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Picture frame

Mark Ivan Fortune carves a pierced rosewood picture frame in the Art Nouveau style

Ornate wooden frame against stone wall, no picture.

This Art Nouveau pierced rosewood frame, characterised by its intricate linear design and sinuous flowing scrolled acanthus leaves, is an ideal subject study for the student woodcarver. This project presents some challenging elements on which to hone your carving skills. 

Regarding the design and execution, the more complex the form the more you must vary the symmetry, the word ‘symmetry’ referring here not to mirrored reflection but to the balance of mass. You must strive to evoke contrast both in variation of width in line, which is expressed within the confines of the design, and variation in depth in the execution of the design. This may be achieved by taking full advantage of the depth of the blank, visualising where the leaves and stems dip and rise and making the cuts accordingly. It is of the utmost importance that the ground of the inner frame is not truly flat, but a representation of a flat surface, with subtle facets created by the flat gouge giving a quality of life and vibrancy. Arguably the most challenging phase of the carving is in the modelling, as in modelling we must rely not only on good technique and well-prepared tools but, most importantly, on an artistic sensibility. The mere application of technique will inevitably result in a stiff mechanical outcome. 

Table of Contents

Things you will need

Tools:
• No.1, 10mm
• No.2, 10mm skew chisel
• No.3, 14mm fishtail gouge
• No.4, 8mm
• No.5, 3mm
• No. 7, 6 & 11mm 
• No.8, 10mm
• No.39, 17mm V-tool 
• Fretsaw
• Padsaw
• Router
• Marking gauge
• Marking knife
• Paint scraper

Materials:
• Rosewood or mahogany blank: 235 x 165 x 10mm
• Rosewood or mahogany backing 143 x 110 x 1.5mm 
• PVA glue (for gluing to MDF backing board) 
• MDF backing board
• Raw linseed oil
• Beeswax polish 

Drawing

Ornate oval wooden picture frame with leaf design.
Red line shows backing board

Creating the frame

Hand carving intricate wood design with a tool.
1. Glue the templates directly to the surface of the wood. Cut out the 2mm backing plate. Then cut out the frame and inner frame
Craftsman carving wood with hand knife.
2. Looking through the opening from the front carefully align the backing board –  you can use Sticky Tack or similar to steady the positioning. Holding the backing firmly in place, trace around it with a marking knife, scoring the back of the frame. To prevent the knife’s tendency to grain follow, make a shallow first pass, getting progressively deeper
Hands operating a vintage mechanical device on wood.
3. Mark the depth of the recess with a marking gauge and rout the cutout at the back of the frame to a depth of 2mm to receive the backing. If you do not have access to a router you can achieve the same results by grounding out with your carving tools in the usual manner. Ensure a snug friction fit, then set aside the backing plate
Woodworker carving intricate floral design on wooden piece.
4. Drill and scroll the pierced sections. It is worth taking your time making smooth, accurate cuts as it will save time in the carving stage. It is always best to mark the waste clearly with a coloured pencil to avoid the potential for mistakes
Close-up of intricate wood carving in progress
5. Glue the blank to an MDF backing board with a few sheets of paper sandwiched between, clamp and allow to set. Gauge/mark a line a little over half the remaining thickness on the inner frame. On the outside of the frame gouge a line 3mm from the ground
Hand carving intricate wood design.
6. Ground out the outlines of the leaves with a V-tool, leaving any complex parts till the later stages. As the handle hand advances the tool through the cut the lower hand resists the cut, giving complete control and manipulation over the tool. Rotate the V-tool so it cuts at 90° on the leaf side
Hand carving detailed wooden design with chisel.
7. With a No.3 fishtail gouge, drop the inner ring to its baseline. Strop the tool before cutting to achieve a nice, clean finish. Use a skew chisel to access any of the hard-to-reach recesses, deepening the ground where required
Hand carving intricate design into wood
Hand carving intricate chocolate design

8. Avoid using any stab cuts running with the grain here as there is little weight to buttress the cleaving forces. Rather establish the outline of the sloping forked sections with the V-tool rotated to cut at 90°, and merely pare the sidewall with a flat No.3 gouge to define its form

Hand carving intricate pattern into wood block.
Linocut carving on woodblock art project

9. Carefully make two shallow cuts with a V-tool, separating the rolling leaf and entangled stem which passes through the leaf head. Rotate the tool so it cuts at 90° on the stem side

Hand carving intricate woodblock design in progress.
Hand carving details into wooden sculpture

10. With a No.5, 3mm stab the junction of the stem and leaf head using a vertical slicing cut. Clean the outer section to a crisp V at the root

Hand carving wood with a chisel.
Close-up of carving wood with a chisel tool.

11. With a No.4, 8mm stab and lower the leaf so it appears to dip under the stem. Modelling is a gradual process as we have a lot of interdependent elements. Take it slowly before you commit to depth. You will probably find yourself going back and forth between these steps until you reach the desired forms

Hand chiselling intricate wood carving design
12. With a No.7, 6mm carve the tapering cupped stem. This leans over towards the central frame
Carving wood with a detailed design template.
13. Round over the back of the head of the leaf with an inverted No.4, 8mm. The ground can be deepened around the head to lend more shadow as required
Close-up of hand carving intricate wood design.
14. Separate the lobes of the rolling leaf head with a V-tool. With an inverted No.4, 8mm pare the lobes into a pleasing tilting, stacked form. Well-defined corners of the gouge are essential to achieving a good, clean cut. As the rolling leaf is an essential mass within the carving, it is worth taking the time to achieve a pleasing form
Person carving intricate wood design with tool.
15. Take advantage of the full depth of the blank. Using a No.9, 5mm carve down just short of the base at the knuckle of the leaf. Part the two finger-like lobes with a V-tool and round over so as to give the appearance of reaching up on to the inner frame
Close-up of intricate wood carving in progress.
16. The central vein is formed by making two parallel cuts with a No.9, 5mm creating a central ridge
Close-up of woodcarving in progress with chisel.
17. Part the lobes with a V-tool and round over the forms with an inverted No.4, 8mm
Hand carving intricate wood design with chisel tool.
18. With an inverted No.4, 8mm round over the back of the wrist. This should flow smoothly, forming a crisp V at the junction where the two leaves meet. The other lobes of this leaf are treated as in steps 15 to 17. Hollow out the outer stem with a No.7, 11mm. Use opposing cuts with the grain to achieve a smooth finish
Hand carving intricate wooden design with chisel.
19. Round over the outer stem with an inverted No.4, 8mm, creating a smooth-flowing curved ridge, seamlessly transitioning into the leaf
Hand carving intricate wood design with chisel.
20. With a small No.5, 3mm continue the hollow section of the stem as if flowing under the lobes – it may take a little tinkering to achieve the right curve. With the same tool in hand, slightly undercut the tips of the lobes
Hand carving intricate wooden design
21. Finish the union of the two meeting stems with a simple abstract diamond shape surrounded by interlocking stems. The diamond is formed with four cuts of a No.1, 10mm
Wood carving in progress with chisel tool.
22. The rolling leaves at the top of the frame are formed as with the previous leaf forms; parting with a V-tool and rounding over with an inverted No.4, 8mm
Close-up of woodcarving with hand tool.
23. Hollow out the leaves with a No.8, 10mm and round over the parted stem with an inverted No.5, 3mm
Hand carving intricate wooden design with tool.
24. With a small No.5, 3mm gouge, cut the underlying stem so it generally conforms to the same profile as the concave stem. This does not need to be exact
Craftsman carving detailed wooden frame by hand.
25. With a paint scraper, avoiding the sides and without levering, work the scraper under the carving from each end until it lifts
Hand brushing intricate wooden frame with tools nearby.
26. Finish the carving with a coat of linseed oil. When the oil has dried, apply an even coat of beeswax polish with a toothbrush, wait till the beeswax hardens and buff with a stiff brush

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