The Wonders of Wood Carving Art

Wood Carving is one of the most ancient arts in Human History, it exists since the first men in prehistory, and it is considered the fundamental woodwork method. Carved designs appear in furniture design, in the building components of our homes and places of worship, in the household items we use daily and as mesmerizing and beautiful decorative sculptures.

All its techniques are connected to handcrafted woodworking and usually use a cutting tool in one hand, a chisel with both hands or a chisel with one hand and a mallet with the other. The wood carving techniques always create wooden figures or sculptural ornaments of wooden objects.

Carving wood by hand involves innumerous methods and tools to turn the original raw piece into a finished work of art. The traditional carving tools that are used most often are: chisels, knifes, gouges, hammers, along with sanding, painting or other methods to carefully finish projects. Wood is a very light material that can take very fine detail and it’s easier to sculpt than stone. Being an easy material to find in nature and due to its versatility, it was always a favorite for artists.

A talented master wood carver needs to be able to adapt several different techniques and skills that take years of trial and error, practice and dedication to learn. This ancient art is always learnt with the experienced master artisans that pass their precious knowledge to the young generations.