There are three items of oak on my to-do list. All of them will be based on the more straightforward design motifs of English A&C furniture, such as that of The Barnsleys. I want to incorporate some simple carving decoration in them, such as that shown in these two FWW articles:
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesPDF.aspx?id=24098
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesPDF.aspx?id=2655
There doesn’t seem to be a suitable book that has this kind of thing as it’s main theme. Most carving books seem to cover wooden sculpture or the making of more classical (and complex) furniture motifs.
Does anyone know of a book with a subject/title along the lines of “Simple carving techniques and motifs for Arts & Craafts Furniture”. Or at least a book that has a decent section on this kind of thing? I would be grateful for a pointer or two.
Those FWW articles by Charles Shackleton and Lee Grindinger are very useful, as far as they go. But I’d like more grist to my learning mill, I suppose.
Lataxe
Replies
good morning lataxe,
interest in carving's what got me started woodworking. i've often gone on quests looking for simple motifs to embellish my work. ive never found one book as a main source, but rather, small details from many books have been helpful. i have a number of carving books. old, new and used. ive had good luck at the local library too. usually the design or motif that im looking for is already half conceived in the back of my mind and it becomes more fully realized by simply browsing through books.
eef
p.s.
if you like, i can post book titles from my collection tonight or tomorrow.
Edited 11/20/2008 3:41 pm ET by Eef
Lataxe,
I suggest you consider Paul Hasluck's Manual of Traditional Woodcarving, Dover#0-486-23489-4. It is a republication of Cassell's Wood Carving, originally published by Cassell and Company, London, in 1911. Maybe you can find an original!?
While it shows in its numerous plates and drawings much of that medieval era stuff covered with all manner of frippery, there are also many examples of the latest style, which in 1911, is what I would call art noveau; those elongated daffodils, and meandering vinery which suddenly reverses course.
The course of instruction offered within its pages I found to be quite helpful. It ranges from tool selection to layout, and the various stages of outlining, setting in, relief and intaglio, etc. There is even a section on chip carving. The author apparently interviewed and watched working professionals to glean the information he presents.
If I would find fault with the designs, it is the mindset expressed by the old saw, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail." A bit of restraint would have improved many of the projects shown in the pages of the book, which seem to have been drawn with the idea that an unadorned surface could not be left so. It is after all, a book on carving, not successful design. But you, dear friend, will, I have no doubt, be able to separate the sheep from the goats, and tastefully ornament your spare desgns with just the right amount of ornament.
Ray
ray,
that's a great book! got mine in the late 70's. im at work right now so i can't puruse the titles on my shelf. but if interest is shown, ill make a list of the carving books i have and post it tomorrow. ive collected a few over the years.
eef
Lataxe,
I was inspired by those same two articles to try to incorporate some carving into my projects. The first, a jewelry box, ended up unadorned as I was not satisfied with the results of the test pieces. My skill was not nearly up to producing the idea in my head. The second, a fireplace mantel, did end up with a small carved detail. I will post pics as soon as I get around to taking some. Just finished it last weekend.
As a rank beginner I found an old carving article by Nora Hall in the FWW archives that was quite helpful in getting me started. It helped me learn some basics by carving several rosettes. Her technique is also slightly different from the ones presented in the two articles you mentioned so it was good to try several ways of doing things.
The Hall article did not have much in the way of additional design ideas. For more ideas one source I have found useful is Carving Architectural Detail in Wood: The Classical Tradition by Frederick Wilbur. This book was also recently mentioned by someone else in the thread about architecture and proportion. It shows lots of small and large carving details that could be applied to many types of projects.
Hope that helps and please post pics of your carvings to inspire the rest of us.
Chris
Thanks all for the offers of help and advice.Eef,I would be very grateful for your book list, especially if you could indicate which of them might have most stuff in them like those two FWW articles I referenced.Ray,I'll root about for that book you recommend. Despite my terrible tool profligacy, I hope to get away with carving them A&C motifs using the few chisels I already have, which are esentially DT chisels, a few skews and 4 gouges, 2 of which are far too big to carve anything other than the inside of a bowl - or perhaps the outside of that toad, which has slipped down the schedule a good way.Chris,I'll also look out for the Wilbur book and certainly dig out the Nora Hall article. I have that FWW DVD from a couple of years back and did notice the Nora article in searching it. I'll have a proper look at it this time. Were there any other past FWW articles you can recall that might have a bearing? There seem few carving articles of any kind, compared to the many on other mainstream topics.Lataxe
lataxe,
here's a few:
wood carving by percy w. blandford
the book of woodcarving by charles marshall sayers (this guy is good)
practical wood carving by rowe
design and figure carving by e. j. tangerman (this book is loaded with many simple and not so simple design motifs.)
i have an extra copy of the tangerman book. id be happy to mail it off to you. if so, email me your info and consider it done!
eef
This book is pretty good:
http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Woodcarving-Techniques-Dick-Onians/dp/1861080425
Lataxe,
Old soldier. This is a bit pricy but I ran across it and thought of you.
Woodcarving #3: Ornamental Carving Rob Cosman
at lie-nielsen see:
http://au.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?grp=1320
Go way down the list of DVDs
Edited 11/22/2008 8:05 pm by roc
Lataxe.. By my way of thought there is no such thing as..
"Simple carving techniques"
You either have the skills or not! I DO NOT!
I have the same problem here. I am in the very long process of making two canopy beds for my little angels..
I wanted to carve something simple as in a Chinese Dragon (They are friendly dragons) .. Nothing like the European ones.. But they look fierce!
I made a pattern and worked many hours on one and ruined it! I wanted to make four for the corners of the bed rails and a large one for the center of the headboards on each bed.. That would mean 10 carvings and I cannot make one!
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