{"id":1686,"date":"2021-06-28T11:55:52","date_gmt":"2021-06-28T08:55:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodiswood.com\/?p=1686"},"modified":"2022-09-07T12:00:43","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T09:00:43","slug":"beginners-guide-to-relief-carving-ultimate-online-resource","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodiswood.com\/beginners-guide-to-relief-carving-ultimate-online-resource\/","title":{"rendered":"Beginners Guide to Relief Carving: Ultimate Online Resource"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Beginner carvers are welcome to this guide on how to go from being a novice in the world of relief carving to being a pro. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, through our wealth of knowledge and tons of in-depth research and practice, we would be releasing all the essentials you need to start your relief carving journey. Also, while we understand that relief carving can be a bit more difficult than many other wood carving methods, we promise that you will see that you have all it takes to become the very best relief wood carver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Relief Carving <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Relief carving refers to sculptural techniques adopted in the carving figures onto a flat wooden panel using gouges, chisels, and other relief wood carving tools. By doing this, the carver is able to create a 3D effect while keeping the wooden background flat. Once complete, the image gives the illusion of being raised from the wooden surface. The Wooden boards used to achieve this illusion are usually less than 3 inches thick.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that you know what relief carving is, let’s dive into some forms of relief carving<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High Relief vs. Low Relief Carving<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

High and low relief are two forms\/styles of relief carving. Although there are about four relief carving styles, these two are the most popular among woodcarvers. Now, let\u2019s take a look at how these two relief carving styles differ from each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Low Relief Carving<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Low relief carving, also popularly called bas-relief (basso-relievo) is a form of relief where the carved figures are only slightly projected from the wooden background or surface. This means that a low relief carving<\/a> gives the impression of shallow depth even though the depth isn’t necessarily shallow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To achieve this effect, wood carvers use tools like chisels to reduce the background, leaving only the design. The projection here is usually lower than 1\/2″.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High Relief Carving<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

High relief carving gives the impression of an immense depth, usually much greater than low relief carvings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same techniques used in low relief carvings are applied here, but with the twist of applying undercuts to the carving to make it appear to project higher than a low relief carving would. Projection from the surface for high relief carving is usually between 1\/2″ and 2″.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Start Carving in Relief<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here, we would be giving you a detailed explanation of the steps to follow to get the best results when carving in relief. By following these ten steps, your journey into the world of relief carving will be a breeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Search and Prepare the Wood for Carving<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The best wood for relief carving is Basswood or Jelutong<\/a>, Butternut is another good option that we recommend for beginner relief woodcarvers. To get the very best wood ensure that the wood ticks all the boxes; this means it should be free from warping<\/a> and should be planed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you have the perfect wood, prepare the wood for carving by hooking it to your workbench to ensure that it does not move once you begin carving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2: Create and Transfer your Pattern onto the Wooden Panel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can choose to either download a pattern from the internet or create a design from scratch. Once the design is completely drawn or printed, transfer it to a carbon paper or transfer paper using a stylus. This is only one of the many methods you can use to transfer a pattern onto wood, if you would like to check out the others read the related article 9 ways to transfer a pattern onto wood<\/a> and choose the method that works best for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this done, you can now attach the transferred pattern to the wooden panel and secure it with tape. After doing this, transfer the pattern to the wooden panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 3: Remove Excess Material<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In this stage, your mallet and chisel come out to play. The goal here is to remove excess material from the edges of your pattern, doing this will make it easy to make key details at the edges stand out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 4: Identify the Points where Depth will be added to the Wooden Panel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First, divide the different sections of the wooden panel according to the required depth. We have found that this is easier as you progress in the project. You can also choose to indicate these points on the paper pattern. This way, if you carve away the mark for any reason, you can redraw the mark onto the wood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 5: Add Depth to the Outlines<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Now, start carving out the different depths of the pattern. As you do this, ensure you use the right-sized V-tool to carve outside the lines. We advise you not to undercut; carve straight and down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 6: Redraw Key Details<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You will notice that each figure needs to be carved to different depths. Once you attain the proper height and shape for each feature or object, redraw key details that you might have cut away. You can achieve the correct shape by rounding out the figure or blocking out the shape till you attain the shape you desire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 7: Begin to Carve Details<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here you will begin to carve in the details into each of the features. To do this, get your gouges and V-tools out. You can also decide to use chip carving techniques<\/a> to add these crucial details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 8: Check for Irregularities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Take the carving to a light source once you are done carving in the details, then check for imperfections and areas that need to be perfected. Once you are satisfied with what you see, you can move on to the next step. If you are not happy with what you see, go back to steps 5,6,7 until you are satisfied with what you see in step 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 9: Smoothen the Project<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By smoothening the project, we mean that you should clean up the back of the wooden panel and even it out. Also, smoothen the relief carving itself by sanding the outlines, the details, and the background. To smoothen the curves, use a sander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 10: Apply Finishing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

All that is left to do now is apply finishing to the carving. This will add beauty and also protect your hard work from the weather. Beeswax is by far the most common finish for most wood carvings, it is also the easiest to apply and serves as a very basic and reliable way to protect and enhance the look of your carving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, the choice of a finish is entirely up to you. As always keep in mind that some wood finishes change the color<\/a> of the wood, therefore before applying any finish be aware of its pros and cons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relief Carving Beginner Techniques<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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For those of you in the beginning phase of your relief carving journey, it is crucial that you master some basic techniques that are unique to relief carving. In this subheading, we will discuss the 3 best practices and techniques that every relief carver should follow<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Drawing Before Carving<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is a pretty straightforward point that you most likely already know. Nevertheless, it is vital that you draw your design before you begin to carve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are multiple ways to go about this. You can choose to draw your relief design with a pencil, or you can pick any of the 9 Ways To Transfer a Pattern Onto Wood<\/a> if you have a ready design on hand. The method is not as important as making sure you decide to go through with this step. It will make the whole project significantly easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Creating a Background <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The most crucial technique in relief carving is having a clear distinction between the object of display and the background. In most of your relief carvings, this will be done with a stop cut around the perimeter of the previously drawn pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don’t know what a stop cut<\/a> is, essentially, it is the cutting straight into the wood with your chisel and stopping once you reach the desired depth. The stop cut is instrumental in relief carving as it makes all of the edges of your carving straight and smooth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After creating a straight stop cut around the whole perimeter of your pattern on the wood, you have separated the pattern from the unnecessary wood. Now, once you lower the level of the wood around your design, your carving will officially be in relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your wood is dense and the pattern is not too delicate, you can use a mallet to make your stop cuts easier and faster.<\/p>TIP<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Step two of creating a background for your carving <\/strong>is using a gouge to cut off sufficient wood to significantly lower the level of what in the future will be the background. At this stage, don’t worry too much about making the background smooth, but try to have the cuts on a somewhat similar level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stop cut you have previously created will help you prevent cutting a part of your pattern. You can make them larger if you would like to be safer about making sure you don’t go over the border and start all over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be sure to take a look at this short timelapse of a carver removing the background of his relief carving with an extra-large gouge. For smaller projects, you will need something smaller. Please note that the carver does not have a sketched pattern on his wood, which we don’t recommend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zmtkIxz-0Iw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It is crucial that you don’t break off any of the wood while removing the background. It can be tempting to lift your gouge as a lever; however, this runs the risk of breaking off a deeper part of the wood and dragging it out, which of course, will lead to an uneven surface of your background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, you can choose to smooth your background or leave it with some unevenness. The best way to do this is by using a mallet and a straight chisel to horizontally chip off all unevenness from the wood. Afterward, it is also a good idea to sand your carving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Never Cutting Unsupported Fibers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another fundamental technique in relief carving is changing direction frequently and knowing which side to cut from; when the carving has multiple layers, working with it becomes trickier. The golden rule is to only cut in the direction when the wood is ascending.<\/strong> Doing otherwise runs the risk of breaking the wood and making tears that will be very difficult to fix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wood, as you know is made of fibers that make up the grain. This is why carving along the grain is significantly easier than carving against it. The way to identify if a fiber is supported or not is by seeing whether the adjacent wood is lower or higher\/the same size as the wood you are cutting. Some unsupported fibers will break off if you cut from the taller to the shorter area of the wood;<\/strong> because of this, you should always carve from the deeper layer of the wood towards the higher layer of the wood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to know why exactly that is, take a look at the visual explanation in this video during the time frames of 1:20-2:45<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5ltlSI1tP68<\/a>