where do you start?

[Alice in Wonderland]

I am thinking of a relief carving with Meercat groups do I start with the back parts first ? or the front ones( bigger ones) This is my first relif carving , my wood is about2" thick +18"+18" Poplar.
Thanks for your help
Alice

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Alice, I don't have an answer for you , but I was wondering how poplar was to carve.

Dave

[Claude]

The 1.5 x 1.5 pieces of scrap used in making stair bannister supports that my son gave me are hard as @%@#@#@%%!! ( ...well, about like walnut or cherry or maple...) Definitely harder than basswood. On the plus side, the wood is light-colored, very uniform grain, finishes smooth, holds detail well...

Will I use more of it? Sure...but I'll probably be careful with my bandsawing and then use my Dremel to do a lot of the waste wood removal that I'd normally do with a knife on basswood.

If you like using a mallet with your gouges, this stuff is nice to work with...

Answering your question about where to start...I'd start by using my router to remove a lot of the waste wood. Since this is a hard wood, I'd cut probably only a 1/4 inch deep per pass, starting with the deepest areas, then another 1/4 inch, etc., until I got the deepest part waste all gone. Then I'd start getting the wast out of the next deepest area, again cutting only a 1/4 inch or so per pass...

Since I'm not an expert on this - the relief carvings I've done have mostly been the other sort, where the background is all cut away and the design sticks up - probably better wait for some advice from someone who knows what he/she is talking about...
Claude

[Ron Davidson]

I always start with the deepest part or the background. Leave yourself at least a 1/2 or more material. I never take it down all the way at first I take it part way and then the next layer. I will leave myself 1/8-1/4 room for play you can always take more off but it's harder to put back if you go to deep. I know I found out the hard way. I have to start this way because if I start with the front I will erase my lines and I can't put them back. Some people start in the front. Hope this helps.
Ron

[Mottles]

Basswood would be a better choice if you plan to use hand tools, power tools would be a better option for Poplar. I did a small relief carving of a little bear and swore I'd never hand carve Poplar again. Only because I had to work so hard for every cut I made it was very hard wood. Now, saying that maybe I had just a miserable peice of wood. lol

Hi Alice, I always do the background first then work my way forward. It's good to have a game plan as they say. Make a pattern of your design you want to use. Number your relief levels beginning with the background with the highest number and work forward numbering each level until you reach the foreground or highest level toward you. Sometimes, you have to go back and re-adjust your numbers with levels that fall in between your already numbered levels. Some people even color code the levels. Think of your design as a painting find in your design the background, the middle ground and the foreground. Then look for the levels that fall in between.
By taking the time to do this you will save yourself time when you start the actual carving of your releif.
Because this is your first relief I recommend you keep it as simple design wise as you can. Don't have a design that has to many levels.
Everyone has given you good advice and what others have said about not taking to much wood from your background is so important. I use a measuring guage set at 1/4 to 1/2 inch depending on how much background wood I want to leave.
If you should punch though just use some wood puddy to fill the hole.
I can stress enough for beginning relief carvers to keep their first few reliefs simple. Make them learning tools, get some experience then move on.
If I can help just let me know.
Kathy

[Alice in Wonderland]

Hi There
thanks all for your help as you probably remember I only use powertools, I have done Poplar before(my Mongolian man) I like the wood the color can be beautiful. Oh boy, Kathy I am not a good planer and I suprised myself for even asking this question, I usually just go ahead, but I want to do better and I know your relief carvings are very good Kathy
Claude and Ron you start the same way as Kathy ? Maybe I can get my hudbands router ? if I cook him a good Sunday dinner :-)))))
Thanks again I appreciate your help
Alice

[Ron Davidson]

I don't use a router I do it all by hand. I think a router is a little dangerous for me couldn't tell where I was going. Good Luck!

[wacky1]

Alice thats a good one. I would think the front first then the detail in the back. You could try. I thinking of doing about 3 different ones out of mahogany just can't seem to fine the right design.
Maybe try with a little piece of wood. with two or three of them on and just see.

Take care Lavonne

[doris]

alice, i did both ways in relief,,,and, i tend to like it better to work from front to back, and not cutting outlines first strictly but indicate them only very loosely, and let the carving evolve...sure, it has the risk that the carving will be different than your guiding drawing you have laying besides you, or in your mind, but it feels more dynamic this way... btw, did you post the mongolian man and i missed him ? i sure would like see him :-)

[mark yundt]

It's interesting to see who starts from the front vs. the back. I'm with Doris on this one, I too start all mine from the front. To me it just makes more sense. I think you can maintain a better flow this way and it's easier to make any adjustments. I understand Rons reasons for starting from the back and they are particular reasons...but I feel starting from the front offers many advantages starting from the back looses or forfeits and many times it shows when you see the final carving.