Painted Walking Stick

 Beginner Wood Carving Information, Wood Carving Studies/Tutorials  No Responses »
Dec 282011
 

After hand carving several walking sticks with wood spirit faces, I had the idea to try painting the wood spirits face.  I had a really vivid mental picture of what I wanted to accomplish, but was concerned that it may not turn out well.  But, as with all wood carving projects in their beginning stages, you have have a clear mental picture and then work to accomplish the results that you expect.

I set out to hand carve the wood spirit face in the walking stick first, just like I have done on other sticks.  I left the eyes without any carved detail because they would be painted during the painting and finishing stage.

walking stick carved

walking stick carved

Continue reading »

Wood Carving Travel Kit

 Beginner Wood Carving Information, Wood Carving Tips  No Responses »
Dec 252011
 

If you have been wood carving for very long, you have probably collected several tools.  Of those tools, you have your favored tools and should have a fairly good idea of what tools you use on a regular basis in your wood carving shop or designated area.  So if you want to take the wood carving on the road, what tools are you going to take along without having to rent a moving van?

The answer to this question depends on what you are carving and how much room you have.  I like to use a small plastic tool box that I bought at Wal-mart.  Some of the essential tools that all wood carvers should consider including in their travel kit are: Continue reading »

2011 Woodcarving Illustrated Forum Christmas Ornament Exchange

 Wood Carving Projects  No Responses »
Dec 242011
 

It’s Christmas Eve and the 2011 Woodcarving Illustrated Forum Christmas Ornament Exchange has come to an end with all ornaments prepared and delivered.  It has been a really fun endeavor participating in the ornament exchange for the first time.  Last year I didn’t make the deadline, but this year I made sure that I got in early and had several ornaments ready to go early on.

I exchanged with 17 other wood carvers of all skill levels.  Only one ornament is yet to arrive, but it is due to a family illness for one of our wood carving friends.  The ornaments were all very enjoyable to receive and there was a fun anticipation when checking the mail each day.  It felt like when I was a kid and longed to get mail.  When mail arrived for me, it was so exciting.

Here are pictures of the 16 ornaments that I received in the exchange, along with the names of the wood carvers:

Beginner Wood Carving Videos

 Beginner Wood Carving Information, Wood Carving Articles/Reviews, Wood Carving Resources, Wood Carving Tips, Wood Carving Videos  No Responses »
Dec 212011
 

Whether you are a beginning wood carver or a seasoned veteran, there are always new perspectives and ideas that can be examined to improve and/or compliment your carving skills. One of the best teachers that I have had the pleasure of learning from, is Gene Messer. Mr. Messer does carving instructional videos on many different carving projects.

Beginner Wood Carving Videos

One of the best tips that I can give to beginning carvers, is to get a copy of Mr. Messer’s carving videos. One of the best beginning steps that I took when I first started carving, was to watch Gene Messer complete a couple simple projects on video. He makes the whole process very easy to follow, and shows step by step how to make each cut. You will be amazed at how well your own project will turn out after following along with the video.

Some major benefits of using these videos are: Continue reading »

How Many Ways Are There To Finish A Wood Carving?

 Beginner Wood Carving Information  No Responses »
Dec 182011
 

When a new wood carver begins to look at all the ways there are for finishing a wood carving, they can very easily become overwhelmed with all of the options.  For instance, do you use lacquer and stain together?  What is the difference between lacquer and polyurethane?  Hopefully, this post will explain what some of the different finishing products are and what they do.

A finish is product that is routinely used to complete the wood carving and will add some type of enhancement and/or protection.

A stain is a liquid product that is produced in a range of colors and is wiped onto the wood carving to add color and definition.

Oil is exactly what it implies and comes in a range of types.  It is oil based product that is most often used to seal and finish the wood carving.

Polyurethane is a finishing product that can be either water based or oil based.  It is most often used to protect the wood carving and provide a glossy finish.

Lacquer is a finishing product similar to polyurethane, but dries much faster and is more volatile to handle.  It will also dissolve many other types of finish product if applied after other finishes.

All of these finishing products serve different purposes on their own or combined, and it all depends on the look and protection that you desire.  When selecting a finishing product, look closely at the labels for special instruction about how to clean up without injury or damage.  Water based products will clean up with water, but other finishes require mineral spirits, alcohol and/or other volatile products to properly clean up.

 Older Entries