Flat-relief woodcarving flowers. Flat-relief woodcarving: a selection of original works. CNC milling machine

  • 28.05.2020

Woodcarving is an amazingly beautiful and very popular type of manual woodworking in our time. Carved interior details captivate with their magnificent appearance and reflect rich national traditions.

Creative people who simply “itch” their hands to do something very interesting and useful should pay attention to woodcarving. Girls and women may think that this is only a male occupation. And they will be wrong, because there are no less women masters of woodcarving than men.

About woodcarving for beginners

Can be used to decorate indoor and outdoor space different kinds carvings and techniques for translating what was conceived. If you are interested in this type of needlework, then you should understand that you need to master the methods and techniques of wood processing, acquire the necessary tools and improve your carving skills.

AT modern world smartphones and tablets wooden stand, decorated with wood carvings, looks very original.


Skillfully executed carving in the form of simple and ornate patterns and ornaments seems to enliven the world and endows it with sophistication, charm, emphasizes the taste of the owner of luxurious things and the talent of the master.


The works of the best carvers adorn the temples. Pay attention to the photo of the iconostasis of the upper church of the Savior Not Made by Hands, which is located in Moscow, in the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Fili.

Modern masters with a delicate taste create real masterpieces.

And thanks to finishing and protection technologies finished product from the destructive effects of mold, insects, these carved wood crafts have served people for hundreds of years.

Pay attention to the magnificent carved pieces of furniture:


Stylish doors:

Amazing handmade figurines:


Very often, connoisseurs collect handmade carvings. Wonderful chess worthy of any collection.

Perhaps, over time, your masterpieces of woodcarving will be carefully kept by collectors or decorate temples.

Types of woodcarving

Of all types of woodcarving, the most interesting openwork or through thread on a tree, which has some transparency, in which only the image remains, without a background. An example is an overlaid carving - this is an ornament that is attached to a finished background after being made by a master.

Geometric carving on wood this is a type of carving in which a pattern is formed using many simple geometric shapes (often a diamond is used).

Oriental carving on wood is distinguished by bizarre forms. Egypt is the cradle of oriental wood carving.


relief carving on wood. In this technique, the image is located above the background or at the same level with it. These are carved panels of various shapes with a three-dimensional image.

- This is a flat-relief carving, but distinguished by an abundance of carved and stucco decorations, various flowers, curls, leaves, figures of people in unnatural poses, fabulous fantastic animals.

It originated in the village of Kudrino. Well-known products in this type of carving are caskets, vases, dishes, ladles, and home decor items. The main element is a floral ornament: rosettes, curls and twigs.

Volumetric (sculptural) carving Great for making sculptures, animal and human figurines, toys. - a subspecies of volumetric thread. This is the main craft of the village of Bogorodskoye in the Moscow region. The famous Bogorodsk toys are figurines of animals and people made of linden and alder.

Most often used to decorate wooden Scandinavian churches. With images of Gods and various animals, wood carvers decorated inside and outside church buildings.

- the simplest and rather peculiar type of carving. On a flat background, the master cuts grooves - grooves, forming a pattern. Carved landscapes - images of landscapes on a tree.


All these types of carving are rather conditional. Each master chooses the most acceptable of them, taking into account work experience, wood quality and creative inspiration.

What can be carved?

The simplest staircase is transformed, decorated with carved balusters. Balusters- these are curly columns in the form of columns, a stylish and noble decoration of the stairs. Wooden balusters look organic with a spiral wooden staircase.

Bas-relief. Another name for "low relief". This is a sculptural image on a plane. Most often these are figures of people and animals. .

Choosing wood carving tools

As in every business, wood carving has its own secrets, nuances that allow you to reveal the beauty of wood in a wonderful ornament. It is necessary to pick up special tools for woodcarving and stock up on the necessary blanks and sketches for woodcarving, which will be embodied in the form of drawings, borders, lace or genre scenes.

Basic Toolkit

Highly high requirements applied to the quality of carving tools. Of course, craftsmanship plays an important role, but well-chosen and sharpened tools will help bring your idea to life. Experienced carvers at first glance at the tool will tell about its quality, and beginners are lost in the store from a huge selection.

The basic set for woodcarving includes:

  • several knives and chisels;
  • needle files;
  • hacksaws for metal;
  • vise;
  • sandpaper;
  • drill with several types of drills;
  • bars.

Knives should be made only from high-quality steel. It is better to buy them in specialized stores for creativity. Although at the initial stage, just sharply sharpened knives will do. Knives from Tatyanka, Narex, Kogatana and others will serve as an excellent start.

It is not necessary to choose an expensive foreign-made tool, because domestic tools can be the same good quality but much cheaper

With the growth of skill, you may need a set of tools, a milling machine, a drill, etc.

Chisels for carving

Sometimes, instead of a chisel for wood carving, a sharpened screwdriver or file is used.

Flat chisel- This is a long rod, at the end of which there is a flat cutting edge. Very often it is used for the primary processing of wood.

Chisel semicircular- is one of the most important tools for work. They differ somewhat in the degree of roundness, that is, they are medium, round and sloping.

Still happens V- a figurative version of chisels. It can be useful for geometric woodcarving, which we will introduce you to below.

For beginners, a small set for woodcarving, but of good quality, is enough to immediately get used to the correct movements and pressure.

In this video, a wonderful master A. Yuriev shared with us which tools to choose for carving.

How to protect yourself from injury when carving wood

Any tool of a master carver can be compared with a straight razor, therefore, when working with it, safety measures must be strictly observed. The material must be positioned so that the knife or chisel can be worked freely, eliminating the possibility of a sharp edge hitting the hands.

The place to work should be comfortable and clean. Everything superfluous in this moment Tools must be neatly stacked as they are very sharp and can cause injury.

Work materials

Each type of wood for carving has its pros and cons. It is easy to work with soft wood, but there can also be a lot of marriage. These are aspen, linden, birch. For beginners this wood will do the best thing.

Oak, boxwood, mahogany are more expensive and complex woods. It is hard and durable, so it is difficult to carve from such wood. Very often there are troubles when working with such types of wood. Either the instrument or the master may be damaged.

An experienced carver can easily work with various woods, including juniper. Well, for beginners it is better to use inexpensive materials - spruce, pine, pear or birch.

Whatever tools are chosen for woodcarving, safety precautions must be strictly observed!

Geometric thread technology

Geometric wood carving is considered the easiest and is great for beginners. To create a conceived drawing, you need to have small set wood carving tools and clearly withstand the pattern. For geometric woodcarving, symmetry and repetition are of the utmost importance. This achieves a wonderful play of light and shadow.


Cutting boards in this technique, wooden panels look great in the kitchen.

Geometric carving consists of sequential sawing out of simple geometric shapes: rectangles, triangles, squares, rhombuses. But the result is a wonderful ornament that looks different in different lighting conditions.

Execution sequence any wood carving is like this:

  • First, a blank is made of wood (board, deck, blank).
  • Next, rough leveling of the surface of the workpiece, in which all defects and roughness are removed.
  • Then a decorative relief is formed with special cutters.
  • After the completion of the main thread, finishing - grinding, impregnation, painting, varnishing.

You can not work with the workpiece on your knees! The master must have a table to work with.

Master class "Geometric woodcarving on a cutting board"

Tools. You will need 2 wood carving knives: a triangular joint knife and a pen knife, a ruler, a compass, a pencil.

A triangle joint knife is needed for cutting triangular shapes of various configurations, as well as for cutting long straight lines. To cut long lines such as a petal or a groove, a pen knife is used. Carving knives should be sharp and comfortable.

First stage. We make a sketch of the pattern on the board. It can be applied with a compass and ruler. Or you can print the patterns for carving taken on the Internet and transfer them to the prepared cutting board using a carbon paper.

Second phase. Cut out the petals. We use a pen knife.

During operation, the thumb is firmly pressed against the board, and the index finger lightly touches the wood. This will help to adjust the depth of entry of the knife into the surface and the angle of inclination. And the thumb will help move the blade smoothly. First, cut in one direction at an angle, then turn the board over and cut on the other side.

If the shavings curl in a “string” - the knife is good, sharp. It must be periodically undermined with a piece of leather with GOI paste.

Third stage. Cut out the triangles with a cutter. With a “heel”, at an angle of 45 degrees, we cut the knife into a tree, without bringing it to the edges of the pattern on three sides. The slots should be joined on all sides in the form of a pyramid. The sliver, falling out, forms a beautiful triangle.

Fourth stage. What could not be cut off, we carefully clean it so that the edges are frequent and even. By the same principle, we cut grooves and triangles around the perimeter of the board.

Fifth stage. We grind everything with sandpaper, process it with natural impregnation. All! The work is done. We decorate the kitchen useful and beautiful cutting board with wood carving.

Drawings for woodcarving

To perform wood carving, photographs, drawings and sketches are simply necessary. A large pattern for wood carving is used for dimensional products: for the facades of houses, interior decoration with carvings of churches, windows.

For interior items and furniture, carvers use small patterns, which are carefully worked out by the master.

YOU WILL USE

We offer you an archive of . Choose, print, create.

Video wood carving workshops for beginners

Of course, the wood carving looks especially impressive in the video. Channel "HAND-CARVED WOOD" shows the features of geometric carving for beginners.

Women's view of woodcarving. Channel tatiankacarving shows us how to make flower petals and leaves.

Konstantin Belyaev on his channel he talks in detail about the cutters for woodcarving.

And on this video Ivan the Builder shows how to make relief plane carving:

We will be very happy if this article inspired you to take up woodcarving!

Depending on which master, what technique he has, what plan the carving can be done in different types. It can be both simple and complex. There are various types of woodcarving: relief carving, flat-relief, volumetric, as well as flat-cutting and slotted thread. Now we will characterize these types of threads separately.

flat washing divided into two types, the first type - geometric ornament, second view - planimetric contour, which is sometimes also called a floral ornament. By the name of this type, you can guess in what technique the work will be performed. This carving will consist of notches, which together will make up the contour lines, cut to a certain depth.

geometric carving or geometric ornament, it is so called because it is made of circles, triangles, almond-shaped recesses, rosettes, stars, the so-called geometric elements. Depending on how many excavation elements you take, this will be the ornament.

There is another ornament - contour. I also call it in our literature as vegetable. But, in my opinion, we need to delve into this concept, since contour drawing is often performed in the technique with contour carving. This carving technique is a bit similar to metal engraving, the difference is that the grooves made, which make up the contour lines on the wood, have a greater width and depth, and the tools have a different sharpening. The contour carving in execution is very simple. This carving can be done on any wood and on plywood with a semicircular chisel or an ordinary joint knife.

relief carving

One of the most distinguishing features of this type is that we select the background around the ornament to the same depth. The edges of this ornament can be rolled up. There is also another type in which the ornament can be deepened into the wood, and the background on the surface will remain intact. It is not difficult to perform this type of carving, but you are tormented by cleaning and choosing a plane or background of an in-depth ornament on your own. This process can be facilitated with a manual milling machine. The background of your ornament can be minted. With the help of embossing, you can smooth out the bumps that form during manual processing, and improve the visual effect of your creation. You can also apply various deepenings to the background: cells, grooves, grooves, using small incisors.

slotted thread

This wood carving has no background. If we remove the background in a flat-relief ornament, then we get a slotted carving. In products like a box, for expressiveness and delicacy, colored paper or fabric is placed underneath.

relief carving

main goal our study guide- this will share experience with the masters, and help novice carvers to master this carving. Without taking into account other types of thread, we will dwell on relief carving, as it is complicated in execution and development. If we make ornamental products using the technique of relief carving, then they will be very decorative and expressive.

Relief woodcarving has long been used by the Russian people in Orthodox churches. And in our time, some monuments of Russian architecture and art have been preserved, for example: the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. relief carving with painting and gilding is unusually and solemnly beautiful.

Now let's decipher the relief. Relief is a bulge or convex ornament on a plane, or a combination of various irregularities on the surface of our earth's crust.

bas-relief(low relief) - a sculptural ornament or image, convex above a flat surface of wood less than one second of its thickness.

High relief this is a sculptural ornament or image that can protrude above some plane by at least half the thickness of the entire sculpture. These definitions clearly show that relief carving is divided into two types: 1) high relief - with high relief, 2) bas-relief - with low relief.

Volumetric thread, it is also called sculptural. Unlike the previous types, voluminous objects are trimmed with this carving from several sides or even from all. In architecture, these are columns of balconies, wooden columns, carved balusters, etc. Furniture legs are often trimmed with volumetric carvings. These details may well be considered sculptural images.

If you want to make your project special, add eye-catching elements. To do this, try your hand at relief carving, using simple methods and inexpensive tools, to carve this elegant “royal lily” with your own hands in a couple of hours.

Sharpness in wood carving above all

Cutting wood with blunt tools is almost like driving a car with a faulty steering gear. Both are possible, but the result will not be good, and you are in danger. If the material is chipping away in small slivers instead of easily chipping off in thin chips, it's time to sharpen your blades.

If the tool is relatively new, sometimes a quick dressing of the cutting edge is sufficient. But if you want to restore the performance of the old chisel, you have to work a little longer. First of all, with the help of a router, make a rounding on the edge of the board, corresponding to the radius of the groove of the chisel.

Glue a strip of 120-160 grit sandpaper onto the rounded edge.

Sand the surface of the groove so that it is smooth and has an even sheen (Step 1). Continue the process with finer abrasives (up to #800) until the groove is perfectly smooth. After completing this operation, align the cutting edge at right angles to the edges of the blade using a coarse diamond insert (Step 2). Then, on a low-speed, water-cooled grinder (called a "wet" grinder), reshape the bevel (Step 3).

Use a medium grit abrasive stone to sharpen the cutting edge. Keeping the bevel in contact with the abrasive at the same angle, move the blade from side to side to evenly sand the entire surface (Step 4). Then do the same on the fine-grained water stone. Finally, polish the cutting edge to a mirror finish on a piece of leather belt with polishing paste. Now you can start carving again!

Tools and materials for woodcarving

While you can cut any material, we recommend starting with woods that have a soft, uniform density that lend themselves particularly well to chiseling, such as lime or walnut. For the first steps in mastering the technique of carving, you will need only a few tools, but, as with any hobby, as the skill grows, so will the number of tools used.

First of all, we advise you to purchase a 6 mm corner, 12 mm shelving and 10 mm semicircular chisels, which will successfully cope with most carving tasks, as well as a pointed needle file for processing narrow recesses. Keep tools sharp; blunt cutters leave a rough mark and require a lot of force to cut through the material, which leads to breaks and can cause injury (see the “Sharpness First” section).

Transfer the drawing

To transfer the contours of the pattern to the wood, use carbon paper (photo A). Fix the workpiece by placing a non-slip mat for car trunks on the bottom.

Protect your left hand from scratches and cuts with a durable glove. Note. When carving, take into account the direction of the wood fibers, as the tool tends to follow the fibers, and not along the intended contour line. Working across the fibers, make shallow cuts to avoid chipping.

Cutting contours

Using a corner chisel, first mark the contours of the sling and cut them to the final depth (about 3 mm) (photo B). The left hand guides the tool, while the right hand pushes it forward, overcoming the resistance of the wood. Try to keep the cut surface smooth and uniform.

Note. Take your time and don't try to cut too deep. By cutting the material little by little, it is easier to control the process and avoid chipping. Never point the cutter blade in your direction. If necessary, rotate the workpiece so that the cutter is moving away from you or parallel to your chest.

Once you've cut out the outline of the bandage, move on to the center petal of the lily, starting at the top (photo C) and then to the rest of the petals above and below the band (photo D). Align the depth of all contour grooves, cut the material above and below the bandage (photo E). Deepen the contours of the bandage with a corner chisel.

Round the petals

With a narrow semi-circular chisel, make grooves about 2 mm deep on both sides of the center line of the top petal (photo F). Start shaping the volume of all the petals with a sloping chisel (photos G and H). Soften the transitions between the flats and the vertical grooves of the top petal by cutting away a little, so that small depressions form on both sides of the central vein, smoothly merging into bulges at the outer edges of the petal.

Thread cleaning

Even if you try to make accurate and accurate movements with your chisels, it is almost inevitable that there will be a few rough spots that need to be refined or cleaned (photos I and J). Brief advice! Wipe the threads with a cloth lubricated with mineral spirits to reveal minor defects that may go unnoticed. After completing the processing in the form and making sure that all the shortcomings are eliminated, you can proceed to finishing.

A colorless finish retains the natural color of the wood, but the relief can be accentuated by increasing the contrast with a stain applied several times to areas that should appear deeper and more shady.

Do-it-yourself embossed woodcarving - master class

108 Beads 8mm Real Sandalwood Buddhist Buddha Wood Prayer...

Of all the types of carving, the relief technique is one of the most expressive. Realistic wooden bas-reliefs, with accurate detailing, spectacular play of shadows and well-constructed composition, can truly fascinate. Relief technique can be regarded as a transitional stage to sculptural carving, rightfully considered the crowning achievement of carved art.

In this material, we will talk about the basic principles of embossed woodcarving. Our advice will be useful not only for beginner carvers, but also for masters who have already tried their hand at this technique. On the example of the proposed project, you will get acquainted with the basic principles of clean and accurate cutting, learn how to correctly model the volume, master professional secrets that will help emphasize the three-dimensional qualities of the carved composition.

What is the difference between relief carving and other techniques?

Relief technique is distinguished from flat-relief, contour, geometric and other types of non-volumetric carving, first of all, by its emphasized three-dimensional character. The main composition here comes to the fore due to the cropped background, due to which the image becomes more expressive, with a characteristic abundance of chiaroscuro.

If the main drawing of the composition rises only slightly, no more than half of the thickness of the entire product, then such a thread is called bas-relief (and the product itself is a bas-relief). With a higher and protruding relief, the carving is called high relief.

Beginner's Toolkit

To learn wood carving, it is not at all necessary to acquire an arsenal of chisels, knives and other cutters, as many tend to think. To master the basic skills of relief technique, several corner chisels (geimus) will be enough, for example, 10 mm and 6 mm, straight chisel 12 mm, radius (semicircular) 10 mm, scoring knife and a small engraver. Other types of chisels for woodcarving are appropriate to acquire as the carving skill grows.

Always keep your tool sharp. If the cutter leaves a rough mark and chips off the wood in small chips, instead of easily peeling off neat layers, this is a sure sign that the chisel needs to be sharpened. A blunt tool spoils the quality of work, requires a lot of effort when carving and does not allow a novice carver to correctly “feel” the chisel.

What wood to choose for relief carving?

The right choice of wood is the key to success for the master, mastering the intricacies of this technique. Almost all soft hardwoods are optimal for the needs of carvers: aspen, alder, birch, walnut, etc. But the main wood for most craftsmen, who are engaged not only in volume, but also in flat, flat, geometric and other types of woodcarving, is linden.

Linden is a soft and light wood with a uniform density, due to which it is particularly well processed: it is easy to cut, sharpen and plan in all directions. Linden almost does not warp and does not dry out, does not emit tannins, therefore it is considered an ideal raw material, including for the manufacture of dishes. The disadvantage of linden is its poor coloring in other colors.

Development of relief carving skills on the example of the project "Fox"

We will tell you step by step how to make a bas-relief carving on a tree using the example of a simple Fox project. As a blank, we recommend using a saw cut of linden or an ordinary board from any other soft hardwood.

To transfer the drawing to a wooden base, carbon paper is used, as the simplest and most effective solution. If necessary, the lines of carbon paper can be easily erased, making the necessary changes as you go. To prevent the pattern from shifting during the transfer process, fix the wooden blank or place a rubber backing under it. Think about where to place the image in order to make the composition look more lively and interesting. In our case, we will shift it from the center to the bottom (photo 1).

To cut the outer contour, use a corner chisel #12 (blade width 10 mm/corner 60°). It will allow not only to make a neat outline of the main figure, but also immediately remove a significant part of the background (photo 2).

Technique for cutting with a corner chisel:

  • Hold the tool tightly with your left hand, and push it forward with your right hand; the correct grip of the chisel will allow you to accurately guide the cutter, keep a neat cut line and prevent the blade from slipping off the contour.
  • Mark the main contour of the lines with a cutter, then cut them to the desired depth (in our case 4-5 mm). By cutting the wood a little at a time, you will have better control over the carving process and reduce the risk of chipping.
  • Overcoming the resistance of the wood, evenly distribute the pressure on the chisel, achieving a smooth and uniform surface.
  • When working with a chisel, consider the direction of the wood fibers, because. the incisor always tends to move along solid annual rings.
  • Under no circumstances point the chisel in your direction: cut away from you or hold the tool parallel to your chest.
  • Work with the chisel right behind the pencil lines, leaving them visible.

The essence of embossed woodcarving lies in the correct and accurate removal of the background. Mastering this skill is a responsible task for a novice carver. Radius chisels (semicircular or sloping) help to remove a lot of background with minimal effort. In our case, we will leave the background of the composition in the form of wide decorative grooves (photo 3). If necessary, it can be made even using a flat chisel.

Having formed the background, we will return to the corner chisel and once again “finish” we will walk along the contour of the main composition (photo 4). After we trim the background (photo 5).

Corner chisels are optimal as a tool for fine contouring #15 (blade width 6 mm/corner 45°) or #16 (blade width 6 mm/corner 35°).

Outline the fox's eye, keeping the pencil outline (Pic 6). Go down and work on the mouth: carefully select the background around the teeth and inside the mouth (photo 7). Be guided by the volume and laws of perspective in the composition: since the front teeth are in the foreground, they should be slightly overestimated. Work on the nose area.

To work out the shape of the head, use a radius (sloping) chisel with a width 10 mm. Start with the ears: make the left ear in the foreground taller (Pic 8).

Round the shape of the head (Pic 9), making a smooth transition to the muzzle, which should remain flatter and without pronounced volume (Pic 10).

When working on specific areas, do not forget to periodically evaluate the overall composition: how well the volume flows, how the perspective is worked out, etc. Here, every detail is interconnected with each other. Relief carving should be perceived as an integral composition, and not a collage from a set of carved elements.

To work on this element, use a cerasik - a deep semicircular chisel with a width 5 mm(photo 11). This narrow tool is well suited for working out small elements and creating sheet relief.

Make a neat trim around the entire perimeter of the sheet so that it stands out well from the overall composition and, as it were, is torn off from the background (photo 12). Having outlined the main contour and selected the background around the sheet, proceed to cut out the veins (photo 13). When you have finished shaping the relief, cut off all the remaining flat places with a engraver (photo 14).

Create a deep shadow above the eye with a scoring knife, line the lower eyelid with the chisel, and give the eye a roundness (Pic 15).

Finish with a cutter the study of small elements of the mouth (photo 16).

Imitating the texture of wool is an important skill that every carver needs to work out, because in the future you will repeatedly encounter the carving of various animals. In the presented project, fox fur is created according to the simplest scheme: cerazik 5 mm short and shallow strokes are made (arrows indicate the direction of natural growth of the animal's hair) (photo 17).

For greater naturalism, you can work out the texture of the wool with a thin steel cutter - a chisel. Work on the texture until there is not a single flat spot left.

How to clean wood carving?

With careful work, the sharpest cutters almost always remain rough spots and minor defects that need to be eliminated. For cleaning recessed places and trimming small chips, use a small engraver. Volumetric surfaces are cleaned sandpaper P150. To finally make sure that there are no unnoticed minor defects, wipe the picture with a rag soaked in white spirit, and once again carefully examine it from different angles. When all the flaws are cleaned, you can start finishing.

How to cover wood carving?

For a monochromatic finish, the following compositions are used:

wood stain . In flat-relief carving, they are used not only to give the wood a more noble appearance. With the help of stains, they enhance the contrast of certain areas, they, in turn, emphasize the relief and volume of the composition. To achieve this effect, it is enough to apply stain to deep sections of the thread, which should appear shaded.

If you decide to completely tint your work, you need to use the stain carefully, taking into account the type of wood and the features of the workpiece on which the composition is carved. Under the influence of moisture, a small-relief carving can swell, warp, it can form a raised pile and other defects that will irreparably spoil the appearance of the work. A common flaw in the staining of threads is the heterogeneity of tone, which is especially often manifested in the places where the bars are glued together.