[Woodcarver] Relief Carving

[Joe Dillett]

Hi Patti,

I'm stepping in late on your question because I was gone this last weekend.

The answers you have been getting are great advice. Relief carving is
generally layered from the back toward the front and divided up into the
background, foreground, and a middle ground. The middle ground may have more
than one layer. Most of mine, even on the deep relief, have one layer in the
middle ground.

The initial step, after drawing on the pattern, is to remove the deepest
area in the background. Than cut in each of the layers. When I do this I
have the outline of my shapes pretty well defined. After the layers are
defined I begin contouring the objects in each layer, generally working from
the front toward the back. Before I go into the next step, detailing, I make
sure all the surfacing is reflecting the light properly, giving me the
proper perspective, and I have an overall satisfaction before I begin the
time-consuming detailing process.

It is only when I begin the detailing process, before I have a general
overall satisfaction with the layering and contouring, that need to reshape
some of the surfaces already detailed making the time spent on those details
wasted.

Finishing each of the 4 steps before going on to the next step, is one way
of keeping from re-carving. Those 4 steps are grounding out the background,
layering, contouring and detailing.


Joe Dillett
The Carving Shop
645 E. LaSalle St. Suite 3
Somonauk, IL. 60552
(815) 498-9290 phone
(815) 498-9249 fax
http://www.thecarvingshop.com
jdillett at thecarvingshop.com
http://www.carvingmagazine.com Carving Magazine web site and Readers Forum
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Patti Landmann" <lowvillecarver at yahoo.com>
To: <Knotholes at yahoogroups.com>; "Woodcarver Mail List-New"
<woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 9:24 AM
Subject: [Woodcarver] Relief Carving


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> Dear Relief Carvers,
>
> Since the list seemed fairly slow the last week, I didn't think anyone
would mind a fairly elementary question on relief carving.
>
> I am about to begin a new carving and the same old question is back again.
I spent last evening reading thru Lora's, Bill's, David's, Ivan's  books
AGAIN about the initial layout of the work.  I tend to have a problem with
needing to re-carve elements of the carving to get things right.  I have no
trouble with the foreground and the back ground but the mid-foreground and
the mid-background or the multiple levels inbetween cause me problems.
>
> The carving should be carved from back to front, I think,  but I have an
easier time carving front to back.  How do you establish the levels with
certainty?  Besides color coding levels, some of you then number the
elements to be carved first, second, etc.  Bill's patterns show actual depth
measurements.  How do you establish this information with such certainty.
>
> Relief carving without such a definite plan is probably accomplished much
in the same manner but in a less organized manner of deciding as you go.
This leads to constant re-evaluation and thus recarving.   Is there a
formula, procedure or ?,  or is it just the eye of an artist or engineer
that can quickly know what goes where?
>
> This if probably basic and not of interest to a broad segment of the lists
so I would be delighted to hear from anyone directly into my mailbox if that
works out better.
>
> Thank you to all who reply....I'm again looking for easy answers to not so
easy questions.
>
> Patti
>
>
>
>
> Patti Landmann
>
> lowvillecarver at yahoo.com
> http://www.centuryinter.net/treasures/
>
>
> ---------------------------------
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