No matter what type of carving you do, a basic set of hand carving tools is essential. Many carving beginners or carving enthusiasts often don't know what to carve after they have taken the initiative to purchase basic carving tools because of their interest. In fact, you can choose from a wide range of carving styles. Whether it is wood carving, stone carving, metal carving, you can use a set of basic carving tools to complete a simple work. To help you open up your carving ideas, this blog will introduce you to several creations that can be accomplished using basic carving tools.
What are the basic engraving tools?
A set of basic engravingĀ toolsĀ contains carving props with different blades and some small accessories, we need to understand the main purpose of each different tool.
Flat blade: The flat blade is the most commonly used and basic carving tool. It has a straight blade and is suitable for large areas of chipping and trimming work. Use it to quickly remove excess material, no matter what you are carving.
Arc Knife: With its curved cutting edge, it is suitable for carving curves and rounded details. For example, it can be used in wood carving to carve natural forms such as flower petals and leaves.
V-shaped knife: mainly suitable for carving fine lines and deep grooves, the mouth of the knife is āvā shaped, the user slightly increase the grip on the knife, it can be used to carve out deep lines and patterns.
Beveled Knife: The beveled edge of the knife is suitable for carving beveled surfaces and irregular shapes. Commonly used for carving animal hair and feathers; in stone carving or carving complex geometric patterns.
Hook Knife: Hook knives have a hooked edge and are suitable for carving deep grooves and intricate details.
Woodcarving
Wood carving is less difficult to start and is one of the most common forms of carving, you can accomplish many simple wood carvings using basic carving tools.
Carving small animals: Pick a small piece of softwood first carve the basic shape with a flat blade knife, then use a rounded blade knife to carve the details of the curvature, and use a V-shaped knife to deepen the carving lines, you can carve a variety of small animal shapes. For example, to carve a kitten, first use a flat-bladed knife to sharpen the general outline, then use a round-bladed knife to carve the rounded body and head, and finally use a V-shaped knife to carve the details of the eyes, nose and mouth.
Carving Flowers: Using a round and beveled mouth knife, you can carve a variety of flower shapes. Because flowers are more detailed, it is recommended that you trace the base shape with a pencil on the wood now and then shape it with a flat blade. Then use the round cutter to carve the curves of the petals and finally use the beveled mouth knife to carve the details of the leaves and stems.
Stone Carving
Stone carving is a more complex form of carving, but some simple stone carvings can be accomplished using basic carving tools.
Carving Simple Geometric Shapes: By choosing a piece of soft stone and using both flat and beveled knives, you can carve a variety of simple geometric shapes. For example, to carve a cube, use a flat-bladed knife to cut out the rough outline, then use a beveled knife to carve out the details of each face. To carve a round stone sphere, you can use a round cutter to carve a circular arc.
Carving Natural Forms: Some of the most common stone carvings draw on some natural elements to carve simple patterns of natural elements. This process only requires the use of circular knives, V-shaped knives and hook knives, and you can carve a variety of natural forms. For example, to carve a sun motif, first use a circle cutter to carve the shape of the sun sphere, then use a V-shaped cutter to carve the outline of the rays around the sun, and finally use a hook cutter to carve the fire details of the rays.
Metal Engraving
Basic engraving tools engraving metal can only be created in the metal shallow layer, in order to carve three-dimensional exquisite metal engraving works, but also need to use a pneumatic engraving machineĀ andĀ stereo microscopeĀ a class of professional engraving tools. So, using the basic engraving tools, you can first try to engrave the following simple types of works.
Carving simple patterns: Using a V-shaped knife and a hook knife, you can carve simple patterns on a metal plate. For example, to carve a star pattern, first use the V-knife to carve the outline of the star, and then use the hook knife to carve the details and decorative patterns of the star.
Engraving Text: This is the most common type of easy metal engraving. Using only a V-knife and a hook knife, you can engrave text on a metal plate to create a unique, exclusive metal nameplate. For example, engrave your birthday and initials on the metal plate, then use the V-knife to carve out the outline of the text, and the hook knife to carve out the details of the text and the decorative motifs. Finally, cut the metal plate into a circle or square and a metal nameplate is complete.
Conclusion.
A basic set of hand carving tools, while simple, can help you with many different types of carvings. Whether you are carving in wood, stone or metal, once you master the use of each tool, you will be able to create your own unique pieces. By understanding the carving steps for the relevant carving types presented in this article, it can help you carving beginners to find simple carving ideas and inspire creativity. Pick up this set of basic carving tools and start your carving journey!
