[workinforwood]

I have no idea what kind of carver I would be either. When I hear flat plane carver, I thought perhaps you were carving airplanes.

this is my first carving attempt...but it is intarsia as well, so keep that in mind. So where do I fit in?

[Gergie]

I look at flat plane carving this way.

My Great Great grandfather Lars setting by a fire at night in Norway. Kids are in bed sleeping and he's making some Christmas presents for them. Knowing kids can be rough on toys, he carves out horses, people, dogs, and whatever suits his fancy, so they won't break to easy. He gives them a cut here or there to add character to the piece. When I do carving demonstrations I dress like my Grandfather Lars and relate this story.

In my mind it started out that way and then took a life of it's own. Where it refined into the style of carving it is today.

I love to do this type of carving when I'm on vacation or camping. A great way to pass time and you don't need to bring along a lot of your carving arsenal.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

I just thought of something......How can there be "Flat Plain Carving"? There are no trees on the plains. Maybe there used to be forests out there and some woodcarving bunch carved them all up....hence, "Flat Plane Carving". They just changed the spelling for fear of being found out then hightailed it to Scandanavia!!

[Eddy Smiles]

Lynn.... You are clever! Perhaps even a touch of comedian in you!

Workinforwood... That's a real nice piece of carving and painting. It's hard to tell whether it's in relief or in the round but for the benefit of the rest of the forum who might have given up on these Flat Plane shinanagans why don't you repost it in it's own thread under New Projects. Remember to change the file name of the photo or it won't let you post the picture at the new site.

[Kenny_S]

Well Lynn, Your style be the Lynn Doughty style! Clear as mud eh?I have no sphere of Flat Planes till they crash! Then only id I be on it, for sure.

Lynn, Ya be around themthere horses all the time, ya be stiring sumthung eh?

Ok, Whatever your style is Lynn, We don't care as we love your carvings and keep them coming..

[Claude]

Originally Posted by Lynn O. Doughty

I just thought of something......How can there be "Flat Plain Carving"? There are no trees on the plains. Maybe there used to be forests out there and some woodcarving bunch carved them all up....hence, "Flat Plane Carving". They just changed the spelling for fear of being found out then hightailed it to Scandanavia!!

The early wood carvers from the great plains carved what was available to them, meaning the same thing they used for "firewood". Since Titebond hadn't been invented yet, they couldn't glue up enough layers to make carvings in the round, and therefore all their carvings were...relief. Which may be the reason the plains natives didn't use utensils to eat...I'm not sure anyone would like using a spoon carved from a buffalo chip!

Claude

[mwilleson]

Well, count me as one of those recently intrigued by flat plane carving so I'll take a stab at it....

I think there are two basic ingredients of flat plane carving:
1) Broad, flat surfaces
2) Simplicity of detail

Most carvings that are not polished smooth end up with some flat surfaces, but whether people are familiar with flat plane carvings or not, they do notice the difference between a carving with some flat surfaces and a flat plane carving with it's distinct surface. They may not know why the surface is the way it is, but they notice the difference in the texture. As Gene and others have eluded to, some like it, some don't. No harm, no foul either way.

The other key ingredient is basic details. One notch at the bottom of a pant leg for a cuff; two v-cuts painted white with black dots for eyes; a simple notch to illustrate a wrinkle; coarse cuts for hair, etc. Details are not painstakingly carved, rather the viewers mind fills in the detail based on the "suggestion" of what they see.

I think both elements must be present for it to be flat plane carving.

Some stylized carvings use long, sloping flat surfaces but I don't think anyone would consider them flat plane carving. A caricature or even a realistic carving can be done with limited detail, but again it would not be considered flat plane.

To me, the combination of "simple details using simple, aggressive cuts" sums up flat plane carving.

[bbeery]

Do you call this "flat plane carving?" It is a dog carved last December by Tom Wolfe in Walnut. He completed it in about 6 hours after forming a roughout on the bandsaw. I bought it from him at a really good price!

[tnartist05]

It seems??Flat plane carvers seem to carve something from a "total" block of wood as apposed to some carvers that add hats and body parts on to thier carvings.{add on's} Plus they are hand carved from whittling the olde fashion way and most flat plane carvers dont use power or other dremel tools that leave burn marks on thier work. Just my 2 cents from seeing how some carvers carve today. I would ratter buy a carving that shows knive marks from being really carved that a carving thats all painted up and shined looking like its made from plastic or machine made. s became part of the olde west once they couldnt take the hard lives in the mountains & hills then they moved out west. {my 3 cents}