The Process of Carving a Leaf

Tracing A Hickory Leaf
Tracing A Hickory Leaf
Most carvings start from a two-dimensional view. The hardest part, for me, is getting my mind's eye to see the third dimension from multiple angles.
Cut Out The Title
Cut Out The Title
Cut the pattern and retain markings for features with holes drilled for eyes, nose, and mouth.
Hooked Skew (homemade)
Hooked Skew (homemade)
This tool will do all of the carving for this project. I made it from a piece of a sawmill bandsaw blade. The shaft is a pole barn nail that I brazed to the cutting edge.
Starting The Cut
Starting The Cut
The Hooked Skew knife easily traces a line with an angled cut. Think of it as half of a V-tool.
Isolating the Nose
Isolating the Nose
I'm removing the wood from around the nose to give it some depth. I'll shape the nose later.
Starting on a Leaflet
Starting on a Leaflet
Since Hickory produces a cluster of leaflets, I've started shaping one of the leaflets.
Leaflets Roughed Out
Leaflets Roughed Out
I've roughed out three of the five leaflets.
Starting on The Eyes
Starting on The Eyes
Shaping the eyes. I'll make these eyes oval, not round, because it's a tree, not an animal. I've already drilled out the pupils.
Rough Out Completed
Rough Out Completed
The basic shapes for the leaflet have been roughed out.
Texture Added
Texture Added
Finish the shaping by adding a sawtooth edge to each leaflet.
Finished
Finished
Finished with Howards mix of orange oil, beeswax, and carnauba wax.

Some types of wood carving or sculpture require years of practice and loads of talent. Yet, aspiring artists need a place to start...a place to see if carving might be a suitable avocation. The image gallery below shows the simple steps I made using two primary tools: A jig saw to cut the pattern and a "hooked skew" carving knife. The knife shown is homemade from a bandsaw blade, but commercial models are readily available. It is one of the most versatile tools I have.

I grew up on a farm in Hickman County, TN, that has been in our family for well over 100 years. After my career with USDA, I retired here in 2002--glad to be home. I have about 15 acres of grass to mow plus 100 acres of forest. I manage my trees. I favor my stand of high quality white oak. I convert wind-blown trees into firewood to heat my house. I have open areas that give habitat to deer and wild turkeys. Sometimes I gain a little income as I weed and cull my trees before making a major harvest some day.

Several years ago, I found a large Butternut Walnut that had matured. I had it sawed into slabs, and I saved the major limbs. It has been a convenient source of great wood for carving and sculpting. I have a couple of slide shows below that illustrate my carving process with some handmade tools. I have a good assortment of commercial tools, but my favorite tools are those I've made from a sawmill bandsaw blade.

If you see something you would like to purchase, please contact me below. If you would like to commission a work, please send me photographs of what you want. I will review and get back to you...if it is something that I can do.

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