Stylized and Realistic Carving

There are many definitions of stylized carving.  So many in fact, that it suggests that everybody may be so inclined to define it to suit themselves.  I think that there are many "levels" of stylized carving.  Perhaps we need a "numerical scale" in order to classify a stylized carving.  My scale would be based on two extremes, with detailed realistic on one end of the scale and extremely stylized on the other.  What is a stylized wood carving?  Google stylized and this is what you'll find:  "...drawn, written, or performed in an artificial style that does not look natural or real, but that is still pleasant to look at".  Stylized wood carvings have less detail than the realistic carvings.  But there has to be enough detail so as to make the piece recognizable.  In this example, I was wanted to whittle a small wood Flounder to make into a necklace.  The key here is to whittle enough detail to make sure that one can recognize it as a Flounder.  This example is some where between totally realistic and totally stylized.  On a one to ten scale it's probably about 4 where 1 is very realistic and 10 in totally stylized.  There's no scales and no small fins.  There's just some detail missing.

For a less experienced whittler/carver this design may be just what "the doctor ordered".  It can be scroll sawed out of 1/4" thick Basswood, and easily shaped with a knife.  And, for those of us that have a very short attention span, it can be completed is a very short period of time.

The same design can be enlarged and carved into a quite attractive wall hanging.  This larger example was achieved by using rotary tools with a one inch diameter sanding drum.

Below is the finished 24 inch wall hanging.