Tips and Techniques
by Barbara Mann
Some days I think I sound like a broken record, repeating the same thing every week. Susan Hendrix, a wood carving teacher and author of Carving Woodspirits: Beyond the Basics, has had the same experience. Here are some of her "Susan-isms". You've heard them. too.
"Learn to use your glove and thumb guard until you
aren't comfortable carving without them."
"There are two basic cuts, a pull cut and a push cut, with many variations of each." I'd add a stop cut to that list.
"Keep your thumb on the work."
"Keep your elbows tucked into your waist when you need extra control of a tool."
"Put your knife down before you scratch your nose!"
"Carve clean and you won't have to go back and clean up the fuzzies later."
"Don't be afraid to take classes. You will learn more in a week class than you will in 2 years carving on your own. Learn from a variety of teachers. Each teacher will have a unique style, use different tools, and use tools in different ways. By learning the various methods you will eventually develop your own carving style."
To Susan's list and would like to add some of my own.
"Learn about the grain of the wood—which direction it runs in the cutout and what happens around contours, how to follow the contours of the carving to avoid carving into the end of the grain, and eventually how to cut across the grain."
"Slice the knife through the wood using most of the length of the blade. Learn it for all three types of cuts. Each cut requires a different slicing action." If this whole thing about grain and slicing cuts mystify you, sit down one-on-one with one of the instructors and go over it until it makes sense."
"With a cutout remove all extra wood before ever attempting rounding or detail carving. The proportions will never be right if these steps—remove extra wood, round, then put in detail—are not followed."
"When carving faces, clean and deep cuts will bring the face to life by creating shadows and thus depth."
Now you know the secrets to wood carving.
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Cypress Knee Carving Class
A small class meets every Friday to carve faces and figures in cypress knees. Barbara, who has taught cypress knee carving at roundups in Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Indiana, can give each carver a lot of individual attention in our informal setting in the Black Crow Shop in Havana.
Class is limited to 4 carvers with sign-ups in advance. There is a daily instruction fee of $10 and cypress knees can be purchased from Barbara for $8 to $20. Each carver works on a project of his or her choice. We meet from 10 a. m. to 3 p.m. with a break for lunch in a local restaurant.
Classes are scheduled through May but will meet as long as there is a demand for them. Sign up!
Southeastern Woodcarving School
SWS will be held for the 30th year on July 9 -12, 2015 at the Wetumpka Civic Center, Wetumpka, Alabama. Cost is $175. Motels are available in Wetempka and Prattville, both of which are just north of Montgomery, a 3 hour drive from Tallahassee.
Classes and Instructors: Pictorial Deep Relief -Randy Walters; Scenes on Walking Sticks -Berry Vestal; Grizzly Bear - David Sharp; Cottonwood Bark Houses - Ginny Gray; Wood Burning -Michele Parsons; Beginning Woodcarving - Mac Proffitt; Heraldic American Eagle - Gary McDaniel; Caricatures - Steve Brown; Human Bust - Ken Carter; Carver's Choice - Dylan Goodson; Downy Woodpecker - Riley Monroe; Caricatures - Gary Falin; Santa Christmas Ornament - Carole Jean Boyd; Wood Burning -Carolyn Marek; Folk Art Painting - Ethel Green / Mary Beck.
The Southeastern Woodcarving Competition is held in conjunction with the school. Complete information including class fees and cost of materials, and registration forms for the school and competition are available on the website: www.centralalwoodcarving.com/
Adele and Robert attend this school and can give you additional information.
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