Wood Carving: How to Choose the Right Style?

Wood carving, a timeless craft that demands a unique blend of patience and imagination, offers artisans a diverse array of styles to explore. From the simplicity of a small knife and a piece of wood to the intricacy of power tools, the choices for wood carvers are as varied as the masterpieces they create. The decision of which style to adopt hinges on individual preferences, artistic inclinations, and the level of commitment one is willing to invest in this captivating craft. Wood carving, at its essence, is an art form that involves the meticulous removal of wood to reveal a desired shape or design. The beauty of this craft lies not only in the final product but also in the journey of transforming a raw piece of timber into a work of art. Aspiring wood carvers must first decide which style resonates with their artistic sensibilities and aligns with their envisioned projects. For those drawn to the simplicity and meditative quality of manual craftsmanship, hand carving with basic tools such as chisels and knives presents an appealing avenue. This style demands patience and a keen eye for detail, as each cut is a deliberate step toward the final form. Hand carving connects the artisan intimately with the wood, allowing for a profound connection between the creator and the creation. On the other end of the spectrum lies the realm of power carving, a dynamic and efficient approach that utilizes electric or pneumatic tools. Power carving enables woodworkers to achieve intricate details and complex designs with greater speed. While it demands a steady hand and an understanding of the tools, power carving opens up possibilities for bold, intricate creations that might be challenging to achieve manually.

Wood Carving Styles

There are five main styles of wood carving. Each style is distinctly different from the other. These styles are whittling, chip carving, relief carving, intaglio carving and carving in the round.

Whittling

Whittling involves the removal of pare shavings or bits of wood with a cutting blade. It is the simplest form of wood carving, but not actually the art of wood carving. This is a significant distinction because whittling is, and should always be, very simple. A piece of wood and a knife are all you require. And because it is so simple, whittled objects don't have much detail, as is the case in all other styles of wood carving. When you're holding a whittled object in your hand, you absolutely know it. Each knife stroke is clearly seen. It remains as simple as when it began centuries ago, during the time of cavemen. Isn't that amazing?

Chip Carving

Chip carving involves the use of several knives to remove small pieces of wood (chips) from a flat wood surface. These are specially made chip knives that are used to push or pull at the wood, cutting upwards or downwards to free each chip. Chip carving has become so popular that it is now its own art form. The main technique is to chip varying triangular shapes from the wood. This creates complex patterns that are often geometric in nature. Free form lines are regularly used to accentuate these chipped patterns. You could really let your imagination go.

Intaglio Carving

This style of wood carving is very similar to relief carving. But instead of looking as though it is above the wood surface, it looks as if it is part of the wood. The designs are below the surface because they are carved deep into the wood. Think of old wooden rolling pins. Remember the cute little pictures that were carved into it? That's intaglio carving.

Many furniture makers really like the style of intaglio carving. It has come so far as to be fitted for a blank space, carved separately and then inserted into the furniture. How about that? It can even be found in dining tables and in bedroom furniture. It's wonderful for wood paneling. You can even see it in specialty plaques, as part of an existing decorative item or as the actual surface of coffee tables and end tables.

Carving In The Round

This is the most advanced style of wood carving. The product can be viewed from all sides with a full and easy view of all details. It is carved out of the wood and its base serves as a supporting platform or as a pedestal. The carving could be a person, an animal or a landscape- nearly anything you can imagine. It could be life-sized or to scale. The sky is almost the limit with carving in the round.

This style of carving requires quite a number of tools. A variety of knives, gouges and chisels are a bare minimum. The use of power tools is not surprising and often expected. The final product then is usually quite spectacular. Oftentimes, a product of carving in the round is easily mistaken for a porcelain creation. The details are that impressive.

Wood carving has been around since the days of cavemen. With time, it has become quite an impressive art to behold. It's very relaxing, often exhilarating and extremely satisfying. If you're looking for a hobby, wood carving could be just what you're looking for.