A Start in Woodcarving 1 of 2
So you would like to try making something in 3D and not use clay? Possibly wood? Ok let me help you, but I will start with how to think in 3D firstly and then show you how you may start by making a model on polystyrene for practice, then move onto wood? These fish, a brown trout and sea trout, were both made from polystyrene, and then painted with acrylic paints. The bases are also made in the same way.
First of all you need to be able to plan the object from all angles, and eventually simply think in that way.
Here you see all of the angles that you have to understand. End views, top and side. So if we take a simple block of polystyrene foam and cut it to the size that the entire fish will fit into you can draw out the same views and cut straight down making a fish with straight sides!
Once you have cut out your basic fish shape you can start rounding off the sides. To do the cutting I have found that a heated knife will glide smoothly through, but do take care, also if you over heat the plastic the fumes are poisonous!To round off the basic form a “surform” is ideal, they are like a glorified cheese grater if you have not seen one, and can be purchased as a semi curve flat or round. I do show them later in these articles with all the woodcarving tools.
I have then made fins and a tail from cellophane – sweet box tops? These are slotted into the fish and glued. The surfaces were sanded and coated with a mixture of interior filler and a little PVA glue and water. Then, when dry, sanded again and painted with acrylic paint. thin film of “light reactive” powder was added over the paint in blue and red to each fish after being mixed with a little PVA glue and water. This gives a lovely glow or sheen like areal fish. Finally a spray of artists clear picture varnish gives it a wet look! Now let us move onto woodcarving, here are some examples of my earlier work. The Carp in Pine, Owl in Cherry wood and Heron in Mahogany.
OK you have had your practice – now let us look at doing something far larger and get the chainsaw out! Of course what I am about to show you can be made in smaller version as above?!First we will need some wood? I have mine floating past in our river every spring floods, so last year I decided to use the chainsaw to make a couple of fish for the garden. Not something I can do very often with my bad back, but some things are worth the pain eh? It is important that the wood is old and well seasoned, this also makes it lighter and it does not split in drying.
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All I am doing with the next stage is as we did on the polystyrene but a larger scale? Mark out the elevations, top and side and cut away the waste.
Once we have cut away all of the waste wood it will be time to start the proper carving with chisels in the workshop. Easier on my back, as I can sit on a stool for that. The chainsaw I am using is an electric one, far easier to use and comparatively light, but still man enough for the job! The time taken for me to cut such a fish with that machine is about thirty minutes. As I once said to a student, yes you could spend years carving it completely with a penknife – but no one would know the difference!
As with most of my articles, this is a much shorter, one off, free, written version linked to the short versions of the films I have made on youtube. It is only intended to assist you and if you want the full unabridged film versions in detail you may contact me to purchase such. See peterwoodarts.com - None the less I am sure that you will gain a lot from what I offer here
