Ultra Flat Plane Animals

I subscribe to the thought that success breeds success.  What this means to wood carving can be found in the initial learning process.  Whether you are learning on your own, or being taught; early success is important.  Without early success a learner will become discouraged and stop trying.

It is my hope that these ultra flat plane stylized animals can provide this early carving success, and lead onto more difficult carving and more successes.

These ultra flat plan carved animals may be pushing limits of traditional flat plane carving by their simplicity.  I am calling them "Ultra Flat Plane" because of the small number of larger flat planes on each piece.

The following photos illustrate the basics involved in carving a ultra flat plane stylized rooster.

Start with a drawing of the rooster in profile.  Next, Transfer the drawing to a 1/2"piece of Basswood.   I use a scroll saw and eliminate the curved lines as I cut the blank.  You may wish to convert the curved outlines on the drawing before transferring it to the wood.
Once the rooster is cut out you can begin to cut the flat planes with a knife.

This ultra flat plane style uses three basic knife cuts: 

STOP CUT
THUMB ASSISTED PUSH CUT
PARING CUT


The following photos will show the steps:

To prepare for the carving, first mark on the blank where the stop cuts will be made.

Make stop cuts ate the edges of the wood where the drawn lines are.  After these corners have stop cuts made connect these stop cuts as shown by the solid lines.  Neck, comb, tail feathers,and feet

With a sharp knife, make push cuts or paring cuts to remove slices of wood to the corner stop cuts.  This is illustrated by the pencil marks that darken the flat cut on the roosters back to the tail.  Then using the push cut or paring cut, remove slices of wood between the "flats" that define the tail.   Make these cuts of each side of the blank (same cuts on each side).




Continue making these cuts right around the blank on both sides front and back.

SOME TIPS
Pay attention to the direction of the wood grain.
Make the cuts with the grain.
You do not have to remove the whole thickness / slice of wood with one cut.
Try to remove the slices at the same thickness, to maintain flatness.
It helps to think of being a diamond cutter!  Maintain clean and even slices the same as the facets on a cut diamond.

Add some color and you have a very easy and quick Ultra Flat Plane Rooster.