Just curious here. I’ve expanded my knowledge and skills over the years but have always stayed in the realm of square cuts (figuratively speaking). I’ve wanted to learn how to do ball-n-claw forever, but always felt that carvers are more artists and sculpters by nature that happen to work in the medium of wood. I just don’t see myself with that ability. I was at an openhouse recently at a woodcraft and they had a guy there who is a carver (dan’g artist too). I got to speaking with him admiring his examples (a ball-n-claw foot). He was very interesting and I asked point blank if a non sculpter could acomplish this and what would it take. He suggested taking his clases (surprise) and there are three in a series he offers each progressively more indepth. I take the first one this week-end “introduction to carving”
| Tools Required:Carving gouges- 12sweep/8mm, 3sweep/5mm, 3 sweep/8mm |
| Description: Steve will guide you through the technical aspects and the nomenclature of the carver. In addition, he will provide the proper methods of keeping your tools sharp. You will have the opportunity to carve a flower in relief or a drawer pull to take home. |
Sorry for the long intro, but have any of you started out feeling I’m not a sculpter but managed to get the hang of this carving thing?
Replies
bones,
when first carving, i did so on my own. after about a year of slow, painful frustration i decided to take lessons and was most fortunate to do so with ms. hall. in those days she had 3 to 6 students on any given tuesday morning, (i worked nights) and charged but ten buck/hour. if not for the lessons, i doubt i could have gone on. lessons "cut one to the chase" and get to the core issues quickly. for some reason, that i do not understand, i cannot draw a desired image to save my life, yet i can achieve a reasonable facsimile when carving wood or sculpting clay. go figure. go for the lessons, it's only money.
eef
While talent may be required to pick something up quickly and easily, and perhaps to excel to the highest levels of a given endeavor, anyone can get better at any task by taking lessons and practicing. And with respect to any art or craft, copying is a whole lot easier than creating something original.
So learning the proven steps and tools to yield a decent claw foot is clearly something anyone with decent hand eye coordination, expereince with wood, and a discerning eye, like yourself, can accomplish.
AND HAVE FUN!
bones,
It's easy, you know. Just cut off everything that doesn't look like a ball and claw foot;-))
Truth to tell, those feet aren't all that sculptural, the form is pretty much right there in the sawn blank.
Ray
Bones, I started carving before I started building things, other than tree-houses. Back then, in rural S AR, I didn't know of any sources for carving tools, besides pocket knife and bench chisel, I didn't have any gouges. I finally ended up altering a couple of lathe gouges, and ground some old files down for smaller ones. Some of them are still my favorite tools.
All you have to do is try. Once you get started, just keep nibbling away at whatever doesn't look right. If nothing else, you should learn the true meaning of going with the grain, instead of always going against it. %]
Bones
Take a look over on the opposition site Sawmill Creek. Under the carving forum some of the members have put online some tutorials of the basic stuff you are looking at.
They looked quite good.
Good luck with your new endeavour, you'll find you take to it like a duck to water.
wot
Bones,
I did woodworking before I ever thought of carving. Then I started with chip carving because it's a lot easier than relief carving and only requires a few tools. After I had made a number of chip carved projects, I wanted to take the next step and try my hand at relief and three dimensional carving. I read books, watched videos and finally took a week long course from Dimitrios Klitsas which helped me immensely, although I'm still a so-so carver. Ray is right about the ball and claw feet...they're easier than you might think. There are many articles on how to carve them and you might want to take a run at one after you finish your third class.
By the way, no one wants to spend lesson time learning how to sharpen gouges to razor edges, but it's worth it to get it right. Nothing will make carving more frustrating than trying to use dull gouges. Your arsenal of carving tools wil grow with time, but if I could make one suggestion, I would add a #2 gouge...say 12mm.... You'll be surprised how often it's just the right tool for the job.
Good luck and post a picture.
Jim
Thanks for the input
Well I had the class yesterday and it was a good learning experience. Introduction to releif carving and it gave me a pretty good basis to at least not butcher the block off the bat. I did find out that the instructor is good! He passed around a couple pictures of his work and WOW! I recognised one right away the sea chest published in FWW. Steve Swann was a great instructer and I cant wait to take the second one.
https://www.finewoodworking.com/Gallery/GalleryImage.aspx?id=33219
hey bones,
glad to hear it. so, what's he got you doing by way of beginning lessons? nora used to have us practice following swirly pencil lines with the v-chisel or parting tool, after which we'd round-over the edges of that cut using a slightly swept gouge (i have never memorised what sweep is what number...). lots of simple four-petaled flowers and row after row of little round "grapes". one of my favorites was, and is, carving the up and down curves and flow of leaves and although these appear daunting, it's hard to make a mistake.
she used to say: "a wood carver does not make mistakes. he/she merely changes the design."
eef
Carving is fun
We spent a good bit of time learning how to make a good pattern and properly attaching. He covered theory as well. We did a design that was a dogwoodleaf and the pattern was transferred punched and then removed and then we started on the taking the material down how to avoid issues and watching grain and rounding over veining was the only thing we did not truely get to but by then (4:30 in the afternoon) I had the idea. This will get me started and I'm going to play and practice the sharpening etc. The next in the series will be a federal clam shell (I'm butchering the title), but then that will get me ready for the third (the one I really want) the ball & Claw.
bones,
lesson two and you're already up to federal clam shells!? at that rate you'll be up to grinling gibbons come next winter.
eef
Bones,
Glad you have been bitten by the carving bug. I started carving about the same time I started woodworking, in 1968. I have never taken woodworking or carving lessons. There are plenty of great books, dvds, videos, etc. There are also good instructors, as you have found, but I have never found any near me.
Carving can be done as an art or as a craft. A person with no artistic skills can learn to carve good mouldings, and to copy other carvings. A person with artistic leanings, can let their mind go wild. I never worry much about art versus craft. I just enjoy what I do. If you ever get close to Springfield, VA, give me some notice and stop over to see my carvings. I'll cook up a barbeque, and we can trade carving secrets.
Enjoy,
Mel
Glad you enjoyed the class, Bones.
While I don't consider myself a carver, I've jumped in head first on a few projects where relief carving seemed appropriate or essential. I have a very limited set of Pfeil gouges, along with an old set of riffler files for smoothing. My approach (probably out of ignorance) is to simply envision the levels needed to give the 3-D effect, after sketching the outline on the piece. I learned quickly that direction of carving must be in concert with grain direction.
Here's a roadrunner I did for a towel rack:
I for one is very much like you.. but always felt that carvers are more artists and sculpters by nature that happen to work in the medium of wood. I just don't see myself with that ability.
I TRY to carve and draw/paint.. Nobody could ever convince me that ART skills can be taught.. UNLESS you have the inborn skills from the Egg you were made from... Maybe a bit better but never a true artist...
new carvers
I have been a carpenter for 15 years and on breaktime for 3. I just bought some beginning carving tools for my son,Lucas (9) ,and I. I was encouraged by this post as we are beginners. Could any of you recommend past posts and or videos to get us started.
hey san,
guess this thread's going to rise again...
nora hall has a website where-in she has videos available. i guess chris pye does to. so, get to googlin'. if you've read the above posts, you've noticed that most, including me, encourage lesson-taking. it really helps.
by-the-by, my son lucas is 27.
eef
carving
Thanks for the input. Would love lessons but want to know some basics first. Also bought the tools in U.S. and brought them to our home in Spain. It is a bit harder for me to locate lessons and such here. Those sons Lucas will blow you away every time wont they.
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