Relief Carving

Relief carving is a technique where a motif is worked out of a wooden board so that it stands out three-dimensionally from the background. Unlike full sculpture, the motif remains connected to the background. Relief carvings can be found on furniture, doors, wooden ceilings, frames and altars.

In relief carving, the motif is first drawn onto the wood. Then the background is lowered so that the motif stands raised. Depending on the depth of the background, a distinction is made between bas-relief, high relief and mid-relief.

For relief carving you need not only carving knives but also gouges and chisels in various shapes and sizes. The workpiece is glued onto a wooden board with a paper backing and clamped so you can work with both hands.

Linden wood is particularly well suited, as it has an even, calm grain and can be cut well in all directions. For larger works, walnut, cherry or oak are also used.

Further Reading

• Chip Carving
• Figure Carving
• Ornament Carving