Relief Carving In Wood: A Practical Introduction

by Chris Pye

A complete carving tutorial, leading you in detail through the process of carving in both low and high relief. It’s the next best thing to having the master by your side as you learn to carve. Each stage is illustrated with and line drawings, and the book answers many of the questions that beginners may ask.

Genres: Woodwork

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1998

Reviews

[michael asher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for the beginner or skilled carver who wants to try relief carving. The book takes 2 carvings a low & a high relief carvings of a fish. It goes into good detail of what & why you have to do at any given time during the course. You will need about 11 carving tools and a way too sharpen them. It is a good book for getting the skills you need to go & try your own project with a greater feel of confidence.

[Edmund de Wight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been working on my carving skills for a while now. Still a rank amateur but it's a marathon, not a sprint. I have seen Mr. Pye's work online and he is a master of his craft.
I wanted this book for a long time and finally found a cheap copy so poof, instant purchase.
Wow.
Great beginner's guide and help for those who are still in the 'amateur' phase of carving. He covers everything from tools to where wood comes from (snooty answer: trees) to low and finally high relief carving.
They call this the 'fish book' because he only has 1 project done 2 ways. Personally I think that was brilliant as it lets him focus on every detail of the process rather than trying to show readers a plethora of items.
I learned a couple things about clearing my background I didn't know before as well as a couple tricks that will definitely improve my carving. I may be focused more on low relief and woodblock carving for printing but the skills in this book will help me going forward.
If you want to carve, this is a great book.