Wood carving is the sculptural technique for working with wood or any other material of woody origin.
The history of this art is born in the primitive era. Although man has obtained decorative effects of all kinds, undoubtedly the first material that he used to satisfy his decorative instinct was wood, as easier to work than any other, especially due to the relative effectiveness of primitive tools. Later in prehistoym they began to carve in bone and stone, because the wood was destroyed over time.
This technique has been applied at an architectural level, for centuries it has been used by carpenters as a complement to chairs, beds, tables, dorrs and other furniture, managing to create true works of art.
Tools
The craftman to proceed with the wood carving will need the following tools:
- The gouge
- The thin
half-round chisel. they are designed in multitude of sizes and shapes, to carve round eggs and large curves.
- The chisel, whose straight adge is used to make lines and clean smooth surface.
- The "V", used to carve veins and enhance lines.
You can also use a special screw to hold the work the bench and a mallet. A rougher is often used to bring the grain to a uniform level, as well as gouges and curved chisels.
Workshop bench
The workshop bench must be suitable for stature of the carver.
it is recommended that the correct height for the shaper should be more or less above the waist. The bench or table is preferably made of thick and strong wood, so that it resists itself and does not vibrate or move during work. The vibration will cause cracks in the part being carved.
Illumination
The correct lighting when carving, if it is ar night, must be with clear light, it must never be yellow, if not white for two reasons:
- The carver who works with yellow light tends to have wear in the sight due to the effort that is made with the work in inadequate lighting.
- If the carving is done with yellow light, a good finish will not be achieved in the small details.
