Simple tools and materials can produce great results By Lavonne Russell I purchased Woodcarving Illustrated Spring 2005 (Issue 30) on a whim—without any carving experience and no tools. What was I doing with a woodcarving magazine? But something about the bearded figure on the cover caught my eye. He looked like […]
By Charles Brown With this lapboard, you can carve mess-free anywhere—You can take your carving out of the basement and carve in the comforts of your easy chair. Flip it over, and it becomes a handy portable writing table. The dimensions of the lapboard depend on a couple factors; I […]
Inexpensive methods for holding irregularly-shaped carvings By Roger Schroeder Carvers tend to be innovative—and with the odd shapes that carvings can take on, many commercial holding devices just won’t work. That is why carvers design, or adapt, their own holding devices. The variety of designs is endless, but most can […]
A handy reference guide and inside tips from 30 years of buying carving wood By Roger Schroeder Buying wood—be it pine, basswood, or something exotic like rosewood—can leave you scratching your head wondering about the mathematics and vocabulary. When I first started purchasing wood, I fell in love with a […]
Easy-to-carve deer is the perfect complement to your holiday display By Don Swartz Carve this rustic deer as a stand-alone project or size the pattern to create the perfect complement to your favorite carved Santa. Use twigs for the antlers to add to the rustic charm and simplify the carving […]
Historic rural life captured in amazing detail A native of Utah, L. Darwin Dower combines wood sculpting and story telling. He brings to life memories of past times specializing in subjects of the Old West. Stories are then drawn from his highly detailed sculptures, reflecting on a more relaxed time […]
Use basic cuts to create accents for frames and furniture By Chris Pye Most carved molding looks more difficult to carve than it really is. Decorative molding has many uses, such as around the edges of tables or picture frames. The simpler carved moldings offer a good introduction to traditional […]
When using your brushes, NEVER walk away and leave paint in the brush. It’s a good habit to rinse a brush before you lay it down, even if only for a moment. Brush Care Do not reuse the plastic tube used on new brushes; this may bend the bristles beyond […]
These versatile tools have a wide range of carving uses By Roger Schroeder While purists will argue that files, rasps and rifflers, not to mention sandpaper, should never touch a wood carving, don’t sell these tools short. Many projects need a smooth surface, not a flat-plane or faceted one. These […]
Simple mixtures and techniques to create a variety of flesh colors By Lora S. Irish While there are a variety of pre-mixed paints to simulate different skin tones, I prefer to mix my own. That gives me complete control over the colors, highlights, and shadows. It also allows me to […]
