Relief Carving Workshop

If you'd like to master the art of relief carving, this comprehensive guidebook will teach you everything you need to know. Acclaimed carver and instructor Lora S. Irish takes you through every element of the relief carving process and shows you the easy way to learn. Clear, step-by-step instructions and dozens of how-to photographs accompany 11 original new relief carving projects of animals, landscapes, flowers, borders, Celtic knots, and more. Learn how to handle your tools, prepare a wood surface, follow a pattern, apply a finish, and so much more!

The first step into a new craft can be overwhelming: Where to start? What tools to buy? What projects to begin with? Thanks to author and internationally acclaimed woodcarver Chris Pye, this guide is filled with everything a beginning woodcarver needs to know. Chris Pye's Woodcarving Course & Reference Manual is akin to having a one-on-one course with a master carver. You'll learn what to look for in a workbench, the importance of commissioning your carving tools – there's more to it than just sharpening! – and how to make exacting cuts and execute a variety of techniques. Like any good instructor, Pye includes practice exercises to make you comfortable with the tools and techniques so you can build your skills and carve with confidence. Pye's conversational teaching style will encourage you as you follow the step-by-step instructions and work on a number of motifs, as well as projects for low, high, and pierced relief, and in-the-round. With the help of Chris Pye, you'll learn to carve: four types of molding, a beautiful koi project in three levels of relief carving, a realistic baseball cap in-the-round, and a charming wren in-the-round.

With 36 tried-and-true relief woodcarving projects and patterns from the archives of "Woodcarving Illustrated," plus expert advice from favorite authors, readers can create an assortment of compelling carvings for the home and beyond.

Book of projects designed to give beginners the experience of work in a wide number of carving styles.

"Chip Carving Workshop takes you through the essential chip carving techniques, from tool sharpening and preparation to hand positions, chip cutting, and finishing"--Page 4 of cover.

In clear, straightforward language, Sayers carefully guides the reader through the fundamentals — what tools and materials to use and how to use them. Still the finest book for the beginning student in wood sculpture.

In this step-by-step guide, expert woodcarver Chris Pye guides the reader through two in-depth woodcarving projects that teach a wide range of skills and techniques. Using color photographs and line drawings, he explains the basic tools and methods needed to create beautiful relief carvings, as well as techniques for more ambitious work.