Web Sites For Flat Plane Carvers

1. Little Shavers Woodcarving Supply http://www.littleshavers.com/

2. Pine Wood Forge
http://www.pinewoodforge.com/

3. Harley Refsal Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojusZBG7fWU

4. Woodcarving Illustrated Flat Plane Forum http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/forum/f70/

Send Me Your Pictures !

Urbansheepdog ( Simon)

Windsong (Vic)

Selfsitter

Robert Cahills Flat Plane Work

This site is especially dedicated to the art of flat plane carving and I want you to share your flat plane work with everyone who visits this website ..

Send me your pictures of your flat plane work and I will be happy to display them on this blog .. dont worry weather you feel your work is good enough yet or not ... We want to see your attempts at flat plane carving ..

Email me at Whittler0507@aol.com with your photos

Other Excellent Flat Plane Carvings

Up Close And Personal.. The Flat Plane Face

The Deep Cuts are a trade mark of the flat plane face .. Made almost entirely by the knife itself .. And used in the piece to give it its character ..
Gene

Can Flat Plane Carving Have Any Roundness To It ?

One question Iam ask hundreds of times is this question .. Can a flat plane figure have any roundness to its shape ? .. Well lets let the masters of flat plane show us ..
Observe the three carvings below ... They are Axel Peterssons .. Sevens and Harley Refsal .. All master's of flat plane carving .. Now observe the figures closely .. Is there any roundness at all in their work .. The answer is of course there is .. look at the head of the figure in the grey suit .. doesnt his head have roundness ? Is it completely flat in nature ? No ..of course not ... Look at Axel Peterssons figure of the gentleman with the cane .. Is his hat rounded at the top ? Yes of course it is ...
So can a flat plane figure have any roundness at all ? YES ! It Can ...
The confusion lies in the term Flat Plane .. So often people associate the term with everything has to be 100 % flat .. no exceptions and thats just not true ..
Flat Plane carving is more a style of carving rather then a absolute term ... The old style carvers had access to few tools and primitive style .. and If you observe the carvings below .. you see a certain style of rough knife work that is the trademark of flat plane carvers .. The large or small flat knife cuts that create the character of the figure in the face and body alike .. And then finishes with little sanding and the knife cuts visible to the observer .. The style is the key .. not the word flat ..
So if anyone tells you .. You cant see any roundness in a flat plane carving .. Tell them the masters work tells different
Gene

Carving Back In Time !

Hey Old timers .. Remember this one .. If you have been carving for for along period of time .. How could you not remember Mallet Magazine ! ... When Carving Magazine and Wood Carving Illustrated were only mind sets for their publishers .. Mallet Magazine was going strong ..
It was published for the National Carvers Museum at that time in Monument Colorado and I had the pleasure of visiting the museum in my lifetime
But unfortunately because of problems unknown .. The Museum closed and there was quite a controversy surrounding the beautiful carvings that it displayed ..
I still have quite a few remaining issues of this magazine and iam sure alot of old time carvers do too ..

A step back in time for those who remember ..

Gene

Excellent Magazines For The Flat Plane Carver

Woodcarving Illustrated is a excellent carving magazine for the advanced and beginner alike .. Its articles and photos are excellent and its info on carving is a joy to any carver .. It has demonstrations , future carving events and interviews with well known professional carvers .. It is a all around must have magazine for any wood carver ..
Also WCI carries one of the finest Carving websites available to the novice and advanced carver alike .. Its message board allows the carver to view , display, and discuss all types of related carvings with beginners and professionals alike .. A excellent learning tool for any carver to have available to him or her .. ( $20.00 year) http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/


Carving Magazine is a a excellent magazine and geared to the advanced and beginning carver alike .. Its format is very professional and articles and demonstrations are by very professional and knowledgeable carvers alike .. ($ 20.00 year)
http://www.carvingmagazine.com/

Chip Chats is probably one of the oldest carving magazines around today .. It is a excellent carving magazine and published by The National Woodcarvers Association .. But geared mostly for the show of carving rather then demonstartion .. It has excellent articles and photos on Woodcarving Shows and Future Events .. It is a magazine any carver would enjoy has a subscription to ( $16.00 year) http://www.chipchats.org/

Tom Hindes .. A True Wizard Himself

Anyone who subscribes to Woodcarving Illustarted Message Board is certainly familiar with with Tom H .... His wonderful little wizards and santas have graced the pages of the message board for years ..
Even though Tom doesnt consider himself a flat plane carver .. That is immaterial to what Iam about to say about this man ..
Tom 's dedication to using his talents to help the beginner carver's is unsurpassed by his layed back style and the ability to present a simple style of carving to the beginner and advanced carver alike ..
His 5 minute wizard he introduced in Woodcarving Illustrated Magazine and I had the joy to do on my carving videos . .. Was the most requested item and biggest response I ever received on my you tube message board from beginners and carvers alike .. Everyone wanted to do the 5 minute wizard ....

Tom's teaching simplicity and quick way to carve a figure in less time with minimal cuts was a joy to those who had never carved before ....
We have to understand that this simple way to carve sparked alot of newcomers interest in wanting to learn and have continued to carve today ..
To me .. it was a start for many who never believed they could learn to carve .. but found something simple that they could start off with ..
I know Tom might have never realized this .. but I believe that he is one person who has provided the key to reaching alot of beginning carvers with the basics of doing simple pieces that when finished .. Look So Darn Good !.. And that in itself is a Art !

Some Of Tom's Wonderful Noah's Arks and Great Small Treasures