Wood Carving Classes in Person

Fundamentals of Carving -Marc Adams School of Woodworking
2021-04-06 08:00 - 2021-04-10 17:00 UTC | Marc Adams School of Woodworking, 5504 E 500 N, Franklin, IN, 46131, United States
This class is designed to be an introduction to basic carving skills and would be perfect for any furniture maker who wants to take his or her work to the next level. Alexander will introduce the student to the design process and ways to embellish their furniture as well as give it character. He will start by sharing his sharpening techniques which he calls “sharpening on steroids.” This is a production style of sharpening that is fast and precise, which he uses every day that he carves. Demonstrations will also include how to use carving gouges the old fashioned way – by hand. This class will cover tool selection, how to work with grain issues in the wood, planning the cut, ways to carve safely, how to clamp the wood without damaging the carving, and subtle tips and tricks in getting the best use out of your gouges. Students will start with carving a basic relief of floral decoration, then move on to a more advanced relief carving of a classical acanthus leaf design, and finally will move on to carve a classic shell design in relief. Alexander will explain how to think through a carving project in order to make the carving process the most efficient. He will also demonstrate how to carve the linen-fold design, how to carve grapes or beads, and how to carve lettering.
Key Points:
*Sharpening gouges
*How to properly hold gouges for safety & efficiency
*How to lower down the background for relief carving
*How to work with wood grain issues
*How to carve a basic floral decoration
*How to carve a more advanced classical acanthus leaf decoration
*How to carve a classical scallop shell carving
*Tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your gouges
*Demonstrations on linen-fold design, grapes, and letter carving

Low Relief Carving for Furniture – Marc Adams School of Woodworking
2020-09-19 08:00 - 2020-09-20 17:00
Low relief Carving for furniture, also known as the Flemish or Liège style was very popular from the 16th to the 19th century in Belgium-French culture. It also migrated to England and was incorporated by Great Furniture makers such as Thomas Chippendale.
In this Class we will discover the beauty and beauty and richness of low relief carving.

We will learn
The design approach to Low relief. – How to make it look very 3d even if it only 1/8” (3mm) deep

We will learn
The Law of Space. – How to emphasize parts of a Design – “The Big Idea” position in Space
The Law of Main Movement – How to be “on the same page” with the Human Brain. Baroque diagonal vs Sinister diagonal in Artistic Design.
The Law of Armature- How to Structure overall Design and be “Kosher” (clean) in it.
The Law of Golden Ratio – How to implement Fibonacci Sequence – the Art Secret for Pleasing Human eye
The Law of Arabesque – How to implement Natural Flowing Movements in Design
The Law of Rhythm in Design. How to apply what is known to the Music world to Design for Wood Carving.

Carving process of Low relief. – Special Techniques of Low Relief Carving… Yes, it is much different from normal woodcarving.
Sharpening Wood Carving Tools- How to sharpen Your Tools without wasting valuable time.

By the Way. Low relief carving is not limited to the furniture and cabinetmaking world. There is no limit of what You can do with this style of wood carving.

Carving with a Classical Flair – Marc Adams School of Woodworking
2020-09-14 08:00 - 2020-09-18 17:00
So this week will be an opportunity to study under one of the best carvers in the world. Alexander will start the class off with an in-depth study of how to sharpen carving tools in the most productive and fastest way. Students will carve a project that will include the technique of using carving tools to do the majority of outlining and defining the lines of the design. Alexander will help students learn how to think in 3D and discuss how to make the tools do a variety of cuts, even when the wood grain is not cooperating. Students will learn the technique of thinking through the entire carving process from start to finish which will make the carving process efficient. Then it’s on to more advanced carving including the technique of drawing and carving in the classical tradition. As the week proceeds and students begin to get a feel for the carving process, Alexander will answer the biggest question in carving designs; how does a carver create the BIG idea? Alexander and all of the students will design a project together by employing the most ancient math method. This method could be used in any type of woodcarving including carving for furniture or carving in 3D (carving in-round) or just in ornamental or architectural types of wood carving.
Key Points:
*Classical design development for carving–the ancient art of design
*How to think in 3D before you carve–the art of composition
*How to properly use wood carving tools for safety and efficiency
*How to work with wood grain issues
*How to carve a classical design applicable to any type of woodcarving (furniture, ornamental, architectural)
*How to sharpen wood carving tools fast and efficient
*Tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your carvings
