Relief Carving Wood Spirits, Revised Edition: A Step-By-Step Guide for Releasing Faces in Wood - Paperback

by Lora S. Irish (Author)

With this book any carver can stand beside the workbench of acclaimed artist Lora S. Irish and learn everything she has to teach about creating an expressive wood spirit. Lora clearly explains the relief carving process from start to finish: every cut, every tool change, and every depth check. The entire craft is here, from preparing the wood to roughing out and detailing the wood spirit to applying a long-lasting finish. No step is left out and no technique is left unexplained. The author shares her tips for creating realistic and detailed facial features like eyelids, windswept hair, beards, and the ever-important mustache. Best of all, when the step-by-step project is complete, Relief Carving Wood Spirits, Revised Edition offers 20 more original patterns to keep any carver busy for seasons to come.

Back Jacket

With their expressive features and legendary connection to nature, the wood spirit is a very popular carving subject. Once used to visually interpret the unpredictability of Mother Nature-from the blizzards to the soft sunshine-these "faces in leaves" are today used to accent gardens, decorate homes, and adorn all types of woodworking and crafts. If you've ever wanted to carve a wood spirit, or simply learn to carve, this comprehensive step-by-step tutorial from acclaimed carver and instructor Lora S. Irish will teach you everything you need to know. Follow along as she clearly explains and presents the carving process from start to finish-every cut, every tool change, and every depth check. Nothing is left to the imagination, no detail is left out, and it's the closest thing to pulling up a chair at her workbench. After you master the skills to complete the Grape Man Wood Spirit Project, you'll find 20 additional original patterns representing the Classic Wood Spirit, Lazy Days, North Wind Wood Spirit, and many more. What's inside the revised edition of Relief Carving Wood Spirits: " The history and legend of the wood spirit " Complete overview of all the necessary tools and woods " The entire process of relief carving: from preparing the wood to roughing out and detailing your wood spirit to applying the finish " Tips for creating realistic facial features and unique details-from the brow and eyelids to the windswept hair, beard, and mustache

Author Biography

Lora S. Irish is an internationally known artist and author, whose acclaimed books include
-The Art & Craft of Pyrography
-Easy & Elegant Beaded Copper Jewelry
-The Official Vampire Artist's Handbook
-101 Artistic Relief Patterns
-Wildlife Carving in Relief
-Modern Tribal Tattoo Designs
-Great Book of Tattoo Designs
-Relief Carving Wood Spirits
-Great Book of Floral Patterns
-Great Book of Celtic Patterns
-Great Book of Dragon Patterns
-Great Book of Fairy Patterns
-Great Book of Woodburning
-Classic Carving Patterns
-North American Wildlife Patterns for the Scroll Saw
-Wood Spirits and Green Men
-World Wildlife Patterns for the Scroll Saw
Fox has sold more than 300,000 copies of Irish's books.
In addition to her work as an author, in 1997, working from her home studio, Lora and her husband, Michael, created www.carvingpatterns.com, an Internet-based studio focusing on online tutorials, projects, and patterns created exclusively by Lora for crafters and artisans. The website offers more than 1,500 patterns in various subject categories, including Americana, Animal and Wildlife, Celtic Knots, Dragons and Beasts, Nautical and Sea Life, Spirit People, and many more. Lora continues to provide new patterns-and inspiration to many artists-at the site.
Lora also contributes a regular relief carving pattern column to Woodcarving Illustrated magazine and is a frequent contributor to Scroll Saw Woodworking and Crafts magazine.