How to Carve Trees

sikadelic

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How did you learn to carve your trees? Are there any books that focus on that topic or good tutorials to watch?
What tools and bits do you prefer?

I would assume that it would be helpful to get some lumber to practice with, but I am sure carving lumber and trees are very diferent. How do you practice? I know at some point I will have to carve and I would like to learn and practice before I ever get near any of my trees.
 

QuintinBonsai

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Watch any of Graham Potter's videos on Youtube. He is a master in carving.
 

bonsaibp

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Check out Graham Potters videos on youtube also kevin wilson same place/ also a book called I think The Si-Diao Manual of Cheng, Cheng Kung
The biggest tips I can give are take your time and let the tool do the work, don't force it.
 

Vance Wood

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How did you learn to carve your trees? Are there any books that focus on that topic or good tutorials to watch?
What tools and bits do you prefer?

I would assume that it would be helpful to get some lumber to practice with, but I am sure carving lumber and trees are very diferent. How do you practice? I know at some point I will have to carve and I would like to learn and practice before I ever get near any of my trees.

It sure is a lot harder than Graham Potter makes it look. He is kind of the go to guy if you want to learn this art he is really good at it. Graham puts together these masterpiece carvings that look like God's work, my carving right now, looks like somebody threw a chain saw at something just to see what it would do.
 

sikadelic

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Thanks for the replies so far. I do recall watching many of Graham's videos and he is indeed one of the best I have ever seen.
 

Dav4

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I suppose you can watch people carve and that may give you some insight into the skill. Still, to develop a skill like carving, I think you just have to bite the bullet and do it. Study the trees with the deadwood features and carved areas that you appreciate, figure out what technique the artist used to achieve that feature, and then try it out. There are multiple methods to carve and create or work deadwood and power tools are just one method. Figure out what you want to do and decide which technique will work best, then go for it.

Pic 1- power tools and fiber pulling
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Pic 2 Fiber pulling
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Pic 3 Hand of God
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Pic 4 power tools, hand carvers, and carpenter ants
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sikadelic

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Thanks for sharing those Dave. What tools/bits did you use?
 

Jaberwky17

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Craig Coussins "Master Class" book

Check out Craig Coussins' book "Bonsai Master Class". He runs through a lot of in depth series of processes involving carving and other heavy duty techniques.

Interestingly enough, I posted a stupid and misinformed rant on the subject when I first joined this forum, and now I'm recommending the book. Funny stuff.
 

Brian Underwood

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I think I learned, or at least got inspired by Graham's videos, among others. I then got an apprenticeship with a local bonsai artist and was allowed to practice carving on MANY trees, mostly redwoods. The videos certainly helped, but also looking at pictures, and trees in the wild were of great use. The biggest help was practice though. Also, one thing not many people tell you; go with the grain. This is expecially important on twisty junipers that if you don't carve with the natural grain, it will look very wrong and "forced". Good luck and have fun! Also, review safety info on those carving tools, they can be quite dangerous!
 

Brian Van Fleet

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At first, manual is better, cut a branch halfway through, rip it back, then use gravers and pliers to peel back strips of green wood. Good advice from Brian U to go with the grain as well.

For power tools, this Foredom is my favorite, along with some bits from Dale Cochoy. A recent post on some basic carving is here.
 

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sikadelic

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At first, manual is better, cut a branch halfway through, rip it back, then use gravers and pliers to peel back strips of green wood. Good advice from Brian U to go with the grain as well.

For power tools, this Foredom is my favorite, along with some bits from Dale Cochoy. A recent post on some basic carving is here.

Thanks. Funny you mention Dale as I just finished watching his 2 part carving demo he did for the Midwest Bonsai Society in 2011. He ran through a lot of bits, burrs, brushes, etc.


That thread at the IBC was amazing. The juniper carving was breathtaking and really shows that you have to have the eye for that. I can see the manual carving gives much more control and can produce very fine carvings that I would imagine couldn't be done with a machine.
 

Dav4

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Thanks for sharing those Dave. What tools/bits did you use?

Everything:D. For my dremel, I've got several kutzall bits- round, wheel, flame. Same thing for my die grinder, only bigger. I also use a terrier bit I bought from Dale...the kutzall bits remove wood faster but I have a bit more control with the terrier. I'll also use various drill bits. For hand tools, I've got jin pliers, flexcut and Japanese hand carvers, along with various chisels.
 

jeanluc83

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Graham Potter’s videos are among the best I’ve found. But as Vance pointed out he makes it look much easier than it is. I would also check out Dan Robinson’s work. He is one of the pioneers of power carving in the US. I don’t know if there are any videos of him doing carving though.

It all comes down to actual doing. Get the tools and carve on anything you can find, scrap 2x4s, pieces of firewood, old stumps whatever you can find. Carve dry wood, wet wood, wood with rotten spots. Learn how the tools cut in all kinds of wood. Get the experience you will need when it comes time to carve on your prized bonsai.

Good luck
 

Vance Wood

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Graham Potter’s videos are among the best I’ve found. But as Vance pointed out he makes it look much easier than it is. I would also check out Dan Robinson’s work. He is one of the pioneers of power carving in the US. I don’t know if there are any videos of him doing carving though.

It all comes down to actual doing. Get the tools and carve on anything you can find, scrap 2x4s, pieces of firewood, old stumps whatever you can find. Carve dry wood, wet wood, wood with rotten spots. Learn how the tools cut in all kinds of wood. Get the experience you will need when it comes time to carve on your prized bonsai.

Good luck

This is good advise. I was a professional wood worker for many years before, and, thankfully I realized, it was better to retire than die at work understanding I had better things to do (bonsai). I was and am quite adept at wood carving but what you are doing in creating dead wood is sculpting. Truly you are in that "think tree Daniel San" mind set. You get one shot at making some pieces of wood look really aged and natural. If you can't think abstractly and artistically you will have to learn this first before you destroy a good piece of material. It's not like carving a pig or a relief plate with a bird on it.

I am not saying I have mastered this but my attempts have shown me how much I need to learn and the nature of what I need to acquire in ability. I have the adequate tools just not the adequate skills--------------yet. I'll learn this too because I want to.
 
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sikadelic

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It all comes down to actual doing. Get the tools and carve on anything you can find, scrap 2x4s, pieces of firewood, old stumps whatever you can find. Carve dry wood, wet wood, wood with rotten spots. Learn how the tools cut in all kinds of wood. Get the experience you will need when it comes time to carve on your prized bonsai.

Good luck
Very good advice. I have a lot of driftwood laying around that I can collect and practice on. Right now I only have a dremel and whatever bits came with it (mostly junk). It will enough to wet my whistle until I spring for a good die grinder.

I'll learn this too because I want to.
My sentiments exactly Vance. I think an average tree with a great carving can really elevate the quality of the tree and I know that I will need to gain the skill at some point. I'm in it for the long haul and know that there will be a fair share of carving to do at some point in my journey.

I dabble in woodworking as well but my pieces are more functional (read ugly). I guess that is where my genuine understanding that practice is necessary comes from. Wood can be very unforgiving. You can always take more off but you sure as hell can't put it back.
 

Dav4

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I should mention something else I feel is important when you are carving wood as part of a design. I have a feeling that many relative bonsai newcomers feel that carving is a "one and done" event and this couldn't be further from the truth as far as I'm concerned. Francois Jeker, a French bonsai artist, is as well known for his deadwood work as Graham Potter. He will make a masterful first effort to create the deadwood, but readily admits that the newly carved wood needs to age for a few years, then be reworked. This is my approach as well. From my perspective, carving should be done in steps and modified as needed. As Vance mentioned, you can ruin a good piece of stock very quickly if you remove too much wood quickly and without a goal in mind. Have a plan, but implement the plan slowly and cautiously until you have more experience. There's nothing wrong with doing a little carving, then stepping away for a few months to contemplate what you've done, then revise down the road.
 

Poink88

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You got lots of very good advice above.

I have most of the needed tools but haven't done much carving yet and admittedly, I have a longgggg way to go. It is a journey by itself...one that I barely took the first step of.

I have Sidiao's book (with CD) and I believe it is the best carving book out as of now. Graham Potter videos I think are the best FREE instructional videos. Kevin Wilson is also good and I just learned that he taught Graham Potter. I know only a few who create great deadwood carvings so don't be hard to yourself if it takes time. I personally may never be good at it, but I will try. :)

Start by noting the big difference of deadwood between evergreens and broad leaf. Go out and look at natural deadwood in trees, shrubs, bushes, etc. Nature's work is amazing and hard to replicate but it sure makes the perfect model. Good ones are NEVER 2 dimensional and NEVER predictable. ;)

Good luck!
 

jeanluc83

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It is a skill in its self to be able to anticipate the way the deadwood will change over time. It will weather and become more natural but it will also decay. There are methods to slow the decay but there is no way to stop it completely. In fact working with the natural decay will produce more natural dead wood.
 
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