Everything about wood carving on the panel

Carved panels are a whole art that requires not only technical skills, knowledge of technology, but also artistic taste. It is difficult to make such a composition, but it will become an adornment of any interior. Handwork from environmentally friendly material is something that will never go out of style.

For many interior styles, carved wood panels are today the preferred element. Basically, Wood decor is now relevant, and hand-made is considered a good design investment.

Features of carvings:

• correctly selected material is the key to the quality of future work, its durability and aesthetics;
• the finished painting is often covered with oil - and this is the right approach, the varnish coating completes the process of the carved painting;
• the master can perform most of the elements of the woodcarving panel with an electric jigsaw;
• modern panels are made to order, often according to customer's designs.

For beginners, the first works will not correspond to the examples of masters, and this is a completely normal moment. For handmade experience, real practice is above all. Gradually, wooden compositions on the wall will work out better. The layman, not understanding the issue, may find this decor old-fashioned. Perhaps he just did not see modern examples of carved art - they impress both with minimalism and the abstractness of the artistic expression, and with the way these carved paintings are deftly embedded in the Scandi interior, in the boho style, and even in the loft.

The skill of working with material is basic. The tree needs to be studied, loved, acquainted with its properties and capabilities. Suitable wood is considered:

• Birch tree;
• oak;
• beech;
• alder;
• Linden;
• teak;
• Pine.

Often, masters make beautiful compositions on linden boards. And beginner carvers often have to learn on MDF and plywood.

Of the tools you usually need:

• board of the right size;
• knives for woodwork (such a set is individual for each master, but you can take basic sets);
• layout paper;
• pencil;
• stain.

A separate topic is sketches. Without an idea, not a single work will become truly decorative, beautiful, impressive.

At first, the carver usually copies. Then his own style will begin to emerge, and experience will be enough to put his ideas into practice. You need to start with a simple, but even simple composition can become the "highlight" of the interior. Finishing is very important - for example, what wood stain is covered with wood stain. The modern range of finishing materials provides great opportunities for the artist.

The sequence of work will be approximately the same for structures of varying complexity. But, as already noted, you need to start with simple solutions. Here is how the process of creating a panel looks step by step.

1. The blank board, which will be the working field, needs to be sanded.
2. The board should be fixed vertically or horizontally. On it you need to fix the sketch on paper with veneer. It will be tracing paper.
3. On the board should be noted the contours of the future image. The paper should be removed. Now with a knife you need to draw all the marked contours.
4. Now you can cut through the internal lines, moving from large to small elements.
5. The finished work remains an even layer to cover the stain of the desired shade.

This will create a regular drawing on a tree. But if you have to make a three-dimensional image, you have to get a wood cutter. He makes cuts of different depths at the angle that is required in each case. The master places the cut-out panels in salt or hot sand. So it turns out the firing of wooden elements, which gives them an expressive color, and the picture takes on additional depth. Finally, all the details are glued together into a common composition.

We will tell a little more about the individual stages of the process.

• Create a path. At this stage, it is important to consider all the nuances of the image that you want to transfer to the tree. The contour can be any, but it is desirable to avoid small and thin parts. The contour on the board is transferred through tracing paper, and then cut through with a knife or a chisel-angle. You need to work with two hands. According to experts, the chisel is more convenient to work with a chisel, because it copes better with highlighting the outline of the picture.
• Work on the texture. Embossing punches help deepen the inside of the image. The punch must be placed vertically on the board with the relief on the board. It should be hit evenly with a mallet. The uniformity of impacts is important, since the depth depends on the strength of the impact. For beginners, it would be wiser to first practice on a separate board or on the back of the selected board.
• Finishing and framing. The silhouette of the image transferred to the board can be painted. Not all carved panels are made in color, but such an opportunity, nevertheless, exists. But even without painting, the product will look harmonious and complete. If the painting is present, you need to take acrylic paints, it’s easier to work with them, and the result is impressive. In other cases, a stain of the desired shade is taken. The panel, already fully finished, can be moved to the frame.The work does not always require framing, but sometimes the frame is the finishing touch that makes the panel finished, concise.

Of course, the specific technique in which the panel is executed will set the pace of work, determine its stages and duration.

The master makes a carved relief image as if he was working on a bas-relief. It is due to the convex elements in this case that a pattern is formed. In height and depth, these elements may vary. This method creates a three-dimensional three-dimensional effect. Even if you make something like a fingerprint on a wooden base in this technique, there will be an independent decorative panel, a vivid example of following the trends of modern art.

There are other varieties of techniques.

• Openwork carvings. Convex elements in this case are replaced by slots. The panel looks simple, elegant, but at the same time it becomes fragile.

• Flat grooves. The pattern in this technique is cut with a knife in the form of dihedral recesses. Make such an image on a flat board.

• Type-setting thread. In this panel in one drawing many details are combined, different in shape and size. The level is advanced, for a beginner such a bar is still high.

• Work from cuts. Wooden dies are glued to the base, and the elements of wooden applications here can also be very different.

It is very important for a novice carver to decide on the topic of work, motive. If you make a panel, for example, in a bathhouse, then for some reason often choose plots on a fishing theme or a hunting theme. Carvers are very fond of working with cats silhouettes, cut flowers and nature. Animals are frequent characters of carved panels. Not inferior to them in popularity and abstract, as well as ornamental geometric carvings.

Works with the image of Slavic gods may be interesting. But, in general, the list of themes, motifs, and plots of carved reliefs is unlimited today.

A lot of ornamentalism appears in modern reliefs, a lot of abstraction or some kind of philosophical subjects appears in the panel. Thanks to the finish (stain or paint), color, light, shadow can play a significant role in the work.

Usually, work is done for a specific interior, which sets the plot, color and compositional solution. It should be noted that a composition with many small details somewhat complicates the perception of the interior. Therefore, abstract, simple, not overloaded elements of the composition gain great popularity.

And since independent repair and decoration of the home has become a trend, it is worth paying attention to such an interesting, tradition-rich craft as wood carving.

How to make a carved panel of wood with your own hands, see the video.