Calling all carvers.

[Yorkshire Sam]

Decided last November to try my hand at wood carving. Invested in some decent chisels, bought a couple of books, watched a few videos from the likes of Chris Pye, Anna May and others. Even spent a day watching a couple of guys carving horses from a great lump of wood! I have tried relief carving, chip carving and a little in the round.

Although I have the mechanics of it weighed off, for example, I have learned how to get the carving chisels really really sharp, which ones to use for what, even made myself a little ‘carving vice’ to hold my wood, etc. But after a year of carving I have come to the conclusion that either I am missing something or I am just not cut out for carving. I have no problem handing tools, I can cut a mean dovetail by hand with the best of them… but my carvings look exceedingly amateurish! Practise in this case has clearly not helped.

Can any of you carvers out there suggest where I might be going wrong?

 

[Racers]

I always thought that if you could draw you could carve.
How are your drawing skills?

Pete

 

[banjerbill]

Persevere and keep your projects simple and you will get better results. If you can find a course or a club locally that will help, you can only learn so much with videos and books. It does help to have a bit of "artistic" flair with carving compared to some other woodworking tasks but I have seen old ladies with no woodworking background produce some nice stuff.

Don't set your sights too high and you will get there with further practice.

Bill

 

[AndyT]

There's a world of difference between artistic carving in the round that looks like a real object and the sort of stylised carving done by the yard for decorating edges, enhancing panels and so on.

If you were aiming at Grinling Gibbons, it could be worth trying some 17th Century style pattern carving instead, where the shapes you cut match the profiles of the tools you use. Have a look at Peter Follansbee on his blog or on YouTube for the sort of thing I mean.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

OK - I'll give your thousandth. :lol:

 

[monkeybiter]

I find I need to do lots of supporting work to help me carve, if I'm copying something I'll use a rule and dividers, plenty of pencil lines on the wood to keep me on track and in position, and I keep re-doing that as I carve through the reference marks.
I'm very slow, could never make a living at it, also I like to have a few things on the go at once [some professional carvers do this too] because I can get bored or fed-up of the piece I'm working on and your work can quickly deteriorate, a change is as good as a rest.
Post [or pm] some piccies and some constructive critiques will be forthcoming.

 

[PAC1]

To learn to carve in the round, relief and with a knife in less than one year is a tall order for a hobby. Horses are incredibly difficult to carve well. Many people start with relief carving patterns or rosettes and then venture into the round with novelty characters where if they are not quite lifelike it can add to the character rather than detract.
If there is a club near by this can be very useful for learning and encouragement.
Also make sure you are carving easy woods. I would strongly recommend just using lime until you are satisfied with the results with this material.
Keep at it.

 

[pollys13]

BWA - British Woodcarvers Association
Durham and North Yorkshire
http://www.britishwoodcarversassociatio ... -yorkshire
Same but more info http://www.coniscliffecarvingclub.org/# ... eddes__555

 

[Yorkshire Sam]

I always thought that if you could draw you could carve.
How are your drawing skills?

Pete

That probably explains it... my artistic skills are almost non existant

 

[Doris]

May we see some examples of your work please?

It could possibly be lack of confidence on your part. (We all get it)

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I always thought that if you could draw you could carve.
How are your drawing skills?

Pete

That probably explains it... my artistic skills are almost non existant

I looked to do a course at one time, and I was told that it makes no difference whatsoever whether you can draw or or not. I must admit I'm not convinced. :? I don't even write longhand, let alone draw - my writing looks a five year old's.

 

[monkeybiter]

http://www.coniscliffecarvingclub.org/

If these are close I'd suggest seeking them out, have spoken to a few of their brethren at Harrogate and they were all very friendly and helpful. Also have a look at their members output on their website, they're not all masterpieces by any means, it's more the enjoyment that's important.

 

[Lons]

Hi Sam
I haven't carved for a while but if you do a search there are some old posts with some of my stuff. I've got probably 20 or so unfinished projects as well at the minute. Most of my carving is in the round btw.

I'd echo what some of the others said:

* Post some pics so we can see what you mean, you may think it's poor, many others will have the opposite opinion. My very first ever attempt was a copy of a Peter Berry golfer character in stringy mahogany which with limited tools and no experience and which I think is very poor but everyone else loves it so I kept it to remind me how far I've progressed.

* Get along to a club or classes if possible as it will help you more than you think. There's a limit to what you can learn from a book.

* Be realistic - a year means nothing as the more you do the better you'll become, practice with thought, planning and a critical eye will help you learn.

* Don't worry about not being able to draw. One of my mates, now sadly deceased was the best carver I had the pleasure of knowing, he was also an artist but most of the others I know can't draw, me included. In contrast to that, I met a well known stick dresser a number of times, amazing sticks but his wood carvings whilst being technically excellent were dead in comparison to those with a little artistic flair.

* Try all sorts to see what you prefer, personally I wouldn't carve impressionist as it does nothing for me and like something that can at least be recognised for what it's meant to be but would never decry any other work. Start simple if you can and build on that.

* Wood. - try whatever you have however my advice would be don't use softwood if possible. A lump of lime or even basswood at a pinch is far better to learn on as it will take crisp cuts and fine detail, walnut, oak, fruitwoods and my favourite boxwood as you improve are well worth the effort.

cheers
Bob

EDIT: Mike mentioned Harrogate show. Get along there if you can as there are always demo carvers with some astonishing work.