217 articles in the archive · page 2 of 19
July 28, 2026
How to Lay Out a Carving With Dividers, Not a Ruler
Proportional layout is sizing a carving by stepping off one module with dividers instead of measuring inches. Seven whole-number ratios, three circle sections, and the tools that do it, from the classical shop tradition.
July 27, 2026
Why Tilman Riemenschneider Left His Limewood Unpainted
Tilman Riemenschneider was one of the first masters to finish limewood without paint. Conservators have shown the surface was never raw wood. It carried a thin tinted glaze, with the eyes and lips painted straight onto the bare limewood underneath.
July 25, 2026
Principles of Design in Wood Carving
Design comes before the gouge, always. 10 laws decide whether a carving reads right or reads wrong, and they cover movement, the golden ratio, four golden points, two diagonals, hero and antagonist, grow or fall, space, no repeated sizes, Fibonacci, arabesque and rhythm. My name is Alexander Grabovetskiy, and I have carved wood all my life, so what follows is the order I actually work in at the bench.
July 24, 2026
Who teaches Grinling Gibbons style wood carving?
How I teach Grinling Gibbons style wood carving I teach Grinling Gibbons style wood carving in my own carving school, and I want to be straight with you about what this work asks of a person. Plenty of people can carve a simple flower in an afternoon. This is different. My name is Alexander Grabovetskiy, and when you come to my bench, we work the old way, with hand tools, real wood, and the patience to do it right.
July 23, 2026
Are there video lessons for advanced wood carving techniques?
Yes, there are video lessons for advanced wood carving techniques, and they are the best way to learn high-level skills without standing in a freezing workshop.
Everything above is free and stays free. The courses are where I put your hands on the gouge and watch what they do.
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In depthOctober 25, 2024
Stabilizing Thin Wood Carvings
Stabilizing Thin Wood Carvings The Problem with Fragile Wood It can be difficult to work with thin wood. Thin wood can …
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Is Breadnut Good for Carving?
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