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Thursday, September 1, 2016

Step-by-Step Relief Carving

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By Jim Hingst

Most of my woodcarvings are relief carvings. If you follow a few basic steps, it is easy to carve even the most intricate designs.

After transferring  the pattern to the wood panel (photo #1), outline the design using a V-parting tool. For this process, I also use a chip carving knife if the wood is brittle or the design is extremely intricate.

Photo #1


Next remove the background to the depth desired (photo #2). The thickness of the board that I am carving is 1-½” thick. I decided to cut the background down to ¾”.  As a guide, I marked a line along the perimeter of the board. 

In removing the background, you do not necessarily need to carve right up to design. In many cases, you can do this in two steps. First, do a rough cut, carving away the bulk of the wood around the design. A #5 fishtail gouge is great for roughing out a job. Then, carve the remaining wood around the design. 

Doing a rough cut first preserves any of the fine detail that could chip away if you try to carve every thing all at once. In one respect, it serves the same purpose as a relief cut. I also advise against using stop cuts to define the outline of the design.  Often a stop cut, in which you are using a gouge to cut perpendicular to the surface of the board, can split apart the fibers of the wood.

Photo #2

After removing the background, you can carve the basic shapes of the design (photo #3).

Photo # 3


Gradually, define these basic shapes. To create the illusion of depth, I do a lot of undercutting (photo #4). See my article Undercutting to Create Drama in Relief Carvings.

Photo #4


In finishing the carving, I first treated the wood with  Tung Oil.  For more information read Finishing with Tung Oil. 

Real Milk Paint Pure Tung Oil




● 100% Pure Tung Oil without any additives and no thinners.
● Penetrates deeply into the wood fibers providing water resistance.
● Enhances the natural beauty of wood.
● Excellent finish for woodcarvings, wood bowls and wood flooring.  
● Produces an elastic oil finish, which expands and contracts with changes in the substrate. 


 After the Tung  oil had cured, I applied a very light colored stain and then a polyurethane wiping varnish (photo #5). See my story Applying a Wiping Varnish to Your Carving.

Photo #5


The final step was to apply a dark paste wax to accentuate the shadow areas of the design and contrast with the highlights (photo #6). For easier application of the wax, I thin it with mineral spirits. I explain the details in  Thinning Paste Wax.

Photo #6

About Jim Hingst: After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.

Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer.  Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.

Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for  publications, such as  Signs Canada, SignCraft,  Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and  Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 400 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published.  Vinyl Sign Techniques is available at sign supply distributors and at Amazon. 

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