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WOOD CARVING

WOOD CARVING A CAREFULLY GRADUATED EDUCATIONAL COURSE FOR SCHOOLS AND ADULT CLASSES

JOSEPH PHILLIPS

(Medallist)

INSTRUCTOR OF WOOD CARVING, MODELLING, AND OTHER ART SUBJECTS IN CONNECTION WITH VARIOUS CLASSES IN THE COUNTIES OF LANCASHIRE, CHESHIRE, CUMBERLAND, AND NOTTS

Committee of the Home A rts and Industries Royal Albert Hall, London; Accepted as their Scheme of Wood Carving by the Educational Handwork Union, and by the Union of Lancashire and Cheshire Institutes

Approved by

the Design

Association^

LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 1896 s

Ld.

INTRODUCTION \ 1 yOOD-CARVING '

'

influence

as an educational

appears

ignored,

perhaps

apparent

limitations,

in

be

to

entirely

consequence both

as

of

its

material

to

used and manual exercises involved.

That

it

has such a value

but as generally taught to

it

is

simply amounts

keeping students employed, and as

consequence realised,

its

educational value

become

is

a

seldom

because the student too frequently

has no practical object in view. skilful in the

and material the

undoubted,

if

realisation

He may

manipulation of tools

sufficiently persevering, but

of an end and

work may not dawn upon him quiring that technical

skill.

aim

in

his

whilst ac-

;

WOOD CARVING.

The

entirely in

over

does

carving

of

art

not

consist

producing evidence of mastery

and

tools

material

merely constitutes the

dexterity

this

:

means

to

an end

therefore to elucidate the principles under-

lying

good work would appear the most

all

way

rational

What

is

to

approach the subject.

wood -carving

distinguished

as

from the art of wood-cutting? should be, one of the pression. in

In this sense

It

many means it

is

is,

or

of ex-

the expression

material form of ideas, the outcome of

personal observation

done

in ancient

we may

surrender our

which case we unfortunately

own

naturally

fluence

and modern times, or what

see through the eyes of our favourite

sculptor, etc., in

It

of nature and works

affects

individualism.

follows

the

necessarily affect

its

that

whatever

worker's expression

mind ;

in-

must

and thus

;

INTRODUCTION.

we have

the carvings of past ages re-

in

flections in the concrete of people

cHmes and

in various

so that

civilization,

working

in different states of

if it

were necessary

for

the purpose of this book, there would be little,

if

any, difficulty in tracing minutely,

during

character

the

various

periods

of

history.

Briefly stated, the material lation

by

may be of

workers

different

and

its

manipu-

regarded as a compound expression

character

:

in

the cold, grey, would-be

imperishable granite they used, and equally

ages

in the past

firm,

treatment,

severe,

and

may be found

in

its

unsympathetic

a basis for

much

conjecture as to the nature of the Egyptians in the

pure marble and

requires

treatment, which

a delicacy of touch, with a

appreciation of its

its

natural

its

beauty,

full

nature, to bring out

may be

seen

a

all

clear

WOOD CARVING. the refinement of the Greek

reflection of

and

as expressed in all they thought

Brick and

its

limitation sufficed for earl

Rome

victorious

an

until

could an it

wa

but

th

supply this in abundance, but

stamped

never

anything

with

refim

artificial

Money

ment demanded marble. did

did.

characteristics of the people, as historicall

known. over

Passing

we

time,

find

and

free-cutting stone, is

still

racter,

more

Norman

Period

Transitional.

with

—as

chc :

Copper.

— Intermingling

of a

re

— Silver.

— Pure

Silver.

— Fusion

Transitional.' silver.

freer rendering

classified as follows

fining influence

Early English.

its

stamped

clearly

and may be

c

country that wooc

this

in

space

intervening

the

of gold into th

INTRODUCTION.

Decorated.

— Gold,

golden

the

period,

culminating in excess. Perpendicular.

—M

deteriorating

ixture,

into dross, demonstrating the lament-

able fact that the people had ceased

and so the

to think for themselves,

work

On it

be found that carving

—a building or

tive,

charm.

a further examination of the subject,

will

art

lost its

more

article

interesting,

by

an applied

is

made more its

decora-

application,

and

as such becomes part of a general scheme

termed part,

" Architecture "

but

to

is

architecture

to the nation, so

— the

a

possibly

an important one

still

the individual

:

smallest

speaking loudest of power,

;

is

small

and as carving

things

often

etc.

Understood, then, as a means of expression,

it

is

therefore

conducive

development, and carving

may

to

mental

claim to be

WOOD CARVING.

lO

when taught

educational only

as such

;

i.e.

the creation of visible evidence in material

form of thought, however influenced. This demand upon the creative faculty

common

to

all,

becomes a

direct appeal for

mental development, and the power of concentrating thought

The

sculptor

is

may

thereby cultivated. see in every block of

stone a single figure, or group of figures,

but

it

the concentration of thought upon

is

the group in his

him

to

folding

mind's eye that enables

remove the superfluous to

view

the

hidden

stone, un-

evidence

or

concrete reflection of his imagination.

Michael Angelo said that the object of sculpture

was "to

Carving

may

let

out the angel."

take a prominent place as

a branch of hand and eye training. the former, accuracy and precision

;

In

through

the latter, artistic power, refinement, appre-

INTRODUCTION.

ciation of the beautiful

qualify this generalising term, "

nature." is

Firstly,

nature

in

beauty

of

our

for

form

proved by the addition of

;

For

a

first

Few nature

is

its

indeed offers

are

the

no reward

generally noticed etc.

and those better

mass or leaf,

and

Surely

not

may be

seen at

glance.

than the passing glance.

veins,

in

an ivy

beauty.

that which

in

purpose.

Secondly,

colour.

instance, take

wherein

altogether

to

being im-

this

beauty of outline, whether seen detail.

go

would be well to ask what there

It

admire

to

ask

may be

nature,

and developed.

cultivated

To

in

I I

;

is

the

instances closer

for

The

first

where study feature

oudine, the stem,

but press the leaf in a book, features

will

still

example of technical

possible to produce in

remain as a skill

any other

than

it

is

material.

;

WOOD

12

Would

this

CARVING.

pressed leaf satisfactorily appeal

to our intuitive ideals of its general appear-

ance

?

No

created, a

because

;

something

has robbed

it

of

its

a

absent

is

beauty,

the pressure

;

its spirit, its life

the graceful form has departed, and

wonderfully minute details

been

has

void

fail

remaining skeleton of flatness

all

the

to clothe the " ;

it

is

unin-

teresting."

Seen, then, from this point of view,

cannot

fail

to appreciate the actual value of

becoming monotonous

details; the technique,

as

it

all,

approaches perfection,

seeing that a leaf

same cannot be claimed the

emphasised by all

creation details,

good work, the

by no means beautiful with-

etc.,

whilst the

for the pressed leaf.

of

beautiful

forms

must be the basis of

latter

a secondary position.

is

may be

out the clear outline, stem,

Thus

we

being relegated to

INTRODUCTION.

THE OBJECT OF THE BOOK. To

teach carving

is

the

least,

even

one, of the objects attempted. to

fill

a long-felt want

of exercises,

these

for a

It is

if it

be

issued

graduated course

being suggested by a

long and varied professional and teaching experience

once

—a

course

that

and calculated

practical,

shall

be

at

to inculcate,

though to a limited extent, the principles evolved from a careful study of nature and

good works

and not the monopoly of any,

every,

of

these principles being the basis

;

particular style of carving, as Gothic, etc.,

which are but phases

tools being

first 2,

5

;

necessary expense

have been

four plates 3,

the abstract

life

of

an important matter, the most

useful curves

I,

The

ornament.

of

in

selected,

may be worked

and the

with tools

with one of No. 7 between three

—

WOOD CARVING.

14

students,

the

complete course

given under the heading of

As

with

as

8,

tools, etc.

a working motive such an outline

is

used, and, as careful observation will show, -the abstract

either

form underlying natural leaves,

when complete

compound

is

as

grouped

in the ivy,

the

in

laurel,

in the rose,

conventionalized in the acanthus.

The logical

by

series

Fig.

exercises

also

form

stages

of

principles

design,

be

faculty little,

as

:

I.

treats

upon the

technical side of

the subject, the importance of which to

the

sequence of an attempt to develop

easy

follows

of

overrated is if

becoming

;

for

if

the

is

imaginative

not

being

developed, there

any,

good

purpose

proficient

in

the

apt

served

means of

is

by its

expression.

The

actual idea expressed

by the ground-

5

INTRODUCTION. ing-out process

is,

that at given points the

material not being required, Fig.

II.

1

is

cut away.

must be an attempt

form more pleasing than the

flat

to create a

Fig.

i.

;

and

according to the appreciation of the beautiful in form,

so the degree of success must be

gauged. Fig.

III. is

the application of the important

principle of continuity of thought in line

and

mass. Fig. Figs.

IV. is VI.,

the complete development. VII.

is

the application of this

form of creative power, at any given place, to produce a desired result.

The point,

leaf

form Fig.

i.

is

cut off at the

and the square end turned under and

over like a Figs.

roll

IX.,

of paper.

XI.,

similar forms

but treatments with different Figs.

X., XII.,

to

Fig.

ii.,

tools.

similar forms to Fig.

ii.,

but

6

WOOD

1

CARVING.

treatments with different surface

and

An

outline.

value of tool-cuts

cuted with tools

exercise in relative

and

I

2,

and

xi.

are exe-

and Figs,

x., xii.,

Figs. ix.

:

both upon the

tools,

the same cuts emphasised with tool Figs,

An

group of

xiii.-xv.,

exercise

in

in

of

Fig.

i.

thought

any arrangement of

In this instance

design.

details

concentration

upon a given part

2.

first

the centre

leaf.

Figs. XVI., XVII., a scroll. Figs. XVIII., XIX., a scroll, with additions for space -filling purposes.

Figs, xx.-xxii., the XV.,

but detail Figs.

of Fig.

vi.

same and

as Figs, xiii.-

viii.

used instead

I.

Figs, xxiii., XXIV., useful details. Figs. XXV., XXVI., the interlacing of stems in

design.

Fig. xxv.

ing of Fig. XXVI.

;

is

a soulless render-

the latter

is

the appli-

cation of principle inculcated in Fig.

11.

7

INTRODUCTION.

1

Figs. XXVII. -XXX., the clothing of stems at their juncture with each other, etc.

Fig. XXXI., a design Fig. XVIII. enlarged,

whose main stem

and clothed with

Figs. XXVII., XXIX., XXX.

Fig.

it

details

also an exercise in

work within a

confining the

preparing

;

is

border, thus

for application to furniture, etc.

XXXII.,

design

a

containing

useful

details for future use.

Fig. XXXIII., a design with XXVI.,

and

details xxiii., xxiv., xxvii., xxix.

more decorative treatment

Fig. XXXIV., a

of Figs.

main stem Fig.

IX.,

The edges

XII.

are

broken

up.

Fig. XXXV., a

of Figs.

more decorative treatment

IX., XII.

Fig. XXXVI., the grouping of details Figs. VI.,

VIII.,

XXVI.

Fig. XXXVII., the grouping of details Figs.

XXXIV. and xxxv. B

WOOD

CARVING.

Fig. XXXVIII., based upon,

and freer render-

ing of design Fig. xxxi. If is

two are placed together an oblong panel

formed. Fig. xxxix., design similar to Fig. xxxviii.,

but built up of details Fig.

i.,

elaborated as

Figs, xxxiv.-vii. Fig.

development

the

XL.,

of

Fig.

XXXVIII.

Each

exercise has a distinct purpose,

and

the student cannot be too strongly advised

master each step, asking the reason of

to

every peculiarity he

may have

may go

so being quite clear, he

assured of success the

combination

—the

of

noticed

.

and

cultivation or recognition of a

and

on, feeling

secret of

head

;

which

hand,

is

the

purpose at

every stage of the work.

Each

cut

production

should of

a

be

fixed

one idea,

towards

the

although he

9

INTRODUCTION.

1

should always be ready to modify any such

purpose

To

occasion presents

if

itself.

prevent the natural inclinations for

"niggling" and hesitancy on the part of the student, large tools, and bold, vigorous strokes have been employed

of

wood

out of the corners,

;

in

it is

a matter of using small tools as the

wood properly down, when

will

jump

out,

it

first

is

details

same

the large tool

this, but,

Too

often

proceeding re-

of

the outcome of compounding the

number of

and

restriction in the

tools.

strictly

scheme

of cutting

The apparent sameness

step throughout,

A

it is

much

wonders why the corners

main so untidy. design

not so

the troublesome bit out.

the student will not do to drag

the cleaning

will

limited

be

edition

issued,

in

of

a similar

which

natural

have been employed to express the ideas

;

but as working to nature

is

attempting an unattainable standard, any-

—

!

WOOD

20

CARVING.

may be

thing short of this standard

How many

"failure."

up

in despair

counted

workers have given

because they discovered their

inability to attain to the standard so foolishly

fixed in their minds' eye, trying to carve like

nature

Most of the examples of such attempts are

what may be termed

original

and

;

ventional

not admit

not caricatures, then con-

if

treatments. it,

caricatures of the

the

If

latter,

why

and derive the pleasure — "the

fun " of twisting and fighting the m.aterial

with one object in view, that of producing beautiful

fascinating,

The

and

forms

who

will

lines

deny

working

student

That

?

do next

I

upon

his teacher, etc., is

?

is

?

with

fear

trembling, ever asking, Is this right

must

it

?

and

What

therefore ever dependent

more

to

be pitied

than blamed. Individual

effort,

however crude,

is

prefer-

1

INTRODUCTION.

2

able to slavish attention to the material and its

treatment, instead of the thoughts

but the

The

medium author

prepared

scheme by bench

mitted,

and

is

for expressing.

is

demonstration,

it

to

pay

with

lectures,

report

introduce his

to-

practical

upon work sub-

periodical

visits

where

desired.

In submitting his scheme he

mindful of tions

more

its

is

not un-

shortcomings, and any sugges-

calculated

to render

the

useful will be appreciated.

course

still

TOOLS 'T^HE -^

course has been worked out

full

with the

called the

first

eight tools on

"Ambleside

and

list,

The Sloyd Tool

set."

Carver Street, Sheffield, supply

Co., set as

one of

many

their

this

reliable specialities

;

few in number being the most desirable, as less

to

become acquainted

possibilities

for use

called

different

curvatures

is

a gouge, yet

its

so

their

the sooner discovered.

gouges

Usually

with,

and'

chisels,

and widths. curvature

slight as to permit of

its

is

No.

of 5

sufficiently

use as a

chisel,

thus serving the double purpose of gouge

and

chisel.

The sharpening

of tools

is

a very import-

ant part of the work, and the process they

TOOLS.

23

undergo before being ready ing, whetting,

for use

and stropping.

is

The

grind-

former

is

done on a grindstone, which quickly removes the thick material usually on a

^

1

for

.

2

V

new

tool,

more

preparation

in

careful treatment in

y the sharpening upon an ordi-

nary joiner's

3

removes any roughness that

-

4