Jim Calder’s sweet potato faces make carving easy By Kathleen Ryan For Jim Calder, teaching kids to carve is a win-win situation. He enjoys it so much, he has taught more than 3,000 children the basics of woodcarving–for free. “I just love to see children carve for the first time […]
Classic heart design is a great project for novice carvers By David Western This simple design is the pattern I use with beginner carvers in my lovespoon carving classes. Although it is a straightforward design, it contains several elements that will assist new carvers in learning important carving techniques. Shaping […]
Hershal Borders’ complex canes start with a block of basswood and a theme By Ayleen Stellhorn “I guess I do just about everything backwards,” laughs Hershal Borders. But for this Middletown, Ohio, resident, “backwards” may well be the key to his growing notoriety as canemaker-extraordinaire.“I start with a block of […]
Easy beginner character can be carved as Santa’s helper or a garden gnome By Ross Oar This happy fellow started out as a project in a beginner’s carving class. The compact figure is easy to carve, but provides essential practice in carving faces and texturing hair. Intermediate and advanced carvers […]
Roughing and dry-brushing techniques add life to your carving without overpowering the wood By Lora S. Irish I use stain, oil paint, and acrylic paint to enhance projects without obscuring the wood grain. To demonstrate these techniques I chose this fun wood spirit, whom I call Woodie, that is carved […]
Functional floral decorations are a lesson in traditional carving techniques By Fred Wilbur These nature-themed designs are a wonderful way to hone your skills. They make delightful gifts and add a touch of Gothic flair wherever they are displayed. Be warned–the carved magnets may attract more attention than the pictures […]
Decoy carver Karl Schmidt is a lesson in perseverance By Dr. Lawrence Vamer Many of Karl Schmidt’s carved ducks appear as though they are alive and ready to fly away. What makes Karl’s work even more amazing is he suffers from quadriplegia as a result of a swimming pool accident. […]
Create Accurate details by studying how clothing relates to anatomy By Mary-Ann Jack-Bleach and Fred Zavodil Photography by Chipping Away Inc. Whether you carve realistic figures or caricatures, it is important to understand how the underlying anatomy affects material. The clothing must convey the figure’s movement or pose. Accurate detailing […]
By Shawn Cipa After researching the mysterious art form of gargoyles, I wondered how I could integrate a carved gargoyle with a subject dearer to my heart: canes and walking sticks. One thought that crossed my mind when I first studied images of classic waterspouts, or “true” gargoyles, was, “That […]
By Jim Sebring The origin of tramp art dates back to the late–1800s. Essentially, tramp art consists of notched and layered pieces of wood. It is widely believed that tramp art evolved from folk-art chip carving traditions. The notches, which were often carved in wood scavenged from cigar boxes and […]
