How is a wood carving made?
FROM THE SKETCH TO THE FINISHED product
First,
the idea is sketched on paper and a model is created based on said sketch.
Small changes can be made to the model and the product can be improved. After
that, the finished design is carved in wood. If the model corresponds to what
the artist had in mind, it is cast in bronze and production can begin.
Choice of wood
In addition to the idea and the execution, the right choice of wood is also crucial. In order to ensure the best quality, maple, stone pine and linden are mainly used. The wood, which is first cut into boards, is stored for some time and dried to a residual moisture content of approx. 10% in order to keep the tendency to crack as low as possible. Only then can the wood be used for carving. Sycamore maple is usually used for smaller wood carvings. For ones over 60 cm, linden or stone pine is usually used. Stone pine wood is a fairly soft wood, but has many branches and darkens over time. This sort of wood gives off a pleasant scent that many seem to like.
Cutting wooden blocks
The boards that were cut are processed into wooden blocks. The finished blocks of wood are then inserted into the pantograph.
The first moulding blanks
The bronze model is now sampled by hand and the first moulding blanks are created.
Hand carving
The moulding blanks are then carved over by hand with a carving knife. The carving knife, also called carving chisel, is the most important tool of a woodcarver. There are many different types of carving knife, which differ in shape and size and are used for different kinds of detailed work. For example, the paring chisel with a flat and straight cutting edge is used for curves, whereas a gouge, which is more concave, is used for indentations and inlays. For larger products, a hardwood mallet is also used, which is a hammer with a round head that makes it easier to guide the carving knife through the wood.
Processing of the surface
The wooden figure can now be treated using various methods. The processing of the surface gives the figure a unique character.
natural: the wooden figure is not processed after carving
colored: painted with oil paints and gilded with metal leaf
stained: finishes with a light brown wax stain
stained 3 times: finished with 3 different shades of wax stain
antique real gold: painted on a chalk background, antiqued and finished with 18 carat real gold foil