion, inserted, matched and undercut. You can examine all these types and visually study the differences between them in the photo below:

Let’s just look at the option with an oval background (outline)

To perform this type of carving, grooves are cut along the contour of the sketch, which are then ovalized (rounded) both from the background and from the ornament side.

First, make cuts with a blunt knife along the contour. On curves, cuts are made using semicircular chisels of suitable width.

The background of the picture is also removed with a knife or a straight chisel, maintaining a 30-degree inclination of the cut to the plane of the workpiece.

On the side of the image of the ornament, the contour should be steeper, on the background side it should be sloping, this will allow the pattern to look more convex. After finishing the rounding, you can use cutters to sand the product with fine sandpaper.

With a selected background.

The difference between a carving with a selected background and a flat-relief carving with an oval background is that the background around the ornament is removed with one inclination angle to the workpiece plane selected for the entire product (30-45°) and is not further processed (rounded) with a cutting tool and not sanding.

With pillow background.

Cushion carving is a type of carving with an oval outline. The only difference is that the background does not remain flat and may be lower than the plane of the product’s ornament. Raising the ornament above the background has its advantages, but also its disadvantages. Cutting the entire background to the same height takes quite a lot of time, especially with large volumes. In addition, this work requires skill and accuracy so as not to damage the product.

With a selected and trimmed background.

This type differs from others in that depressions are created around the main picture, which is why the image seems to rise above the background to a different height (usually within 5-7mm), turning out to be deeper and more interesting in appearance.

See and feel the difference between different types carving is very difficult. Often many types are combined in one product, because of this it is not worth giving clear definitions and starting any disputes on this basis.

Video on the topic of the article

At the end of the article, we have selected a video for you with examples of flat-relief carving, as well as with a fascinating and detailed description of the process of creating these very products.

Flat relief carving

Flat-relief carving is widely used in house carvings and in the manufacture of various souvenirs. It is characterized by selecting or deepening the background around the ornament to a depth of 5-7 mm.

In flat-relief carving, the image takes on three-dimensional forms, maintaining the same height of most of the protruding planes with the same depth of the background.

Flat-relief carving allows the carver to create various compositions with floral patterns, images of animals, birds and humans.

The planes of the ornament can be (Fig. 1):

1-concave;

2-straight;

3-convex

Rice. 1. Ornament planes in flat-relief carving

The background in flat-relief carving can be (Fig. 2):

- Ovalized(A). A carving with an oval outline or background is the most simple view flat-relief carving. It resembles a contour carving, since the outline of the pattern consists of dihedral recesses, slightly oval.

- Pillow(b). Carving with a cushion background differs from previous types in that the background does not remain flat anywhere. The design is steeply rounded on the side of the contour and more sloping on the side of the background, which is shaped like pads.

- Selected(V). A carving with a selected background is performed in the same way as a carving with an oval contour, but the background is selected to a certain depth. The background can be made smooth, caulked or filled with profile slots.

- Handpicked(G). They are performed similarly to carvings with an oval background, but the background around the ornament is chosen at a certain angle of inclination to the plane.

- Undercut(d). A carving with an undercut background is similar to a carving with a selected background, the only difference being that the background goes under the ornament.

Rice. 2. Types of background in flat-relief carving

There are types of flat-relief carvings such as:

Openwork (slotted) carving. The background of the pattern is selected completely through sawing or drilling (Fig. 3). The openwork carving technique is used to make platbands, cornices, shutters, piers, anemones, fenders in Russian and Belarusian huts.

Overlay thread. This is an openwork carving attached to a wooden plane.

Technique for performing flat-relief carving

Making flat-relief carving with an oval contour.

Carving begins with a cut with a jamb knife along the contour of the design (Fig. 4), followed by trimming from the background side.

Rice. 4. Carving with an oval contour

(arrows indicate the direction of tool movement):

a - incision; b - trimming; c - ovalization of the contour.

After trimming, they begin to round the edge on the side of the ornamental element in such a way that the edge is rounded steeper than the trim on the border with the background. The result is a relief image with smooth, soft oval lines without sharp shadows.

IN execution of flat-relief carving with a selected background.

An incision is made along the contour of the design with a slight inclination from the line of the design towards the background (Fig. 5).

Rice. 5. Carving with selected background

This tilt makes it possible to protect the edge of the ornament from accidental cuts when choosing a background. At the end of the work, you need to cut it vertically, exactly along the line of the design, and then process the edge of the outline of the ornament. After cutting along the contour, trimming is done. Trimming is performed to a given depth, which is the same throughout the entire plane of the ornament. After trimming, they begin to sample the background with straight, semicircular, sloping chisels.

When stripping the background, it is important to take into account the direction of the wood layers to avoid scoring. Carving on hard rocks is done using a mallet.

The main tool for performing flat-relief carving: a jamb knife, semicircular chisels of various widths.

Flat-relief carving was and is widely used to decorate furniture, various souvenirs, and in house and interior carvings.

Products and panels made using flat-relief carving are presented in the photographs:

Cabinet with elements of flat-relief and openwork carvings

Panel with a plot composition

Decorative panel

Literature:

1. Burikov V.G., Vlasov V.N. House carving - M.: Niva Rossi together with the Eurasian Region Company, 1993-352 p.

2. Logacheva L.A. Basics of wood carving skills. - M.: Publishing house " Folk art", 2002. - 136 p.: ill.