---- Chris Pye: WOODCARVING - NEWSLETTER ---- June 2003 http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com "Dedicated to the teaching, learning and love of woodcarving" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please forward this newsletter to a woodcarving friend, and anyone else you think might be interested. Thanks! This is an opt-in newsletter and you should only be receiving it because you requested it from the website, or were sent it by a friend. Subscribe or Unsubscribe easily on the home page here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/index.html or using the link at the end of the newsletter. ****Back issues here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/intro/pastnews.html including zipfiles for 2001 and 2002 newsletters ============================================================ Replying to this Newsletter? PLEASE CHANGE THE SUBJECT LINE! ============================================================ CONTENTS: 1. Website 1) Feedback Wanted 2) User's Focus Group 3) New 'Inspiration' 2. Quick Carving Questions 1) Doing Art for a Living? 2) Internal Ferrules? 3) Undercutting the Leaves on Mouldings? 4) Relief or Lettercarving? 3. Article: Thoughts On Finishing By Chris Pye 4. Follow up: 1) Keeping Work Clean Website Bookmarks at the end. __________________________________________ 1. WEBSITE NEWS __________________________________________ 1) FEEDBACK WANTED! Have you downloaded the evaluation copy of The Accomplished Vtool 1 from the website, but chosen not to buy the full version? Would you please take the time to write and tell me why. It would help me in planning the future of Slipstones Workshop Manuals and other future carving-related e-books. Simply hit the email 'reply' button and your comments will get to me. Be frank - and friendly! **** As an incentive: I'LL RANDOMLY PICK 10 OF YOU WHO RESPOND AND GIVE YOU THE FULL VERSION OF THE E-BOOK FREE! ***** 2) USER'S FOCUS GROUP I'm in the process of assembling a small group of woodcarvers who relate strongly to my sort of carving and approach and would be willing to help evaluate future editions of Slipstones Woodcarving Manuals. I would be asking you to review, and comment on, various aspects of the work — ideas in progess as well as finished manuals. In return for your support, you get complimentary editions of the ebooks, and my grateful thanks! Please write if you are interested in contributing. 3) NEW INSPIRATION A small ivory head of Christ by a completely unknown mastercarver, at work nearly 900 years ago. You can almost hear it speak. Have a look: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/gallery/g_inspiration.html _______________________________________ 2. QUICK CARVING QUESTIONS ________________________________________ **** QUESTION 1: DOING ART FOR A LIVING **** "I graduated with my bachelors of fine arts this past December. I have several scenarios for the more immediate futures, such as teaching, but my ultimate goal is to become a professional artist, living of my artwork alone. What is your advice on how to reach my goal? How did YOU become a professional artist?" **** ANSWER **** The best suggestion I can give you is that you plan your future by looking at what goals you want and plot your path to them. In other words: Look at where are you now, and where do you want to be, and when. If you can join these lines you have a path. Break this path down into achievable goals - steps. Take one step at a time. Keep one eye on your goal. Enjoy the journey. Advice is treacherous without knowing all your circumstances! - and I'd like to think I worked towards a goal like this but I know I've taken a lot of wrong steps, made many false starts. I've worked hard and had a lot of luck. Also there never was, is, or will be an end goal. Ends are also beginnings; especially to a creative person like yourself and a path is more often a growth, or an evolution. I think the dream of earning a (reasonable) living from art alone is a very difficult one to achieve. I have several friends who teach part time and work on their own stuff for the rest. That seems a good way to start. Have you read 'Keep the Aspidistra Flying' by Orwell? There's a writer who is so worried about money that he can't write. And because he is not writing, he cannot earn money. It's a real trap and one that a part time job like teaching might help avoid. Anyway, good luck and I wish you all the best in your career! =================================== **** QUESTION 2: INTERNAL FERRULES? **** "Why do Stubai place their ferrules inside the handle rather than the outside? Is there a drawback?" **** ANSWER **** It might have something to do with octagonal handles that are favoured on mainland Europe (Pfeil also have internal ferrules). The internal ferrules are thin metal, just hammered in, I believe. It's easy to put an outside ferrule on a handle that's turned, but more hassle if it's shaped - this, I guess is the main reason. Both types of ferrule aim to prevent the handle splitting. Internal ferrules are often more comfortable to the hand but I doubt there is much in it. =================================== **** QUESTION 3: UNDERCUTTING THE LEAVES ON MOLDINGS? **** "Should I be undercutting the leaves on mouldings? I have been cutting the edges of leaves straight down, but I thought I'd get better shadow, thus more "depth" appearance, with mild undercutting on bigger elements. Is there a "standard" way to do these sorts of mouldings? Or should all mouldings be straight cut (vs. relieve carvings which would be undercut)?" **** ANSWER **** There are no 'rules' here, although there are principles. I think you should be guided by your sense of what you have done so far. Shadow is very important, yes - undercut just enough to get the effect where and how much you want. Remember to repeat it uniformly along the moulding. You can also get more of a sense of depth by 'frosting' the background. =================================== **** QUESTION 4: RELIEF OR LETTERCARVING? **** "I have both your relief or lettercarving books but can't afford the tools you recommend for both - which are different sets. I want to do both!" **** ANSWER **** Here's an idea: start with lettering and when you have some lettering skills under your belt, carve some house signs for neighbours and friends - for the cost of your relief carving tools... Lettering is always wanted and very marketable and you'd have a great sense of achievement, besides subsidising your next step - relief carving. ____________________________________________________________ 3. ARTICLE: THOUGHTS ON FINISHING By Chris Pye Thoughts on finishing 'Finishing' is whatever you do to your carving when you've put down your gouges or sandpaper: oiling, waxing etc - whatever. At one extreme the wood itself may disappear entirely: a coat of arms that will be gessoed and gilded or a fully painted bird or decoy duck for example. The lobster in the relief carving here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/gallery/rel1_8.html is stained so the wood shows through, but it's a very striking (and, of course, appropriate) colour. At the there end, the wood is simply left outside to weather, not treated. That's what I did with the Green Man here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/gallery/green2.html The patination that has arisen from bleaching in the sun, bird droppings and rain gives it a lot of character. Chapter 7 in my Woodcarving Tools, Materials & Equipment - Vol. 2 is devoted to finishing. In it I make the point that there are 3 principal reasons for finishing: 1. To protect the work - from woodworming to filling in the pores that trap dirt. 2. To seal the work - thus stabilizing it against ambient humidity. 3. To enhance the work - you would think this would go without saying but: The finish must enhance the work. Or, the other way round, it must never detract from it. Make no mistake - you can ruin months of work in seconds by an inappropriate finish! Eggs in baskets. Coloured stains can change with the colour of the wood beneath. Oils bring out blemishes, scratches and strengthen figuring alarmingly. Too much shine and you have something now looking glossy and cheap… So what's the best approach? 1. Think carefully about what you want to achieve: enhance light and shadow, a more realistic sense (as in the lobster). If you can't give yourself a good reason for finishing, why do it at all? 2. Always go for the simplest options (Occam's Razor?). To my mind, many carvings are over-finished. 3. Develop just a few tried and tested finishes that you can rely on first. For example I use coats of thin, pale beeswax and carnauba for the majority of my carvings. 4. From these you can carefully explore. If you find something perfect for your way of working - great! You may never need to change. Don't change just for the sake of it. Work from your carving outwards. 5. If you feel stuck, in a rut, or unhappy with what you've been doing so far, try and assess what it is that you don't like, say what you would make different if you had a magic wand. 6. Always - always - experiment on scrap samples if you have not used your finish before, or on that type of wood or carving. Make notes - be scientific! 7. If you are using colour, make up 'colour sticks' of dilutions and different woods. 8. Look at how other carvers finish their work - most are quite willing to share experience. Without a doubt, finishing is a crucial part of the carving process which begins with the idea and ends with the presentation. Feel free to follow up if you would like to add to what I have said here. And, with that, I'll finish. __________________________________________ 4. FOLLOW UP (with thanks to the contributors): __________________________________________ 1) KEEPING WORK CLEAN [May 03] From Michael Thornton: "I use a gum eraser or a block of latex rubber for cleaning a carving that has become dirty while working, also "erase" the dirt on sandpaper. I always rub with the grain to keep from pushing the soil into the pores. For light to medium soil, it works great." ============================================= That's all for this month! Joy and success in your carving! Chris Pye ------------------------- PS: Another one to ponder at the bench: "Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow!" - Norman Vincent Peale ____________________________________________________________ SOME WEBSITE BOOKMARKS ____________________________________________________________ -----------------WOODCARVING TOOLS * UK TOOLSHOP: Auriou woodcarving tools and other equipment http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/toolshop/ts_uktoolshop.html * UKTOOLSHOP Direct Link (missing out introductory page): http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/toolshop/uktoolshop/index.html -----------------WOODCARVING MANUALS * The Accomplished V Tool 1 - Free evaluation copy http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/ * Learning to Carve - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/learncarving/learn_ebook.html * A Guide to Safe Woodcarving - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/safecarving/safecarving_index.html * Mistakes and Woodcarving - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/mistakes/mistakes_ebook.html * Fundamentals of Woodcarving - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/fundamentals/fundamentals_ebook.html -----------------TEACHING DATES * USA (CENTER FOR FURNITURE CRAFTSMANSHIP, MAINE) http://www.woodschool.org June 23 - 27 Ornamental Carving June 30 - July 4 Relief Carving July 7 - 11 Carving Tutorial Full details here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/tuition/t_classesUSA.html * CANADA (ROSEWOOD STUDIO, ALMONTE, ONTARIO) http://http://www.rosewoodstudio.com Sep 15 - Sep 19 The Outcome of the Tool: Sep 22 - Sep 26 Relief Carving Full details here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/tuition/t_classesCAN.html Here's a link to view Rosewood's latest newsletter: http://www.rosewoodstudio.com/woodworking_newsl/woodworking_newsl.htm Inquiries, please call toll free 1-866-704-7778. * UK (1-TO-1 PERSONAL TUITION) Full details here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/tuition/t_custom.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Copyright (c) Chris Pye 2003 Chris@chrispye-woodcarving.com