Chris Pye's Woodcarving Workshops

Chris Pye’s new instructional website is full of information for all carvers.

Online video library provides a wealth of information

Chris Pye, the British master carver and the 2008 Woodcarving Illustrated Woodcarver of the Year, has created a new online video library full of extremely valuable information.

Membership to the website, which costs around $130 (£66) for a yearly subscription, includes videos that explain all you need to know to carve with traditional hand tools. The library covers everything from the proper way to grip and sharpen tools to designing your own carvings, and even walks you through several carving projects. Current projects include a house sign, a green man, a realistic bat, a thumbnail molding, and a lintel (a design element over a door or window).

Chris has written numerous books and articles on woodcarving over the years, teaching many carvers and helping them refine their skills. This site will introduce a new generation of people to carving. Books and magazines can only teach so much; sometimes you actually need to see someone carving to fully grasp the concept. It can be difficult for carvers in the United States and Canada to attend a class with Chris at his home studio in Great Britain, and he only teaches classes in the United States once a year.

The video site gives carvers the opportunity to see Chris in action from the comfort of their own home. Members can carve as they watch the video, and it’s easy to stop the video, rewind, and watch specific segments again. The video site is invaluable to carvers of every skill level. At the time this article was written, the site offered seventy-five how-to videos. New videos are added to the site regularly. If you are serious about learning to carve using traditional hand tools, this site is easily worth the low monthly fee.

To access Chris Pye’s new video website, visit www.woodcarvingworkshops.tv.